S(Jrl/es both giftPd and disabled students Council promotes needs ofexceptional children Upon hearing a name like Council for Exceptional Children, one might think of an organization for people interested in educating gifted students. The council , however, is dedicated to promoting educational activity for any student who has special educational needs. These special needs include gifted and talented students, as well as those with disabiliti~s. Developed in the 1920s, the council attempts to train teachers to educate students with mild disorders such as mental retardation, speech communication disorders, learning and visual impairments, learning disabilities, autism and behavioral disorders. Now an international organization with state federations and local chapters, the national headquarters for the Council for Exceptional Children is in Weston, Va. Harding's Student Council for Exceptional Children was founded in the early 1990s and is sponsored by Dr. Richard Blankenship, a professor of education who has been a member of the Council since the 1950s. "Membership in the council is not limited to special education majors," Blakenship said. "Members can come from any areaphysicians, parents, counselors - anyone who is interested in educating students with special needs." The student chapter held two meetings each semester and attended the state convention in Hot Springs November 7-8. While there, they "listened to a lot of informative speakers and learned about developments and programs that were new to the field," said Jennifer Silva, president ofthe chapter. They also learned different ways to approach the education of special needs children in their education classes. Senior Misty McDowell said, "I was really impressed by a couple ofthe speakers . One of the most important things I learned was that special education teachers often just stick with teaching academics, ignoring the child's self-esteem needs that result from their special education requirements. I was impressed by the presentation on "Fostering Self-Esteem in a Loving Environment," which encouraged teachers to make the students realize that you love them and have faith in them and they are just as good as everyone else." Members benefited from their affiliation with a professional organization by receiving journals once each quarter. Each had the option of becoming a member of a division of the council that is dedicated to their specific area of interest, such as learning disabilities , behavioral disorders or mental retardation. While the majority of the chapter's members are education majors, membership was not limited to those choosing that field. - Christina Weber Student Council for Exceptional Children. First row: Jennifer James, J ennifer Silva, Brenda Osborne, Gloria Matthews, Susan Johnson. Second row: Kristy Pipers, Stephanie Smith, Kerry Beth Woods, Tiffany Pritchard, Dr. Richard Blankenship (faculty sponsor). Third row: Adam Lett, Misty McDowell, Eric Hruska, Kathy Hunt . Photo by Aaron Gillihan. Spanish Club. First row: J. Forbess, B. Wallace, J. Dominguez, A. Lazo, C. Businelle, J. Gorham, G. Carlos Mouzon, A. Nesbitt, M. Goff Second row: B. Richardson (faculty sponsor), W. Keller, A. Canarsky, B. Brooks, E. Brooks, S. Cuarezma, M. Herrera, J. Martinez, C. Perkins, C. Pegg, A. Welch. Third row: A. Conley (faculty sponsor), M. Ortega, S. Sims. Fourth row: H. Richardson, B. Suttles, L. Dominguez, D.Arencibia, M. Silva, 0 . Lovo, S. Pineda, L. Salinas. Photo by Brian Hendricks. 202 Spanish Club and Student Council for Exceptional Children
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