Grade 1 Visual Impairment
This session helps children understand the experiences of people who are visually impaired, explores the causes of visual impairment, and demonstrates how people who are visually impaired cope with everyday life. Children watch a video, and take part in three simulation activities including a trust walk, Braille instruction, and mobility using a cane.

Grade 2 Hearing Impairment
Children participating in this section take part in simulation exercises and discuss the causes of hearing impairments and the "inside feelings" that all people share. As part of the simulation activities, students are exposed to the manual alphabet, learn to sign many common words, and explore the complexities of lip reading.

Grade 3 Developmentally Handicapped Mental Retardation - Level 1
The Level 1 Developmentally Handicapped, or Mental Retardation, session helps children learn about the different ranges of retardation, and includes simulation activities to help students experience motor impairment and eye-hand coordination problems, impairment of sense of touch, and learning problems. An especially important message in understanding others' feelings is stressed in this session.

Grade 4 Motor and Orthopedic Impairments
Various forms of motor and orthopedic impairments are introduced to children at this session to teach an understanding of, and respect for, people who cope with these physical disabilities. Students take part in activities designed to teach them about speech problems, large motor disabilities, fine motor problems, and cerebral palsy and hemiplegia.

Grade 5 Learning Disabilities
Students discover the causes and types of learning disabilities in this section of the Everybody Counts! program. Through class discussion and group activities, children experience the frustrations and challenges of various learning disabilities firsthand, then look at methods used to help people manage such disabilities.

Grade 6 Developmentally Handicapped Level 2 and Review
Level 2 of the Developmentally Handicapped session further explores the feelings of people with retardation. Students participate in simulation activities that really challenge them to perform under restrictive conditions. An expanded curriculum helps the older student build on sections learned in past years.

Grade 7 Chronic Conditions
The chronic conditions of eating disorders, Tourette Syndrome, epilepsy, asthma and juvenile diabetes are explored in this section of the Everybody Counts! presentation. Additionally, students participate in a self-esteem building exercise and learn how peer pressure affects young people with chronic conditions, especially the growing problem of eating disorders, and the impact that chronic conditions can have on social attitudes.

Grade 8 Serious Illness
The focus of the Serious Illness session is to examine how life-threatening illnesses can impact people and friendships. A videotape, simulation exercises, and a frank discussion session about childhood cancer and its results-ranging from hair loss to surgical amputation-make up this important part of the Everybody Counts! curriculum, which is aimed at older students.

Volunteer Workshops
The Everybody Counts! program makes it easy for parents to get involved. Parent volunteers attend a training workshop that takes only two hours, but leaves them with a full understanding of the program and the ability to present the material to a classroom.

The training program is simple - no previous experience in special education is necessary. Of course, firsthand knowledge of the topic, or research into it, can certainly enhance the presentation and add a personal touch. Training workshops are taught by parents who have previously presented the program to classrooms and who are fully-versed in a particular area of disability or condition. When

Everybody Counts! starts up in a new area, the volunteer coordinator meets with parents and matches up those with background experience or an area of interest to the corresponding sessions. Then, with a little training and adherence to the curriculum, a successful program is presented to the students.

After the initial classroom presentations, many of these first-time volunteers become trainers for the next group of parents. Calling upon their classroom experience, they advise new volunteers on classroom logistics, types of questions to be expected from the children, timing of the presentation, scheduling challenges and the like. The voice of experience goes a long way in helping out volunteers who are eager to make a difference.