Traci Cottrell
Teacher
Traci Cottrell and her husband, Greg, have two children and live in Aledo, Texas where Traci is a part-time teacher. Traci has been in the educational system for thirteen years. She taught second grade for five years before taking a break to raise her two children. Her role in recent years has been serving homebound students who are unable to attend school regularly, due to illness or injury. Traci has taught students with brain tumors, leukemia, severe injuries, and depression.
Through working with these homebound students, Traci has cultivated her passion of serving students and families with special needs. This passion was discovered when Traci and Greg’s daughter, Avery, was born extremely prematurely, weighing just one pound eleven ounces at birth. Avery was in the hospital for sixty-two days in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), and spent a few years being seen by numerous specialists for lung issues, kidney malfunction, vision problems, and more.
Traci believes that through her experiences and her faith, she can help families feel that they are not alone in their journey. She knows that through encouragement and support, we can all make a difference.
Everyone associated with The Hemispherectomy Foundation is a volunteer who considers it a privilege to serve these families.
© 2008 - 2009, Hemispherectomy Angels, Inc., a Non-Profit Corporation Disclaimer of warranties and liability | Web Design by Rachel Waters
PO Box 1239 | Aledo, Texas 76008 All Accounting Services Provided by Shelton, Mead, and Shelton, CPAs
 | ||||
Ask Our Hemisphectomy Foundation Teacher
Please send your questions to Teacher@hemifoundation.org. Traci will be happy to answer any questions that you have relating to general education, special education, teaching strategies, resources and more. If she doesn’t know the answer, she will try to find it for you. If she can’t find it, she will give you her opinion. In today’s school systems, it is often difficult to find a teacher that will answer your emails. At the Hemispherectomy Foundation, we have a teacher dedicated to you. She realizes, especially in the Hemispherectomy World, that issues can be very different, and that each case is different. She will work with the rest of the staff to understand each issue, so that she can provide the best possible answer. This resource is a free service for your kids.Sample Questions
- How can my child (who has had a hemispherectomy) stay in the regular classroom and not be labeled "Special Needs"?
- What are some ways to help other children understand my child's needs (if applicable)? If needed, a counselor from the school could come and have a mini-visit to raise students' awareness and/or sensitivity to their classmate's limited skills in certain areas).
- Can the teacher have a buddy system for certain tasks that may be difficult for my child?
- How can the teacher meet the needs of a child who has had a hemispherectomy, while at the same maintaining a balance with the remaining students?
- What programs can I utilize from the school to have others assist my child in the classroom when needed(such as parent volunteers, teacher aides)?
- I strongly wish that others would allow our child to continue to try things independently without an automatic, immediate response for help. How do we convey this without hurting feelings?
- What are some classroom aids that I can buy? (slant board, pencil grips, etc..)
- What is tactile Math? Can it help my child?
- What are some reading strategies that we can use?
