United Way Pledge Walk to Help Special-Needs Pupils

The Mesa Republic, News by You, April 1, 2010, Bob Schuster

Teaching special-needs students requires highly specialized skills, and often lots of patience and even intuition. For Judy Subaitis, who works with severely autistic youngsters at Mesa's Field Elementary School, simply communicating with her students can require a sixth sense because they are just learning to speak. 

That requires gently and persistently using trial and error to determine what may be upsetting a child, or which type of physical activity will help prepare a student to focus on a learning task.

Lots of one-on-one attention is a must - Subaitis has several assistants to help with her seven students - along with special equipment for physical activities and to ensure safety. During this time of tight budgets, she can't get everything she would like to have for her kids, but she could get several high-priority items through her class' participation in the April 10 Live United Walk United in downtown Mesa.

The 3-mile pledge walk is a venture between Mesa Public Schools and Mesa United Way. Proceeds will be split between participating school groups, such as Subaitis' class, and Mesa United Way's Community Care Fund, which supports essential human services throughout the community.

Subaitis already has two-way radios that she and her assistants use to keep track of their charges when they're out on the playground. She would like to add some watch radios that can be used hands-free by assistants who work with the most active youngsters.

"We walk about a half-mile every morning. The kids like a routine, and exercise is good for them and helps them focus," she said. "But some of them have a tendency to wander off, so we have to watch them very closely. Having the hands-free watch radios would really help."

She has cushioned mats and bean-bag chairs in the classroom for certain exercises and would like to add an "egg chair" that spins, along with a Lumin Disk that has a light display that responds to touch, voices and music, with funds raised from the Walk United event.

"My kids respond in different ways to different stimuli," Subaitis explained. "Some of them like to roll on the mats. Others like the security of the bean-bag chairs - the sensation of being squeezed. Others love to spin. We used to have a Lumin Disk that the kids loved to watch, but it broke.

"Because these children don't speak we have to find out non-verbally what works best for each one of them. Having the additional chairs and sensory equipment would really help."

Subaitis is encouraging all her students and their families to participate in the April 10 walk, even if they can't complete the entire 3 miles. "They love to walk and I'll bet most will be able to go at least halfway," she said.

Bob Schuster recently retired after a 24-year career in the Southeast Valley newspaper business and is now a volunteer public information specialist for Mesa United Way.