Field trips are no easy feat for my population of students. There is so much to consider when planning a field trip for students with severe disabilities, especially if that field trip is going to include lunch. We have to manage tube feedings while out and about, which means considering when they get fed and making sure tube feeding supplies (tube, milk, water) are packed. Then there is lunch to consider: pureed, special diets, etc., and extra food supplies to pack. In addition, there is toileting to think about, behaviors to deal with, and medications to administer. But no matter how involved a field trip might be, I still love to take my students on them. It’s a lot of hard work, and at the end of the day we are exhausted, but it is so worth it.
One of our favorite field trips is to Arden Mall to go Christmas shopping. We always have a Christmas party and my students participate in a gift exchange with each other. I tell my parents that this field trip is the perfect time to allow the students to go shopping for their Christmas gift. Part of the experience is to not only shop, but to take in the spirit, sights and sounds of Christmas, and to have lunch at the mall as well. For my students who require pureed or soft foods, sometimes finding an appropriate meal can be a problem. That’s why we love Taco Bell and their refried beans, a meal that is perfect for our students who rely on pureed and soft foods to eat. And, our students love the beans as well.
So, here we are, at Arden Mall, getting ready for lunch. Up until this point, everything had gone extremely well. Even my boy, who usually engages in behaviors (runs away, don’t like to sit, drops to the ground) was on his best behavior. We had prepped our students for lunch and Mary went and ordered first for her student… refried beans and a drink. Cecilia went next, and for her student… refried beans and a drink. Than it was my turn. I went to order lunch for my two students… refried beans and a drink for two. After the young man took my order, and my money, he says to me, “Can I ask you a question?”
I say, “Sure.”
He says, “The other two ladies who ordered the refried beans… are they with you?”
I say, “Yes, they are.”
He says, “The reason why I am asking is because you guys are ordering a lot of refried beans. Can I ask why? I mean, we have never sold that much refried beans at one time!”
I smile and say, “Well, I am a teacher of students with severe disabilities, and sometimes my students need soft foods to eat, and your refried beans are perfect. And, they like it.”
He says, pointing to where we are sitting, “Those are your students, in the wheelchairs?”
I say, “Yes, they are.”
He says, “They are so little and cute. Is this like a field trip or something?”
Smiling, I say, “Yes, they are and yes, this is a field trip. We bring our students to the mall to go Christmas shopping.”
He says, “Wow, that is so cool! And you bring all of them? Where else have you gone?”
I say, “We go to the pumpkin patch, movie theater, zoo, Fairytale Town, Railroad Museum, and more. And yes, we bring all of them.”
He says, “Wow, that is so cool!” “I bet it is a lot of work!”
I say, “Yes, it is, but it’s worth it.”
He says, “Wow, that is so cool (yes, he said it a third time)!” “They are lucky to have you guys as their teachers.”
I say, “Well, thank you young man.”
He says, “No, thank you for making my day… wow, that is so cool!”
I made his day?!?! Nah, he just made mine!!!!