by Sharon Draper
After a few very strong recommendations to read this book, I picked up a copy of Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. I could tell you my personal rating on a scale of 1-5 or something but I'll leave it at this: I read the whole book in four days. It was very difficult to put down. Although the novel is fictional, it shows the real-life struggles a person (and their family members) goes through with a severe disability.
A quick summary of the story: Melody has a severe case of cerebral palsy that affects every aspect of her life. She cannot walk, eat, or use the bathroom by herself. The thing she wishes she can do most is talk. She is unable to form any sounds other than a moan. She feels helpless and shows multiple episodes of frustrations as she struggles to be understood by the talking world. The story takes you through her life in the time frame of her elementary years. She is put in an ESE classroom with other students of varying disabilities. While she likes the kids in her class, she feels different from them. This is because Melody is secretly brilliant. After being diagnosed as “mentally retarded” by a doctor as a toddler, her mother refuses to believe her daughter was worthless enough to put in a home. At school she is taken care of emotionally but not academically. No one knows what she is capable of because she is unable to express her thoughts.
While I was aware of cerebral palsy's effects on one’s body, this book was very eye opening for me. In the beginning, Melody explains how frustrating it is to be so smart and capable of learning but having the inability to speak with even her parents. The few things that you and I may take for granted are humiliating, uncomfortable, and embarrassing for her. Something as simple as having oatmeal stuck to the roof of her mouth or not having all of the toothpaste rinsed out are just some of the minor struggles Melody faces daily. She talks about how degrading it is to have an aide help her use the bathroom at school because they have to physically pick her up, wait for her to finish, wipe her, then finally put her back in her wheelchair.
I can only imagine the lack of communication she feels. She calls her thumbs "magical." They are the only perfect body part she owns. She uses her thumbs as her communication; on a tray attached to her wheelchair, Melody points to words, letters, and symbols to tell others what she's thinking or wanting. She finds that the tray is so limited. She once tells about when she was craving a MacDonald's burger and was trying to ask her dad if they could go get a Happy Meal. She pointed to GO + EAT + <happy face>. Her dad did not understand she meant "Can we go get a happy meal?"
In another instance she tries to tell her classroom aide that she wants something better but only has the means to point to GOOD + -er. This time, she was understood but through multiple attempts.
Along with all of the above scenarios that were documented in grave detail, all though Melody's perspective, another theme was mentioned that I found particularly important: the R-word. RETARDED. In the past few months, it has been brought to my attention to use person-first language. What exactly is that? For those who have a disability, it is putting them first, rather than using their disability to label them; controlling their life. Examples are: the autistic girl vs. the girl who has autism, the dyslexic boy vs. the boy with dyslexia. Can you see the difference? Even a minor change of word position can hold such power. Melody explains her dislike of the R-word. She says that it makes her automatically classified as the rest of the kids in her class with varying disabilities. (Don't forget that Melody is brilliant, she just can't communicate her genius thoughts!) So you can see the insult when someone like Melody is compared to a child twice her age that cannot do multi-step math equations in their head the way she can.
In summary, I would highly recommend this book to every educator, student on or above a fifth grade reading level, parent, or friend. Really, anyone because I think it pertains to all that is around us. In the wise words of fictional Melody, "Everyone has a disability. What's yours?"
In knowing that, I believe it is important to empathize with how others may feel. You may never think anything of it but if you walk a mile on another man's shoes you may understand. For many, this is not an option but reading Out of My Mind is a wonderful start. It opened my eyes and I'm sure it can do the same for my future students. This book will undoubtedly be on my bookshelf for my future students to enjoy.
After a few very strong recommendations to read this book, I picked up a copy of Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. I could tell you my personal rating on a scale of 1-5 or something but I'll leave it at this: I read the whole book in four days. It was very difficult to put down. Although the novel is fictional, it shows the real-life struggles a person (and their family members) goes through with a severe disability.
A quick summary of the story: Melody has a severe case of cerebral palsy that affects every aspect of her life. She cannot walk, eat, or use the bathroom by herself. The thing she wishes she can do most is talk. She is unable to form any sounds other than a moan. She feels helpless and shows multiple episodes of frustrations as she struggles to be understood by the talking world. The story takes you through her life in the time frame of her elementary years. She is put in an ESE classroom with other students of varying disabilities. While she likes the kids in her class, she feels different from them. This is because Melody is secretly brilliant. After being diagnosed as “mentally retarded” by a doctor as a toddler, her mother refuses to believe her daughter was worthless enough to put in a home. At school she is taken care of emotionally but not academically. No one knows what she is capable of because she is unable to express her thoughts.
While I was aware of cerebral palsy's effects on one’s body, this book was very eye opening for me. In the beginning, Melody explains how frustrating it is to be so smart and capable of learning but having the inability to speak with even her parents. The few things that you and I may take for granted are humiliating, uncomfortable, and embarrassing for her. Something as simple as having oatmeal stuck to the roof of her mouth or not having all of the toothpaste rinsed out are just some of the minor struggles Melody faces daily. She talks about how degrading it is to have an aide help her use the bathroom at school because they have to physically pick her up, wait for her to finish, wipe her, then finally put her back in her wheelchair.
I can only imagine the lack of communication she feels. She calls her thumbs "magical." They are the only perfect body part she owns. She uses her thumbs as her communication; on a tray attached to her wheelchair, Melody points to words, letters, and symbols to tell others what she's thinking or wanting. She finds that the tray is so limited. She once tells about when she was craving a MacDonald's burger and was trying to ask her dad if they could go get a Happy Meal. She pointed to GO + EAT + <happy face>. Her dad did not understand she meant "Can we go get a happy meal?"
In another instance she tries to tell her classroom aide that she wants something better but only has the means to point to GOOD + -er. This time, she was understood but through multiple attempts.
Along with all of the above scenarios that were documented in grave detail, all though Melody's perspective, another theme was mentioned that I found particularly important: the R-word. RETARDED. In the past few months, it has been brought to my attention to use person-first language. What exactly is that? For those who have a disability, it is putting them first, rather than using their disability to label them; controlling their life. Examples are: the autistic girl vs. the girl who has autism, the dyslexic boy vs. the boy with dyslexia. Can you see the difference? Even a minor change of word position can hold such power. Melody explains her dislike of the R-word. She says that it makes her automatically classified as the rest of the kids in her class with varying disabilities. (Don't forget that Melody is brilliant, she just can't communicate her genius thoughts!) So you can see the insult when someone like Melody is compared to a child twice her age that cannot do multi-step math equations in their head the way she can.
In summary, I would highly recommend this book to every educator, student on or above a fifth grade reading level, parent, or friend. Really, anyone because I think it pertains to all that is around us. In the wise words of fictional Melody, "Everyone has a disability. What's yours?"
In knowing that, I believe it is important to empathize with how others may feel. You may never think anything of it but if you walk a mile on another man's shoes you may understand. For many, this is not an option but reading Out of My Mind is a wonderful start. It opened my eyes and I'm sure it can do the same for my future students. This book will undoubtedly be on my bookshelf for my future students to enjoy.