At the age of 2, Marcia DeMoss was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
While in preschool she was left alone in a corner by teachers who did not understand her condition — a motor disorder that develops at an early age and affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills.
DeMoss learned to walk late in her life, which left her unable to retain balance. She could not walk straight and she had difficulty with her posture.
 Jessica Jauck, an aid, helps Candace, a student at the center, with her physical therapy training.Aminata Sumareh photo |
DeMoss, who is now 18, cannot talk but communicates with others through sign language.
When she was 13, her mother Karen Sisson put her in a conductive education class that helped her advance her motor skills.
"I was looking for a summer program that would be meaningful because the summer programs she went to, they just played all day," Sisson said. "She wasn’t gaining — I wanted her to get some sort of skill."
Mary Hare, program coordinator for Individual Achievements Association, explained conductive education as a method of teaching children with motor disabilities how to learn and become more independent while having fun.
"Parents want their children to have the maximum independence possible," Hare said. "(The program) provides them with a social group with their peers. It helps them develop confidence and self-esteem."
The organization is a small program for children who can benefit from conductive educational lessons.
Since she started with the program five years ago, DeMoss has learned to sit up straight and walk properly with confidence.
She looks forward to going back each day, Sisson said.
Hare founded the program in 1998 when her granddaughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She is a registered nurse who earned her master’s degree in nursing at the University of Colorado.
Hare started the program because there were not enough programs for people with cerebral palsy. She received funding from nonprofit organizations and the State of Arizona.
"It’s so overwhelming when you have a child and you think everything else is fine when they’re not," Sisson said.
Sisson has struggled to have DeMoss in a self-contained classroom because she does not learn at the same pace as everyone else. In a self-contained class, students are given one-on-one attention the entire time so they can understand the criteria they need to know better.
Unlike other programs, the staff at Individual Achievements Association does not set goals for their members, according to Hare. Any improvements the children make are an achievement, she added.
The only thing staff expect is for the students to be active and out of their wheelchair if they have one, said Eszter Domokos, a class conductor. Her job is to instruct the other aides on what activities the children should do.
Domokos said she was trained in Budapest, Hungary, for conductive education but came to Tucson to further her training.
Staff members are also licensed in CPR and first aid. They are all subjected to screening using fingerprinting and background checks, Hare said. Volunteers also need to be at least 18 years old and be capable of working with disabled individuals.
An average day at the program includes working on a support rail to improve balance, practicing posture and learning how to hold objects.
One of the most important learning activities for the members is something most people do everyday – eating lunch.
Eating lunch helps students learn how to use the muscles in their hands and works on their hand-and-eye coordination.
Hare said 19 children attended the summer program this year. They ranged in age from 2 to 22.
Individual Achievements Association also has preschool and other programs available to accommodate children at other times of the year.
The students take field trips to local malls and parks to work on their interactive skills and to have fun along the way, Hare said.
"Most of them are comfortable being around other people. They like to have new experiences," Hare said. "Their needs and desires are the same as other children their age."
Individual Achievements Association
2702 N. Golden West Ave.
Conductive education classes are at the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Division for Developmental Disabilities Campus, 4710 E. 29th St.
www.aziaa.org
(520) 749-1065
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