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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead - Journeys - Davis, CA Patch

Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead - Journeys - Davis, CA Patch:


Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead

Gloria Osorio encourages her students to reach beyond their apparent limits. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.
Article written by Katharine Blossom Lowrie

In 1971, Gloria Osorio began working as an assistant at Charles Leroy Lowman Special Education Center, a school for the disabled in North Hollywood. Inspired by the students at the school, eager to help them, she attended Los Angeles Valley College at night, finally earning her teaching credential in 1994. As fate would have it, Gloria, who married in 1977, had a son, Patrick, who turned out to be severely disabled. At the age of 3, Patrick became a student at Lowman and attended until he was 22 years old. He currently lives with his parents in their home in San Fernando. A nurse tends to him during the day so Gloria can work.
Something of a legend at Lowman, Gloria, 60, runs Mobility Opportunity Via Education (MOVE), a program that is activity-based and keeps the students moving, standing and walking. As she has said in the past, "We're not big on keeping kids in their wheelchairs. We want them to have a life, because if you have