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Meet Roberto: Mentally Handicapped, Yes, But Not Stupid! (Down's Syndrome, Mentally Handicapped) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
A little boy lives with mental and physical disabilities, and people are often uncomfortable being around him.
This is written in his own words, with his mother helping with his spelling and punctuation.
My name is Roberto Sandusky. I am 11 years old.
I live in Tennessee with my family, who I love very much. I have a mommy, a daddy, brothers, and sisters. We also have pets. We have doggies, cats, birdies, horsies, and hamsters. We also have fish. I have a fish; his name is Nemo. He is orange and white, and he is very pretty.
I can't walk well. I have to use crutches. I have a problem called cerebral palsy, which means my muscles don't move right. I also have problems trying to learn things; it takes me a very long time to learn new things. I was born this way, and I will always need help. Mommy says I have problems learning because I have something called Down's. It means I am retarded, but that is okay. At least I can learn things; it just takes me longer is all!
I am a very good little boy. I can speak Spanish and American, and I can count on up to 50. I also can say some of my colors and tell you the names of different shapes or animals. My favorite animal is a tiger because tigers roar, and they are very big and strong. I sometimes wish I were a tiger! Tigers are cool! I also love to play with my toys, and I love to color or make pictures. I also love to sing.
School is fun. I go to a school for kids with problems like mine. They are retarded, too, like me, but they are still my friends. At school, we learn about the world, and we sing and play games. At school, my teacher's name is Mrs. Dherkin, but we call her Mrs. D. She is very pretty, and she is very nice. When we do not do school stuff, we go to the playground, and I like to play on the swings or go on the slide. I also love to play in the sandbox and make a mess! Sometimes, Mrs. D. gets mad at me because I bring in the dirt from outside, and she thinks that my mommy is going to get mad at me!
I was born in Mexico. That is a country that is below America. In Mexico, they have bullfights, and they dance Mexican dances like the flamenco and the Mexican hat dance. They also have parties, called fiestas, and they eat a lot of spicy food. My favorite Mexican food is jalopeno peppers, which are bright green and VERY hot! I came to America when I was a little boy because my real mommy and daddy didn't want me, and so I got a new family. That is sad, but now I have a new family, and they love and take care of me. And the best thing of all: I now have brothers and sisters, and they spoil me rotten!
Well, that is my story about me. I hope you liked reading it. I had fun writing it!
*~*~*~*THE END*~*~*~*
By: Roberto Miguel Sandusky. Age 11 years. Written 12 November, 2003.
