Great Inclusion Interview From 2004 With Leanza Cornett Unearthed

Claysmymidlifecrisis at The Clayboard has found a "hidden" gem for us to enjoy and learn from. In case you missed this interview at Celebrity Parents with Celebrity Parents Columnist Leanza Cornett back during the JNT of 2004, be sure to read it. And if you remember reading it in the past, read it again! Its a great interview about inclusion and Clay's thoughts about working with children with special needs.

If you are like me and don't know who Leanza Cornett, she was crowned Miss America in 1992. When her reign ended, she was a correspondent and host of Entertainment Tonight and has appeared in many television shows. I love how she started off her interview article, "...I’ll tell you that there is one young man who is burning white-hot these days. He’s an unlikely hero, a surprising icon in this age of flash and sex appeal. His voice is smooth and powerful and his persona aloof and at times even awkward. He is Clay Aiken..."

There are so many great things in this article. From the things he learned in the classroom from a teacher he worked with:

Kids with disabilities model kids without disabilities. They learn social behaviors from other kids – they learn what is and is not socially acceptable.

to the things he saw:

I saw first hand how inclusion helps everyone in the classroom. The special needs child learns social skills from the typical kids and the typical kids learn tolerance and respect from the ones in the classroom with disabilities.

to the humility and honesty he shows:

I don’t have any clue what I would tell parents. I’m not a parent myself and I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to be one, or to try and raise a child with or without disabilities. I would feel more comfortable with sharing ideas with principals, or educators.

This article is full of great information from a man whose love for children with disabilities shines.

When you get to the opening page about the article, click on the word here at the end of the paragraph to get to the interview.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, A Thousand Different Ways, ATDW, American Idol, Without You, Invisible