Brandon Twp.- Jacob Green loves the pool. Not so unusual for a 12-year-old, until you learn that Jacob isn’t your average seventh grader.
While most kids will jump, dive, or climb into the pool, Jacob needs adults to help him into the water. But just the fact that he is able to walk once he gets in there is miraculous in itself. The Brandon Middle School student has arthogryposis? a congenital joint disorder. Effectively, he has no joints in his wrists, elbows, ankles, or knees.
‘He wasn’t supposed to be able to walk,? says Kelly Green, Jacob’s stepmom. She explains that the arthogryposis was caused because of a lack of amniotic fluid while he was in the womb due to his birth mother’s drug use. ‘He couldn’t stretch out and grow the joints that he needed,? Kelly said.
She and Rodney Green, Jacob’s father, got their son to walk around tables when he was 18-months-old, working to make Jacob as independent as possible. Now, he continues to work on that independence in the pool at Brandon High School as part of the personal recreation class begun this year by BMS special education teachers Laura Frye and Claudia Friedline.
The pool is just one piece of the personal recreation class that is tailored to students in the special education classes that have more physical challenges this year than in the past.
‘These kids are limited physically? they will never bowl or play softball or football,? said Frye. ‘These are kids that, in gym class with typical seventh graders, can’t participate as much. We created this class to help them grow and develop, and give them a chance to be successful.?
Frye and Friedline brainstormed with occupational and physical therapists, the gym teacher and social worker to come up with ideas to make the most of the daily one-hour class as they worked to improve the strength, coordination, and stamina of 10 students who have disabilities ranging from cognitive impairment to cerebral palsy.
Besides the weekly trip to the pool, the class also goes to the gym twice a week for games and to practice gross motor skills, with activities including sit-ups, jumping jacks, jump rope, stickball, matball and even volleyball (using a beachball so no one gets hurt). one day a week, the group also works on fine motor skills, working with knives to cut clay and spread peanut but ter and frosting, for example. Another day is spent collecting recyclables around the school and placing them in the bin.
In the past, the students received one-on-one attention from the physical and occupational therapists, but Frye said the group setting actually offers more attention, and gives the students more social interaction and the ability to play team games. She sees their confidence growing.
‘It’s been a great success,? Friedline said. ‘Most of them enjoy the first hour of the day. Hopefully through all this play, games and interaction, they learn respect and develop friendships and good sportsmanship. We’re making progress.?
Kelly Green loves the program and goes every other week with Jacob to the pool. She watches as he reaps the benefits in all other areas? he can walk a few blocks now before his legs hurt, rides his bike by putting his feet on the ground, navigates stairs better, and gets on the bus by himself.
‘It’s a beautiful thing? it saves my back and he is in better spirits,? she said. ‘He couldn’t do what other kids do, but now he feels that he can. He can do anything if he sets his mind to it.?
Jacob says he can feel himself getting stronger.
‘Last year, my writing was really sloppy, but this year, they helped me get it straightened out,? he said. ‘Last year, I couldn’t get on the bus by myself and this year I can. It makes me feel pretty good… It’s a really good class and we all work really hard in there.?
This winter, it may be difficult to continue trips to the pool since the students walk outside to get there.
‘One of our dreams is to get a stationary bike and treadmill for them, so they don’t lose their stamina,? she said.