Dedicated Seagoville teacher helps students with special needs push the boundaries of life

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – In a cozy classroom at Seagoville High School Dallas ISD, Edward is having a great day – smiling, clapping his hands and making others happy. A teenager with special needs is confined to a wheelchair and does not speak, but communicates quite well.

“That smile, that high-pitched response makes me feel like, ‘I’m fine, I’m enjoying myself,’” explains Dr. Sherian Smith, lead instructor in ADL (Activities of Daily Living) at Seagoville High School. “I may not be able to write it down. I may not be able to put it into words, but I can show it with my actions, and that’s just as important.”

You see, the great days in Dr. Smith’s class are on purpose.

“They wanted independence and I wanted them to have independence,” Smith explains. “So I created a wheelchair mobile.”

After nearly four decades of encouraging, stimulating and engaging students with special needs, Smith remains committed to doing more. So when she saw that her students needed a new way to push the boundaries of life, she turned to a colleague for help.

“I didn’t really know what the end result would be,” adds Chris Chevez with a low, proud laugh. Chevez is a teacher of agricultural mechanics/welding and manufacturing. And although this request was not within his competence, “They thought they would build smokehouses!” He and his students were immediately on board.

“We looked at wheelchairs, took measurements, took her concept and her vision and brought it to life,” turning design into a learning tool for disabled classmates.

“I almost had tears in my eyes when I saw them play,” says Cheves. “Now they look good here, but whenever they get lights and toys hanging from them, it’s a completely different impression that these guys see.”

He can teach students how to weld. But the lessons of compassion? Just call it extra credit.

“A lot of kids get cornered,” says Carolyn Spencer. 17-year-old Spirit is her granddaughter.

“But I think they go to school, such a program? It really helps them.”

Dr. Smith says mobile wheelchairs are customized for each student.

“I looked at things that they liked – textures – if they liked something moving, something with music, something soft – they reacted positively and kept reaching for the same subject.”

What may seem like a “game” pushes her students to progress.

“The minute they come here, they are looking for a cell phone. The minute they’re in sight, they look around…they’re ready and ready to interact before we even finish setting it up.”

Engagement. Independence. Joy. All special wins for parents of children with disabilities.

“I just love it and I’m glad she can be a part of it,” Spencer says, “because Mrs. Smith really cares…she really cares.”

And Smith admits that it was not just a career, it was her calling. She has already retired once, but says she missed her children.

“[I] don’t think about retirement,” she admits, saying her plan is to “stay a little longer because there are still a lot of kids ahead. I will do this for as long as I can.”