Evelyn Freeman, parent of a Down's Syndrome youngster, experiments with tempera paints in preparation for a session with her son in "Our Gang," the Rockford Park District's unique arts program for handicapped. (Photo by Andrew French)

"Our Gang" Arts Program For Handicapped And Parents Scores Big In Rockford

By Vic Yehling

"It's important to treat the handicapped kids in your family as though they are as worthwhile as the others," the young woman said, brushing her hair back with a clay-smudged hand. "Handicapped kids can do all sorts of things and a program like this gives them confidence. It gives the other people in the family confidence too."

The speaker was Jeanna Merlo, 20, whose 13-year-old sister Patty was born with Down's Syndrome. The program is "Our Gang," originally funded as a special project by the National Committee — Arts for the Handicapped for the Rockford Park District and now sustained by family participation and the Rockford Park District.

Jeanna and her sister Marie, 18, alternate weeks attending the Wednesday evening Our Gang sessions with Patty, who has been involved in the Park District's Camp Sunshine program for handicapped children for several years. Jeanna said, "When the newsletter came telling us about Our Gang, we thought it would be great to have Patty involved in a program where for the first time we would do projects with her and with other people who had handicapped children."

Our Gang uses the arts as the base for getting handicapped children and members of their families together, either as spectators or participants. Actually the program was tested on a one-night basis in the spring of 1978 by Miriam Perrone, Recreation Supervisor of Special Populations for the Park District, when Ms. Perrone invited weaver Lorene Sommers, herself handicapped, to come from Washington, D.C., and conduct an evening session for 12 handicapped children and 12 parents. From that evening came requests from parents that a regular program in the arts be established, and Our Gang began a three-year program in September 1978 with a grant from the National Committee — Arts for the Handicapped. When the grant ended, the Rockford Park District Board elected to continue the program.

"Most parents of handicapped children are at a loss as to the kinds of the activities to use to offer their children creative experiences," Ms. Perrone says. Our Gang was started to provide the children and the parents with arts experiences to help them realize personal and creative growth. Activities in the program have ranged from field trips to the Goodman Theater in Chicago, to working in a local artist's studio on free-form sculpture, to touring a local television station.

Other activities in the nine-week session include aerobic dancing, nature walk, potluck dinner, swimming party at a local hotel, and a gala barn dance. The clay stains on Jeanna Merlo's hands came from a mask sculpting session conducted by an art instructor from Rockford College who served an internship in art therapy working in Park District programs for the handicapped. "It makes a big difference to the kids if their parents are here," she said. "Part of it is they tend to be a little less rambunctious if mom or dad is there, but a big thing is that they get to show their parents the process and the product of what they have done."

As she spoke, the dozen handicapped children and their parents pummeled clay to make face masks which would be fired into permanence. "Use your imagination," the therapist urged. "The face you make doesn't have to be real, make it what you want it to be."

"Most parents with handicapped kids don't get to see their children involved in art or dance; it's a part of life they usually aren't exposed to and they should be,"added Perrone. Peg Hanson, whose son Scott has taken part in both Camp Sunshine and Our Gang, emphatically agrees. "Some parents of handicapped children won't encourage their children," she said. "They don't realize their kids can dance, draw, do sculpture, write creatively. And it's quite an experience when they find out."

Interaction with others is another major benefit which Hanson sees in the Our Gang program, not to mention the fact "that it's fun." Hanson's non-handicapped daughters, Jennifer, 9, and Brenda, 15, take part in the activities along with Scott, who has Down's Syndrome. "Scott has really grown in Our Gang," Hanson said. "It's fun to see how all the kids interact with other kids and with the other kids' parents and brothers and sisters. They greet each other, they talk about things they've done, they get excited about what's going to happen at Our Gang that night."

Illinois Parks and Recreation 40 September/October 1982

Miriam Perrone (center). Recreation Supervisor of Our Gang, encourages a mother and son to continue their sculpting. (Photo by Andrew French)

Hanson said there's a family-like feeling among the Our Gang participants which runs counter to the usual reactions of so-called normal persons to other handicapped persons. "Even parents of handicapped kids tend to react in a negative way with other handicapped children," she said. "You love your own child but to interact with someone else's handicapped child is another matter; but when you do, your whole perspective becomes wider."

Unlike many of the other Our Gang parents, the Jack Wheeler's have no other children at home with whom their son Terry can spend time and share activities. Jack and Terry regularly participate in Our Gang. "I know he gets a kick out of it,"Wheeler said. "It helps bring him out of his shell. He likes to be with other kids and parents; and when we leave, I don't have to ask him if he had a good time." Wheeler chuckles, "He's got a big grin from ear to ear."

Ms. Perrone, whose work as a Recreation Supervisor at the Rockford Park District for the past ten years resulted in the concept of Camp Sunshine (an arts program for handicapped children, ages 6 through 16), A Very Special Arts Fair (a CETA-funded program for handicapped program in the arts), and Lite-Up Your Classroom (a program instructing special education teachers in new activities for the handicapped), is adamant about the benefits of family education programs that enable parents and handicapped children to simultaneously enjoy arts experiences.

"Our major activities in Our Gang have been music sessions, creative movement, sculpting and drawing, theater games and improvisation, cultural field trips, folk dancing, and invited speakers," Ms. Perrone said. "These activities were definitely to encourage self-expression, to teach new relaxation techniques for parents and children, to teach activities parents could do at home with their children, and to encourage a basic understanding of the elements in the arts; i.e. space, form and pattern. I'm quite sure,"adds Ms. Perrone, "that this kind of program would be successful for all children and their parents, but it is certainly 'a first' for the handicapped."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Vic Yehling is Assistant News Editor of the Rockford Register Star. This article originally appeared in the Register Star.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 41 September/October 1982