Guam CEDDERS - This Is Me Clinton Mesa (2005)

(Chris Mesa) THE REASON WHY WE AGREED TO DO THIS FILM
IS TO HELP OTHER KIDS
AND TO HELP EDUCATE OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT AUTISM AND HOPEFULLY
IT WOULD HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND OTHER KIDS TO UNDERSTAND.
[acoustic guitar & percussion play in bright rhythm & tone]
ś ś
MY NAME IS CLINTON MESA.
I AM 16-YEARS OLD, AND I LIVE IN ORDOT, GUAM.
LIKE MOST TEENAGERS ON GUAM,
I SPEND TIME IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS.
I AM A STUDENT AT GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
WHERE I AM IN MY JUNIOR YEAR.
I'M INVOLVED WITH MY CHURCH IN THE SAN JUAN BAUTISTA PARISH.
I PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.
THIS IS THE GUAM COASTAL CLEAN-UP.
HERE I AM SHOWING MY SUPPORT
FOR THE CLOSURE OF THE ORDOT DUMP,
WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED YEARS AGO.
I GO SHOPPING AND HANG OUT AT THE MALL.
AND LIKE MOST GUYS MY AGE,
I LOVE TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES.
ONE THING THAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT ME IS
THAT I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A DISABILITY.
(Lou Mesa) WHEN CLINTON WAS A BABY
HE SEEMED TO BE A NORMAL BABY.
HE SAT AND WALKED AND RUN
LIKE ANY TYPICAL CHILD.
I THINK THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I HAD AS A MOTHER
WHEN HE WAS A BABY WAS WITH HIS TOILET TRAINING
AND THAT SEEMED TO START A LITTLE BIT LATE.
HE FED HIMSELF LIKE ANY NORMAL BABY OR ANY NORMAL KID WOULD DO,
BUT ONE THING THAT WE NOTICED,
CLINTON DIDN'T LIKE
ANY KIND OF LOUD NOISES.
HE WOULD ALWAYS BE PUTTING
HIS FINGER IN HIS EAR
AND WE NOTICED THAT WHEN HE WAS YOUNG,
HE WAS ALWAYS FLAPPING.
HE WOULD TAKE HIS HAND,
AND HE WAS ALWAYS DOING THAT.
EVEN WHEN HE WALKS NOW,
HE'S ALWAYS GOING THROUGH
SOME KIND OF MOTION WITH HIS HANDS
RUNNING IT ACROSS THE-- TOUCHING THINGS
OR SPINNING AROUND WITH HIS HANDS.
IT WAS A LOT OF HAND MOVEMENTS.
IT WAS ALREADY IN FIRST GRADE, HIS TEACHER HAD A CONCERN
THAT CLINTON WAS NOT ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE CLASS LESSONS.
HE SEEMED TO, UM, BE DOING SOMETHING.
SHE NOTICED THAT HE WAS ALWAYS GOING AROUND THE CLASSROOM
PICKING UP LITTLE BITS OF CLAY.
HE'LL FIND A PIPE CLEANER
AND WHILE SHE'S TEACHING A LESSON
SHE NOTICED THAT HIS HAND WAS INSIDE HIS DESK
AND HE SEEMS TO BE BUSY DOING SOMETHING
AND WHEN SHE CHECKS WITH HIM,
HE'S MAKING A LITTLE TINY FIGURE--
WHATEVER CLAY THAT HE HAD PICKED UP--
OR SOMETHING HE MADE OF THE PIPE CLEANER.
AND ACTUALLY SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED
THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD BUY CLINTON SOME CLAY.
AND WE DECIDED TO DO THAT
AND WHEN WE BOUGHT HIM A BOX OF CLAY AND WE GAVE IT TO HIM,
HE STARTED MAKING THIS WONDERFUL FIGURES,
JUST OUT OF HIS OWN IMAGINATION AND KIND OF LIKE,
STARTLED ALL OF US AND JUST PROCEEDED FROM THERE.
(Chris Mesa) EVEN AT ELEMENTARY HE WASN'T REALLY--
ATE WITH THE TEACHERS DURING LUNCH BREAK OR RECESS,
THAT HE ALWAYS-- HE WON'T BE PLAYING WITH THE OTHER KIDS.
HE'LL SIT ON THE SIDE, TAKE OUT HIS BOOK AND READ,
BUT HE WON'T REALLY SOCIALIZE WITH THE OTHER KIDS,
YOU KNOW, PLAY WITH THEM.
(Lou Mesa) THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS WITH CLINTON
GETTING ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OTHER KIDS.
THE TEACHERS WERE SAYING SOME OF THE OTHER STUDENTS
WOULD SOMETIMES PICK ON HIM BECAUSE SOMEHOW
THEY NOTICED THAT HE WAS DIFFERENT.
AS A PARENT, WE DON'T WANT TO THINK OUR CHILD IS DIFFERENT.
WE LIKE TO THINK OF OUR CHILD AS BEING A NORMAL KID.
BUT I ALREADY NOTICED CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT CLINTON.
MOST OF THE TIME CLINTON SEEMED TO BE A HAPPY KID,
BUT AS HE WENT INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL,
THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE THE FRUSTRATION.
WHEN WE GO THROUGH HIS BAG CHECKING FOR WORK THAT HE HAD,
I NOTICED THERE WAS A LOT OF PENCILS IN THERE
THAT WAS BROKEN, AND I THINK WHAT WE FOUND OUT LATER
THAT HE WAS BREAKING ALL THESE PENCILS
IN HIS FRUSTRATION BECAUSE HE COULDN'T DEAL WITH
CERTAIN THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON WITH STUDENTS,
OR OTHER KIDS WOULD MAKE HIM MAD.
INSTEAD OF VENTING OUT HIS FRUSTRATION
OR HIS ANGER AT THEM, HE BROKE ALL THESE PENCILS.
HIS 8TH-GRADE TEACHERS HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT CLINTON
AND SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS WAS
THAT HE WAS NOT FOCUSING IN THE CLASS.
HE WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
HE WAS TALKING TO HIMSELF.
HE WAS GROWLING AT OTHER KIDS
AND THEY JUST DIDN'T SEEM TYPICAL OF AN 8TH GRADER,
SO THEY DECIDED TO REFER HIM TO THE COUNSELOR.
IN CLINTON'S RECORDS, DOCUMENTS, OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS,
IT SAYS THAT HE HAS AUTISM/ASPERGER'S SYNDROME.
(Clinton Mesa) JENNIFER CRUZ, A CONSULTANT IN AUTISM
SHARES SOME INSIGHTS ON THIS CONDITION.
AUTISM IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER
THAT WITH A CHILD OR ADULT PRESENTS
WITH INTENSE BEHAVIORS SPECIFICALLY IN
DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE PROCESSING SKILLS
AND ABILITY TO SOCIALIZE WITHIN A SOCIAL CONTEXT.
HE IS A CHILD PRESENTING ON A HIGH SPECTRUM OF AUTISM
AND USUALLY WITH THESE CHILDREN, THEY GET DIAGNOSED
AT A LATER PART OF LIFE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO IN TUNE WITH SCHOOL.
THEY LOVE SCHOOL.
AND WHEN YOU GET INTO SECONDARY LEVEL
THE SOCIAL CONTEXT EQUALLY BECOMES IMPORTANT
AS THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT AND THAT'S WHERE
THESE ISSUES STARTED BECOMING REALLY APPARENT.
(Lou Mesa) WHEN CLINTON WAS GOING THROUGH ALL THIS TESTING
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, CHRIS REALLY DIDN'T TAKE IT VERY WELL.
HE DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH CLINTON.
HE USED TO THINK THERE MUST BE
SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TEACHERS.
IT COULDN'T BE MY SON.
THERE COULDN'T BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH MY SON,
BUT ONCE WE DISCOVERED WHAT HIS DIAGNOSIS WAS
I THINK YOU TOOK IT PRETTY WELL.
YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE GLAD.
(Chris Mesa) I JUST SAY-- WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG TO,
THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM, THAT HE WASN'T DOING THAT ON PURPOSE.
(Lou Mesa) NOW THAT WE ARE LEARNING WHAT EXACTLY IS
A CHARACTERISTIC OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD,
WE KIND OF LOOK BACK AND REFLECT AND WE SAW
A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT CLINTON EXHIBITED
SINCE HE WAS VERY YOUNG-- WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
SOME OF HIS TEACHERS, I THINK, WERE REALLY OUTSTANDING.
I REMEMBER HIS SCIENCE TEACHER LAST YEAR, MISS CHACO,
SHE WOULD TRY TO WORK WITH US AND IN WAYS TO HELP CLINTON.
WE'D COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE E-MAIL
OR THROUGH THE PHONE, OR THROUGH THE ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK.
SHE WOULD GO OUT OF HER WAY
TO TRY TO WORK WITH CLINTON AND TRY TO HELP CLINTON.
(Denise Chaco) I GUESS THE HARDEST THING THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH
IN WORKING WITH CLINTON WAS HIS VERY SHORT ATTENTION SPAN.
ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH LECTURES,
I DID GIVE HIM COPIES OF THE NOTES PRESENTED IN CLASS,
BUT IN GETTING HIM TO PAY ATTENTION OR GETTING HIM
TO SIT THERE, ACTUALLY JUST SIT THERE AND PAY ATTENTION
TO SOMEONE TALKING WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
THAT HIS MOTHER SHARED WITH ME A TIP THAT SHE LEARNED
THAT HE HAVE A HIGHLIGHTER OUT AND BE HIGHLIGHTING KEY WORDS
AND VOCABULARY IN THE NOTES AS WE WENT ALONG.
THAT WAY IT KEPT HIM ON HIS TOES
AND IT KEPT HIM THINKING ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
(Clinton Mesa) MY FORMER TEACHER, MR. GOMBAR,
SHARES SOME OF HIS EXPERIENCES AND RELATES
HOW HE DEALT WITH MY BEHAVIOR IN A CLASSROOM SETTING.
BEHAVIOR IN MY CLASS, AND I'M SURE IN OTHER CLASSES
INCLUDED THINGS SUCH AS
THE SPONTANEOUS SLAMMING OF A BOOK ONTO A DESK,
IN SOME CASES GETTING UP FROM THE DESK.
I HAD A SPECIFIC INCIDENT WHERE A STUDENT SITTING BEHIND HIM
ACCIDENTALLY KICKED THE BACK OF HIS DESK, AND HE FELT THAT.
AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN DONE A COUPLE OF TIMES,
AND I'M SURE NOT INTENTIONALLY.
BUT IT RESULTED IN HIM GETTING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS,
PICKING UP HIS DESK TO ABOUT MAYBE
A GOOD 2 TO 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND
AND SLAMMING IT DOWN AND THEN HEAVY BREATHING
AND STAND THERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT FRUSTRATION LEVEL IN HIM.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
AND AGAIN, THE ONLY WAY I FEEL THAT YOU CAN ADDRESS IT IS
SIMPLY TO, TO TALK WITH HIM AND TRY TO REMIND HIM
THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE.
I DO FEEL THAT CLINTON BENEFITS GREATLY
FROM BEING MAINSTREAMED INTO THE REGULAR CLASSROOM.
(Clinton Mesa) IN TODAY'S EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS,
STUDENTS LIKE ME RECEIVE THEIR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
PARTICIPATING IN GENERAL EDUCATION
IS THE RIGHT THING FOR ME.
ATTENDING CLASSES WITH MY PEERS IN GENERAL EDUCATION SETTINGS
ALLOWS ME TO LEARN WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS EXPECTED TO.
HE WAS A WONDERFUL STUDENT
TO HAVE IN THE CLASSROOM.
DEFINITELY A VERY CHALLENGING STUDENT,
AND DEFINITELY VERY CHALLENGING
IN THAT SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT I INCORPORATED IN MY CLASSROOM,
IN TERMS OF MODIFYING HIS CURRICULUM, WERE THINGS THAT
HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND MANY
OF MY OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL.
THE GENERAL FEAR IS BASICALLY
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO, ALTHOUGH THEY DO KNOW.
IT'S JUST TO GET OVER THAT INITIAL FEAR.
THINGS THAT IMPRESSED ME WAS THAT HIS WRITING ABILITY
WAS OFTEN WAY-- A LOT BETTER THAN MY OTHER STUDENTS.
HE WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS HIMSELF IN COMPLETE SENTENCES
AND USE WORDS THAT WERE AT GRADE LEVEL
AND NOT WORDS THAT WERE BELOW GRADE LEVEL,
ALTHOUGH HIS PENMANSHIP WAS LITTLE BIT,
I GUESS, A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO READ.
BUT HIS SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND HIS PARAGRAPH CONSTRUCTION
WERE, WERE EXCELLENT.
(Clinton Mesa) YOU MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED,
BUT IN MY SCIENCE CLASS,
THE GUY SITTING NEXT TO ME WAS MY CLASS PEER SUPPORTER.
HE HELPED ME KEEP ON TRACK
WITH WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.
I HAD PEER SUPPORTERS IN MY MATH AND COMPUTER CLASSES TOO.
SOMETIMES THEY KIND OF BUG ME, BUT THEY DO
HELP ME WITH MY WORK AND DEAL WITH OTHER KIDS IN CLASS.
MY TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE ALSO VISITED BY TEACHER CONSULTANTS
WHO GIVE THEM IDEAS ON HOW TO HELP ME LEARN.
I ALSO GET SPEECH THERAPY.
CLINTON IS RECEIVING SPEECH
AND LANGUAGE SERVICES BECAUSE HE
WAS DETERMINED TO BE LACKING IN
THE PRAGMATIC AREAS OF LANGUAGE.
PRAGMATIC LANGUAGE IS SOCIAL LANGUAGE.
IT'S THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH LANGUAGE
AND BE A MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR
IN DIFFERENT SPEAKING SITUATIONS,
WITH DIFFERENT LISTENERS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS.
ENCOURAGE HIM TO INITIATE,
TO INITIATE CONVERSATION AND HAVE HIM BE IN A SMALL GROUP
AND HAVE HIM BE LIKE, THE LEADER EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
SO THAT OTHERS CAN ASK HIM INFORMATION AND HE CAN
SUPPLY THE INFORMATION AND THEN HE CAN ALSO MAYBE
IF HE DOESN'T KNOW SOMETHING ASK SOMEBODY IN HIS GROUP.
(Clinton Mesa) MY PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE LOOKING AT WHAT COULD BE
SOME OF MY OPTIONS FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT.
WITH THE HELP OF DOE'S TRANSITION SERVICES AND AHRD,
I WAS HIRED DURING THE SUMMER OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR
TO WORK AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THREE WEEKS.
HIS JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, HE PICKED UP VERY, VERY FAST,
ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M AWARDING SOMETHING TO HIM.
INVENTORY OF OUR READING MASTERY,
SETTING UP LIBRARY WITH THE LIBRARY TECH,
ANSWERING PHONES FOR ME WHILE I'M BY MYSELF
AND FORWARDING THE CALLS TO ME.
AT FIRST HE WAS VERY, VERY HESITANT.
HE WAS NOT SURE OF HIMSELF AND HOW HE WAS GOING TO RESPOND
SO I WROTE A DIALOGUE OUT, PUT IT OUT,
PLACED IT NEAR A PHONE AND ALL HE HAS TO DO IS READ.
HE'LL RESPOND "ONE MOMENT PLEASE"
AND PLACE THE PERSON ON HOLD.
HE DID THAT EXCELLENT.
I HAVE ASKED CLINTON TO HELP ME ARRANGE MY OFFICE
BECAUSE I WAS JUST MOVING IN.
HE HAD THE STRONG SENSE OF WANTING TO ORGANIZE MY OFFICE
AND CLINTON DID SUCH A GREAT JOB.
I WAS VERY, VERY PLEASED BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS
BECAUSE OF ME THAT HE WANTED TO STAY
AND CONTINUE WORKING IN MY OFFICE BUT HONESTLY,
HE HAD THIS GREAT NEED TO ORGANIZE MY MESS.
[laughs]
(Clinton Mesa) SO IF YOU SEE ME IN SCHOOL,
IN THE COMMUNITY, AT THE MALL, OR WHEREVER,
KEEP IN MIND THAT ALTHOUGH I MAY BE DIFFERENT IN SOME WAYS,
I AM ALSO A LOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
HE'S DIFFERENT, BUT EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT IN THEIR OWN WAY
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THEY SHOULD TREAT HIM ANY DIFFERENT
JUST BECAUSE HE HAS LIKE, CERTAIN LIKE, DISADVANTAGES.
JUST BE OPEN-MINDED WITH HIM
AND TRY TO ACCEPT HIM FOR WHO HE IS.
THIS IS ME-- CLINTON MESA.
[recites from "Freaky Flyers"] PAULIACHI, LEGENDARY CRIME BOSS.
I'M NOT A CRIME BOSS.
I'M JUST A SMALL BUSINESSMAN.
OH YEAH, WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS, CRIME?
SANITATION ENGINEERING.
I THINK THAT MEANS LIKE,
RUNNING THE GARBAGE COLLECTION FOR THE CITY.
YEAH, RIGHT!
SO WHY YOU IN THIS RACE, PALLY?
IT'S FOR MY MAMA, SHE WANTS ME TO WIN THE RACE.
SHE WANTS HER SON TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD
FOR BEING THE BEST.
HOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
DOES SANITATION ENGINEER ITSELF?
MAMA'S HELPING ME OUT.
SHAASH, WHOA, WEST.
I MEAN, SHE'S GOOD AT BUSINESS.
ONA CHILD OF PAULIACHI.
CC-- ARMOUR CAPTIONING