A Very Good Year Fifth-Grader With Md Finds Fun And Friends At School

Marcus King has had a wonderful year.

People will tell you different reasons for this. Marcus, himself, will mention his good grades and the fact that the days go by fast in his fifth-grade class. He’ll also mention the snowmobile he got for his birthday this year, and his other new toy, a go-cart, both of which give him longed-for adventure that’s impossible in his wheelchair.

Marcus’ classmates at East Farms Elementary School, on the other hand, say he’s one of the most popular kids in the fifth grade.

“He’s nice, he’s kind and he’s friendly,” says Shelby Lawson, one of Marcus’ buddies.

“Since Marcus can’t play tag with us,” offers Tanner Hamilton, “we got to pull him on these scooter things in the gym. It was a blast.”

“We’re lucky to have Marcus in our class,” says Hannah Reidy.

Marcus was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with Ducheyne’s muscular dystrophy. He has used a wheelchair since he was in third grade.

He’s also a normal boy: shy with strangers, to shy with strangers, to the point of answering questions with just one syllable. That, and he loves all things motorized, says his mother, Margie King.

This successful year grew from several strengths: the kids; his teacher, Kathy Barrett; and an East Valley program designed to make physical education fun and active for disabled students.

“This year has been the very best year yet in school,” Margie King says. She runs through some of her son’s friends: “Jared, Bryce (Fisher), Tanner, Shelby, Logan (Johnson), they’ve all been so good with him. They take care of him. And there are a couple of little girls who help out, too.”

Also, Marcus has been in his classroom more of the time, his mother points out. In previous years, Marcus left the classroom both for physical therapy and to do work in the resource room.

Margie King adds that the willingness of Marcus’s teacher to try new things has helped make the year.

Barrett deflects such praise. But the fact is that most of her students have an unusual appreciation for disabled kids. Using a wheelchair, for instance. Most of Marcus’ classmates have spent a day - a whole day, no breaks, not even for going to the bathroom - maneuvering a wheelchair through the school.

“My feet hurt by the end of the day,” Tanner says.

“I ran into doors and things. It was embarrassing,” says Dino Valdez, another of Marcus’ friends. “Marcus is awesome in his wheelchair.”

The adults who work with Marcus at East Farms offer another perspective about Marcus’ year.

“It’s just been magic,” says Jan Howard, a physical therapist who has worked with Marcus since he was in first grade. More than any other year, Marcus has made friends. He’s invited to birthday parties and sleepovers.

“The kids in that class have just embraced him. It’s the kind of stuff you want your memories to be made of,” Howard says.

Marcus’ muscular dystrophy has weakened his muscles. It also tightens his connective tissue. To help him stretch out, a piece of heavy black equipment called a stander sits in one corner of the room. Turns out Marcus isn’t the only one that uses it, though. Sometimes other kids will climb in, pump it up and do their school work there.

The children’s curiosity has paid dividends. Two weeks ago Barrett’s 28 fifth-graders put on a disability fair for the rest of the school.

They developed ways to show their peers what it’s like to struggle for breath with asthma, what it’s like to lose the nimbleness in your fingers. They set up an obstacle course for a wheelchair. Crutches, braces, ski boots - to help give the sense of an uneven gait - sign language, braille.

It was a long day, getting nearly 500 students through the various centers. But Barrett’s students believed in their work.

“I think they’ll be more comfortable being around kids like Marcus,” says Jared Reed.

“Yeah, they won’t stare like this,” says Justin Leckner, giving a slack-jawed long-distance gaze.

Both boys are in Marcus’ crowd. It was Jared who sold his go-kart to Marcus’ family. Now Jared uses his brand new dirt bike to buzz around with Marcus most afternoons after school.

“This is his year. It’s actually been a blessing for us,” Barrett says. “It’s nothing to do with me.”

Howard and Kelli Stockton, who heads the adaptive physical education program for disabled students in the East Valley schools, disagree with Barrett on this point. They say that teachers can make or break the classroom experience for a disabled child, depending on how open they are to change.

“Sometimes the hard work is getting the kids - and the teachers - to accept them as they are,” Stockton says.

Both women work hard to find ways to make physical education challenging and fun for Marcus and other disabled kids.

The scooter idea was Howard’s. She wanted to liven up Marcus’ gym classes. With permission from Marcus’ parents, they hooked two body scooters - imagine an oversized skateboard - to Marcus’ electric wheelchair. Marcus’ friends took turns driving the wheelchair, while Marcus lay down on the body scooters.

The kids had so much fun, there was usually a cluster of boys begging to be included, Barrett said. Finally, safety concerns prevailed, and Marcus and his friends play somewhat more sedately.

If you want to call wheelchair wheelies on the playground sedate, that is.