Claire Wiegand's Story: 1995 - 1996

At six, Claire finally started sleeping through the night and going to bed consistently. At 8:00 sharp, she would have her teeth brushed and be put to bed, and she would sleep for 10 - 11 glorious hours! She continues to sleep well even now -- we hope it lasts! This was Claire's first year of genuine public school and she was placed in a class for moderately mentally handicapped children at Cherry Tree Elementary. It was an ambitious placement, because her tests showed her functioning in the severe-to-profound range, but her preschool teacher and we were so pleased with her progress that we hoped she would continue to improve if placed with higher-functioning students. It turned out to be a mistake, because the class didn't meet her needs and she was considered to be a burden to the class. At case conference time, we unanimously agreed to move her to the severe-to-moderate class the next year.

	Claire at 6 1/2, using her Jelly Bean switches. The pink one operates a radio; the purple one operates a fan. She loves them! (March 1996)
	Claire at 6 3/4, with Jill, looking quite adorable in matching dresses. (May 1996) Next: 1996 - 1997