Help for Children
A Mother Finds Help for Her Own Child and, in the Process, Advocates for All Children

Angelica Lagos

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. Look at the chart and read the definition of bipolar disorder on p. 25. Explain it in your own words. Why is it called “bi” + “polar”?
2. The state capitol is where the state congress meets to make laws (also known as bills). Sometimes community members give testimony for or against the laws. This is called advocacy.

Something Happened to My Daughter
I immigrated to the United States in 1999 with my oldest daughter Flor. She was three years old. She was a happy, friendly girl who loved animals. I wanted to give her a better education and more opportunities.

Flor grew up quickly. She did well in kindergarten and elementary school. But in high school, Flor started behaving strangely. I thought it was because of her age. I thought it would pass. One day while I was at work, the school counselor called me and told me my daughter was having problems. The next day, I went to my daughter’s classroom and sat in the back of the room to watch. I didn’t understand why my daughter couldn’t stay still. She walked around the classroom and looked at everyone very anxiously. Then she told me that “they” were going to wait for her after school.

I spoke with my daughter’s counselor about these threats, and I thought they would do something to keep her safe. The next day, my daughter didn’t want to go to school because she knew “they” were going to hit her. She was nervous and anxious, but she went to school anyway. When class ended, two students were waiting for her, and they hit her. When the school called me at work again, I couldn’t believe it. I had trusted them to keep her safe, but they let my daughter get hurt.

Finally, A Diagnosis
My daughter was feeling ill. She didn’t sleep well at night and started hearing voices and seeing strange things. The next day, I took her to the emergency room. She was very ill. She didn’t sleep, she did not recognize me, and she said everyone was bad and she didn’t trust anyone. She was in two different hospitals for five weeks. The doctor diagnosed her with severe bipolar disorder.

It’s difficult when you have a child with a mental illness. I didn’t understand anything about the education system or where to look for extra help for my daughter. And the teachers did not understand my daughter. They thought she was rebellious and didn’t want to study. My daughter ended up hating school, the teachers, and the students. Then the school expelled my daughter. I think they didn’t want to deal with her.

Advocating for Our Children
I would like to invite all families with disabled children to join the fight for better support for our children. We should call on our elected representatives to make our schools better. There should be mental health professionals at the schools, so that students with special needs or disabilities can get their needs met.

In March 2023, I went to the state capitol in Oregon with the Salem/Keizer Coalition for Equality (https://www.skcequality.org/). I gave my testimony so that they would pass a law that would give more funds for mental health. Our advocacy worked, and the bill was approved. Now there is more funding to support families with disabilities.

If my daughter had had the proper support from mental health professionals, the school would have detected the symptoms of bipolar disorder and not expelled her from school. She would have graduated and been able to go to college and achieve her goals.

Our Journey Has Been a Long One
For many years, she took medication and saw a therapist. She took medication to be calm, to sleep, and to wake up. My daughter’s mood changed. She was sometimes sad and sometimes happy. She laughed, cried, and screamed. I didn’t know when it was okay to talk to her. Everything bothered her. Her character changed. She was always afraid to go out. She couldn’t be in the park or in public places. When we went out to a family birthday party, she never wanted to stay very long.

It took a long time for me to understand her illness. I loved her very much, but I was suffering right along with her. It drove me crazy that I couldn’t help her. I am so grateful to God and my family who were there for me and my daughter during the most difficult times. I also thank all the health professionals and counselors who supported my daughter.

Today my daughter is doing well. Years of medication and therapy helped her. Now she doesn’t take any medication or see a therapist. She is happily married and has three boys. One of the boys has autism, and he will start school in the fall. She has already found an organization to help him succeed. She knows what to do to help her son.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. The author says her journey with her daughter has been a long one. What are some of the key moments in the journey?
2. How did Angelica’s desire to help her own child end up benefitting other children? Be specific.
3. Is there a bill or a law that you think would help your child and maybe other children in the community? Is there a community organization fighting for this law? If so, how can you connect with them? Write a letter to your congressperson explaining what you think about a current law. Find the name and address of your congressperson here: https://www.congress.gov/members

Angelica Lagos is from Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico. She is currently an ESOL student at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. She likes to spend time with her four beautiful daughters. She volunteers at the daycare at her church and at Hope Station Community Services which helps those in need. She wants to go to college to learn more about how to help women and children.

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New Experience With My Daughter’s Diagnosis

Magdalena Reyes

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. Diagnosis (noun) is when you or a doctor figure out the name of the condition or disease you have. For example: I was tired all the time, and I didn’t know why. The doctor finally gave me a diagnosis. She said I have Lyme disease.
2. Were you ever surprised or scared by a diagnosis in your family? Try using diagnosis and the verb form (to diagnose) in sentences.

At First, I Was Scared
How would you feel if you got a note from your child’s teacher saying that your daughter had something wrong with her?

When my daughter was nine years old, the school met with me to talk about why my daughter was having problems in school. She was bored during some activities but full of energy for other activities. Then the teacher told me that my daughter might have ADHD and needed to go to a specialist. At first, this scared me because I didn’t know what it was. I had a lot to learn.

Meeting with a psychologist was new for me. I was nervous because in my culture, I had never heard of ADHD. And I had never visited a psychologist. I thought that it was for people who were crazy, and I felt sad about the diagnosis. I have a friend who explained to me that many children have this problem and that medications can help. But I was still scared.

In my country, we did not think a child like this is a problem. The elders said this child is smart and creative and a hard worker. My grandmother told me that children like my daughter were allowed to do what they wanted to do. They would do very well in what they set out to do. That was years ago—a different time and place.

Looking for Ways to Help My Daughter
In the U.S., ADHD is treated as a problem. After some studies the doctor diagnosed her with ADHD. So, I started to look for ways I can help my daughter. I did not feel comfortable giving her medication. The doctor prescribed it, and I picked it up. But then I decided not to give it to her. I decided to change her routines. I made sure she exercised, slept well, and had only healthy food. However, I was very frustrated because I didn’t see any change.

So, I talked with her. I said we needed to try the medication. I was afraid of how the medication would affect her, so I asked her to tell me how she was feeling. The first day was okay, but on the third day she had no energy. On the fifth day she was like a zombie. When I asked how she felt, she said, “Good.” But that was not normal for my daughter. She was just “good”? Normally, she was full of energy and joy.

I thought, “Oh, no. This is not my daughter. I need my daughter back.” So we started looking for other alternatives to medication. I found an organization in Santa Rosa that helps families and children. I attended the weekly meetings. They helped me with strategies to help my daughter. We worked together. We signed up for swimming class, Mexican folkloric dancing, and martial arts.

Many Strategies
In the house, I put notes for everything to remind her what she needs to do. For example, on the bathroom mirror, one note said, “Don’t forget to brush your teeth.” On the door, I put a note that said, “Did you wash your hands?” I put a bracelet on her wrist that said, “This is for you to help you remember to bring your jacket home from school.”

We developed other strategies. For example, I made a little bag for her that she could carry on her shoulder. The bag contained all the important items she needed to remember to bring to school. When it was time to do her reading homework, I set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer went off, she could move around or do something else. Then she would read again for 10 minutes. Even though she does not like to read, she understands why it is important in reading.

When my daughter started middle school, she got a 504 Plan. This plan is for children with learning differences. With this plan, she could get more time to finish her assignments. In high school she had problems because the 504 Plan ended. She didn’t have enough time to finish her tasks, and her grades went down. Finally, she graduated from high school.

A Parent’s Pride
She continued with her education. She went to college. Now she has a job, and she is very organized and smart. Now, she helps me with my education at SRJC. She is like my tutor. Every child is different. As parents, we have an important role to help our child succeed. I love my daughter and I am very proud of her.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. Based on the text, how does Magdalena’s perspective as a parent evolve over time?
2. Share a time your role as a parent or family member evolved over time. Try using presentation software (like Google slides) to tell the story. Use pictures and text.
3. Study how the author uses quotation marks. Write down some rules about how to use them.
4. What do you think of how the elders would have described someone like the author’s daughter? (See the 4th paragraph.)

Magdalena Reyes is a student at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) in Santa Rosa, California. She is from Michoacán, Mexico, and she has been living in the U.S. for 27 years. She got her high school equivalency in 2019, and she is staying in school to improve her English.

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Children Who Get Suspended
Race, Gender, and Disability are Significant Factors

Andjela Kaur

Looking at the Data
Social scientists sometimes use statistics to document and explain the world around us. Look at the graph below and think about what it shows. Here are some questions that may guide your thinking:

1. What do the bars represent? What is being measured?
2. Which group has the highest suspension rate and which has the lowest?
3. Which are the tallest and shortest bars in each section and what do they represent?
4. What’s the difference between the left side and right side of the graph?

When I look at the graph, I notice that boys get suspended way more than girls in every racial group. I see that Black boys have the highest rate at 34%, American Indian boys are next at 29%, and white boys have the lowest rate at 12%. I also see that girls follow a similar pattern but with lower numbers overall. Black girls still have the highest rate at 27%, while white girls have the lowest at 6%.

When I read these numbers, I wonder why this is happening. Why are Black boys and girls more often suspended than white boys and girls? Why are boys overall suspended more often than girls?

Source: National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2020). Significant disproportionality in special education: Current trends and actions for impact. https://ncld.org

But then, when I pay even closer attention to how these numbers connect, I see that Black girls with disabilities (27%) get suspended more often than white boys with disabilities (12%). Think about that: even though boys usually get in trouble more than girls, race seems to matter more than gender here. Why is that?

Historical Context
In my work, I read a lot about history. So, when I try to understand why Black girls get suspended more than white boys, I think about a long and ugly history in the United States when Black people were without any good reason thought of as less capable and more disobedient. For over 100 years, some people used fake science called “eugenics” to claim that certain races were naturally more violent or less intelligent. They also said people with disabilities were “defective.” These ideas were used to justify terrible treatment of people of color and people with disabilities. Because of eugenic thinking, many people have lost their basic rights.

Even though we know eugenics was wrong, those old ideas might still influence how people think today. When teachers and principals see certain students as “more likely to cause trouble,” they might be unconsciously following those old, harmful stereotypes. Sometimes, even researchers who create research by dividing people into demographic groups could be using this old eugenic thinking.

Current Factors
Although it is important to look back at history and seek explanations, I am also careful to note that discrepancies like these exist in our world today. Health scientists say that these suspension patterns might also reflect what they call “social determinants of health.”

Social determinants of health are the conditions where people live, work, and go to school that affect their wellbeing. Students from communities with less access to healthcare, healthy food, safe housing, or economic opportunities may face more stress and trauma. This stress can affect behavior and learning in ways that might lead to more school discipline.

For example, a student dealing with housing instability, food insecurity, or community violence might have trouble concentrating or controlling emotions at school. Instead of getting help for these underlying problems, they might just get suspended. This creates a cycle where the students who need the most support get pushed out of school the most.

Using Data to Inform Decisions?
Finally, statistics like these should help us reflect on our policies and perhaps change them. For example, schools could make new rules that aim to lessen the racial discrepancy in their punishments.

However, we should be careful about what statistics can and can’t tell us. Numbers can hide important details, like what actually happened before each suspension, or whether schools tried to help these students in other ways first. Statistics can also reflect the biases of the people collecting the data or making the decisions that create the numbers. Just because we can measure something doesn’t always mean we understand why it happens, but it does often confirm or show that something is happening.

The bottom line is that students with disabilities who are also Black or American Indian face much higher suspension rates than white students. Whether this is because of unfair treatment rooted in historical prejudices or other factors, it means these kids are missing more school time, which could hurt their education and their futures.

Implications for Adult Education
Although the graph (on p. 26) represents what is happening in K-12 schools, we can see how this connects to adult education. Many adults who come to adult education programs are there because they were pushed out of regular school as kids, often through the same unfair discipline patterns we see in this graph. Black and American Indian adults with disabilities might be more likely to need adult education not because they chose it, but because they got suspended so much as kids that they never finished school properly.

For some students, walking into an adult education classroom can bring back painful memories. A Black man with a learning disability might remember being labeled as a “troublemaker” in middle school and getting suspended for behaviors that were really just signs he needed help. A woman might recall feeling like teachers never believed in her abilities and always expected her to fail. These students often carry shame about not finishing school, even though the system failed them, not the other way around. They might feel nervous about speaking up in class, worry that they’re “not smart enough,” or expect to be treated unfairly again.

Many of these students might have bad memories of school and might not trust teachers or feel confident about learning. The same old biases that led to unfair suspensions can still show up in adult classrooms too. Teachers might expect less from certain students or make assumptions about what adults with disabilities can do.

Many people in adult education programs are there because they were pushed out of school as children through these same unfair discipline practices. We need to recognize that when students struggle, it’s often because the system has failed them, not because they have failed. Only by addressing these deep-rooted issues can we give every student a real chance to succeed.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. According to the author, why is data about race, disability, and childhood suspension rates relevant to adult education?
2. Study and discuss the Social Determinants of Health chart. How do you think these social issues affect health?
3. If you were an adult student who got suspended a lot as a kid, how would you feel walking into your first adult education class?
4. How can teachers help adult students who have bad memories from school feel supported?

Andjela Kaur is a disability studies scholar currently working as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Penn State. Previously, she worked in adult education and community mental health settings as a teacher, vocational counselor, program manager, and ADA coordinator.

Back to Issue 65

A Woman with Bipolar Asks: Does Anyone Fully Understand?

Jacquelin Bliss

BEFORE YOU READ:
Manic depression is when you have periods of mania and periods of depression. Look at the chart on the right and discuss.

Growing up was tough. I could never figure out why I wasn’t like other kids. I wasn’t diagnosed until 10 years ago when I was in my early twenties. I have Bipolar type 1, which is sometimes known as manic depression. Mental illness can be very traumatic for a person and their family.

In school, I had trouble remembering what my teachers taught me. I got frustrated and this led to “flip-out episodes” and even self-harm. Then I felt mad at myself for not being able to control myself. I would talk down to myself and blame myself. Math was very hard for me. It got to the point where I would think about not living because I couldn’t understand math like other students could. It was really sad because all I ever wanted was to be “normal” like everybody else.

No one knew what was wrong with me. My parents thought I was just acting out. I went to numerous counselors. Doctors put me on and off medication. Some medication made me feel more depressed to the point where I stopped talking. Other medications made me feel hyper.

Finally, they found the right medications for me. Thank God! Today, if I miss taking my medication or I miss a session with my therapist, I am pretty much a train wreck. I can’t focus. I get distracted. My anxiety gets worse. My depression makes me feel like I cannot get out of bed.

Now, as an adult, I can pretty much handle my episodes or outbursts. Of course, I need to be on my medication. Some days are worse than others, but I get through them now just fine because I know my own red flags and triggers. Help and good support keeps me grounded.

However, to this day, I don’t think my family fully understands what it’s like to have a mental illness. But they do try and they do support me, and that’s what counts the most.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. According to the author, what helps her manage her mental health today?
2. What does the author mean when she says she is a train wreck? (See p. 9 for more information on metaphors and similes.)

Jacquelin Bliss is a student at Westbay Community Action Adult Education Academy in Warwick, RI. She loves to inspire people and be outgoing. She is a talented illustrator, and she would love to work as a clothing designer.

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Anxiety Should Not Stop Us

Briceida Garcia

BEFORE YOU READ:
What does it mean to manage a health condition? Do you or someone you know have a health condition to manage? How do you (or they) do it?

For me, anxiety is not easy. Sometimes I can’t think or I overthink. Sometimes I have the sensation that I am scratching myself. Sometimes I scratch until I hurt myself, leaving scars.

These days, I have been able to manage my anxiety well. I do breathing exercises to calm myself down a little. Another strategy I use to calm myself is to put a hair tie on my wrist. When I have the urge to scratch, I will pull at the hair tie instead. If I don’t have a hair tie, I will try to find a different activity to distract myself (playing with my baby, reading, watching television).

When I manage my anxiety, I can do more things. For example, I can do simple things like ask a teacher for help. I ask for help whenever I don’t understand what the teacher is saying. I also ask for the teacher to clarify what they are saying and repeating directions if necessary. I can do more activities with the other students in class. I worked on group projects and had group discussions with the other students.

Anxiety does not have to be a disability. If you have a class where the teachers support you, then you can still learn. If you do the work wrong or the work piles up, you should be able to ask for help. The teachers should be understanding.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. What specific strategies does Briceida use to manage her anxiety?
2. Read the story, “Anxiety Makes It Hard to Learn,” on pp. 22-23. What does Briceida have in common with the author of that story? What is different?
3. According to both authors, what can teachers and schools do to help students manage anxiety? Write a letter to your program director asking what accommodations the program has for students with anxiety.

Briceida Garcia is a student at the Adult High School Credit Diploma Program at Plainville Adult and Continuing Education in Plainville, Connecticut. In her spare time, she enjoys television shows, reading, and participating in school-based community events. When she’s not at school, she’s raising her beautiful daughter.

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