We made a film
Now Doris has been in junior high school for almost 3 semesters. She is in grade eight and she has attended the same school all years. She's quite a well-known profile at this point and I guess it's not because she's such a brilliant personality but unfortunately it's probably because she's known for being that little girl who wobbles around with unsteady steps and who talking quietly, giggling, and secretly to someone others can't see. She has a constant company that seems very pleasant and Doris and her invisible friend, sometimes several friends, always have a very good time. Some, perhaps very few people in the "real world" have taken the time to unprejudicedly understand and notice Doris's wit and humor, which is so rapt that we often don't even catch the joke until much later.
Throughout primary school, Doris' path has been lined by the network consisting partly of a resource person who has such incredible sensitivity that they almost developed a language of their own together, partly educators, partly us relatives and a supervisor in the Karlstad model that we had as a starting point. A network that came to understand that here we are working with a methodology that all children could benefit from and that had the ability to capture the thought and implement it on others.
Before middle school, we really tried to convey the great success that the methodology has actually meant in our daughter's case. When Doris started seventh grade and after the school had told us and themselves that we don't need a Karlstad model in this school, we can handle this so gallantly ourselves. We had to make a film.
A large part of the methodology in the Karlstad model is networking and preparation. It is above all this that we have fought for since the school explained to us that the competence there was sufficient. Now, as I said, it has almost been three semesters in junior high school and we feel that it is extremely difficult to maintain contact and continuity with school work and homework without a sensible structure.
Well, that film came about because Doris had an Civics exam scheduled. She had studied for this for quite some time and when it got to the actual test day, she was more than ready. Due to the general upheaval with illnesses and lack of staff, the conditions for the test were not optimal, but when I inquired with the teacher about how it went, I was surprised to receive the answer that Doris had been given a few selected questions and then the answers were laid out in front of her.
It may be that you don't expect a small person like Doris to pass the subject, but I'm quite convinced that there are more children out there in the schoolyard who you suspect won't pass this time either. I don't mean that the method would be wrong, but I think it is deeply regrettable that a child who works so hard and is actually relatively good at the subject is diminished by not being challenged at the right level, given the opportunity to show her knowledge and get a worthy end to the chapter. What I suspect is that her little person is being held down by prejudice and ignorance around not least Down's syndrome.
We parents have pushed for and actually offered schools and educators continuing education by paying tutors in the Karlstad model. A model and methodology that I am completely convinced is useful in many contexts in the school world. Our network around this is unfortunately quite small today for various reasons, one of which is actually the lack of school participation. Our network actually consists today of our little family and our preparatory work at home. Doris also has two brothers, one older and one younger, who are involved and support the various subjects in our everyday work. We discuss and talk about the subject as a natural part of life. You have to have something to talk about, right? To discuss so that everyone is involved and hears different variations and experiences.
Doris has learned so much and it is unworthy that she is not allowed to properly show what has been achieved like the other students. So, this was the reason it became a film. Doris' father Björn takes the test with her and I think it should be seen by more than one pedagogue who sadly underestimated her ability so grossly.
The film is in Swedish it’s still worth seeing their interaction and success.
Enjoy!
