Disability association honors local student, teachers

Horizon Academy fifth-grader Nick Hron exhibits two of the most important qualities a student can have, teacher Julie Altman said.

Because of his perseverance and tenacity, which make him a great model for his peers at Horizon Academy, Nick was named the third annual Outstanding Student by the Learning Disabilities Association of Kansas, Altman said.

Altman became Nick’s teacher when he moved to the school because of difficulties he had in reading, she said. Horizon Academy, 4901 Reinhardt Drive, Roeland Park, serves students with disabilities.

“When someone has a disability, it takes a lot more repetitions to learn something,” Altman said. “If you have the tenacity to keep on trying, you are eventually going to get whatever goal it is you set for yourself.”

After nearly two years of work, Nick is on track to reach a significant goal he set for himself. This spring, Nick will complete his work at Horizon Academy and transfer back to his traditional school.

“Three years is the average that students stay here,” Altman said. “He now has the strategies that will help him compensate for his learning issues.”

Nick said he came to the academy with a first- or second-grade reading level.

“Now I am at the reading level I am supposed to be at,” he said.

He is also always a student who encourages his classmates and a good advocate for his own learning, Altman said.

“I (kept working) because I hoped I could get around my dyslexia and go back to my original school,” Nick said. “The teachers kept helping me, and they are very encouraging.”

This year the school has about 60 students, Horizon Academy Executive Director Sharyl Kennedy said. Many students would agree Nick is a great model, she said.

“They look up to him and respect him and I think they would have nominated him too,” Kennedy said.

Each year the LDA gives the award to a student who was struggling and has made “great strides,” LDA president Cindy Swarner said. The nonprofit organization that works to advance the education and well-being of children and adults with learning disabilities also awards a parent, instructor and professional each year.

The awards are usually given each year during a conference, but this year the conference had to be canceled due to low enrollment. Many Kansas districts that send teachers could not afford to send teachers this year, Swarner said. So, representatives presented the awards to three of the four state winners during a special ceremony held at Horizon in December.

“We wanted to make sure they are recognized,” Swarner said. “The student and the teachers were well-deserved of the awards they received. That’s why I thought it was important to be there for them.”

The LDA named Vicki Asher, a high school instructor at Horizon Academy, the Outstanding Special Education Teacher of the Year. Asher has been instrumental in building the high school program at Horizon, building a summer education program and building a helpful rapport between faculty and students, Kennedy said.

To be recognized by the LDA is an honor, Asher said.

“I’m inspired by the students in my classroom and by the parents who are doing what they can to meet the special needs of their children,” Asher said. “It is an honor. There is no other way to describe it.”

The Outstanding Professional award went to Lea Ann Shearer, director of a dog training program called Paws for Freedom. Every day Shearer drives from Tonganoxie to Horizon Academy to host a service dog after-school program at the school. Since she began volunteering at Horizon, about 25 dogs and 20 Horizon students have been involved. Many of the dogs have been placed to help individuals who have disabilities. Through the program, students with learning disabilities learn a variety of employable skills, Shearer said. Faculty members at Horizon nominated her for the award.

“I am flattered they would nominate me,” Shearer said.  “Every dog that comes into my program is unique and the same goes for my student trainers. I match them as teams for the school year and you never have the same team twice. That is fun to watch. It is really rewarding.”

Award recognitions are decided by a committee of members of the LDA, Swarner said. The fourth winner, Parent of the Year, is Nancy Ukeda of St. George.

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