The Cupertino Courier

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Special ed students give disfigured children second chance, new hope

ByMICHELLE MAGHRIBI

Cupertino's Daniel Minder, 17, is enrolled in an alternative special education program at Cupertino High School. He and others in the program are helping make the world a better place while also helping themselves to succeed.

The students in the Fremont Union High School District's Horizons program make an arm splint-type device that prevents small children in Third World countries from touching their faces after cleft palate and other surgeries. The devices, called "no-nos," are distributed by a nonprofit humanitarian organization called Interplast, which also provides reconstructive surgery without charge.

Daniel is enthusiastic about being able to help disfigured children. "It was interesting to know that there are people who are not as fortunate as us, and it was fun to help others have better lives by making 'no-nos.' " he said.

"There are often stigmas and superstitions associated with cleft lips or palates," said Interplast spokeswoman Sara Anderson. She said such children may be abandoned by their families. "The kids in the Horizons project are giving these children a second chance to be reintroduced into their society," she said.

The Horizons program aims to do the same for its students, effectively giving them a second chance to succeed in high school. "It is the last chance, the last stop before kids who are on the caboose get ready to jump off of the train," Horizons teacher Mary Nelson said.

Daniel, who works at an ice cream shop located at Homestead High School, not only made the no-nos, but even expressed interest in improving their design, Nelson said.

"His improvement included reducing the number of splints (from seven tongue depressors to six) and leaving the end with no splint, so that it would be softer," she explained.

Daniel is in the 11th grade.

The Horizons program is a diploma program and encourages students to work toward the goal of graduation.

Some students will graduate in four years while others may take longer; the program is designed to meet the needs of individual students. They are taught how to make the transition from high school to adulthood with attention to opportunities for employment and the job application process.

Nine Horizons students will earn their diplomas this year, a chance they might not have gotten if not for the program.

The program, which was the brainchild of district deputy superintendent Polly Bove, has an enrollment of approximately 35. District school psychologist Glenn Fisher calls Horizons the "magic program." Without it, he said, many more challenged students would drop out.

Nelson partners with fellow special education teachers Susan Cooper, Alan Ida, Pam Hayes and school psychologist Leon Canerot to create an environment where students feel at ease, without all the pressure of a mainstream classroom.

The Horizons group was recognized by Interplast on May 18 for its goodwill efforts. Becker said that of approximately 3,500 "no-nos" made by volunteers, 140 were made by the Horizons class. He said he told the students they "had just changed the lives of 70 people around the world."

For more information, log onto www.interplast.org . To volunteer, contact seth@interplast.org or phone 888.467.5278.