COSHOCTON - Five-year-old Brooke Wilson, a preschooler at Hopewell School, was diagnosed with infantile spasms when she was 8-months-old.

Her mother, Jody Wilson, said that up until that point she was a normal child, even reaching major infant milestones sooner than her twin brother, Austin. But once the epileptic seizures started, things changed.

"We are thankful to have Hopewell School in this community," said Jody Wilson. "I didn't know anything about the school until we had to use them. If people really knew what was going on there, I think the community would be even more giving to the school. We are very fortunate to have Hopewell here, because unfortunately there are a lot of children in this area that have a disability of some kind."

Holly Rine, director of Children's Programs at Hopewell School, said the Preschool Special Education Unit can serve up to eight children with special needs and four typical children. Brooke started out in Hopewell's Early Intervention Program. She has a one-on-one aide who is provided by her local school district.

"Each of the local school districts have preschool special education programs," said Rine. "We have three of those programs here at Hopewell and are already full for next year. It's nice for those children who have a lot of special needs to be involved in our program since we have all the resources here to assist them. We have therapists on staff and a speech and language department that is proficient in the area of alternative-type communication for children who can't speak."

This is the third year for Brooke to be in the preschool at Hopewell, and Wilson recommends it to anyone who has a child with a disability. Tiffany Wehr is Brooke's teacher. Brooke's twin brother Austin also attended the preschool.

"The preschool program is even good for kids that don't have disabilities," said Wilson. "The way my husband, Mike and I feel about it is that it exposed Austin to children that aren't as fortunate as him. He looks at them like there's nothing wrong with them. I know kids can be cruel and I believe that every child should experience this so that there's not so much cruelty towards a child that has a disability."

Wilson feels the school and staff offer the children so much more than parents can do at home.

"The earlier you can get a child that has a disability into any kind of a therapy atmosphere, the better off they will be," said Wilson. "Their chances of learning even one little thing is so important."

Brooke loves the aquatics program and the staff says she comes alive at that point. They also have a sensory room at Hopewell and this year Brooke gets to spend more time exploring in that room.

"She actually got up and walked by herself while in the sensory room," said Wilson. "She's done that a couple of times now. The room has mats on the floor so the kids don't get hurt."

Wilson would love to be able to put a pool or sensory room in their house to give Brooke extra stimulation at home. Brooke is also working with a computer program at the school.

Even though Brooke is only 5, she is already an ambassador. She was one of the youngest recipients of a Vagus Nerve Stimulator, which is a device similar to a pacemaker that helps control her seizures.

She is an ambassador for Cyberonics which is the company that makes the Vagus Nerve Stimulator.

"We have had a wonderful experience with the program at Hopewell," said Wilson. "Brooke brings a lot of joy to our lives. We don't exclude her from anything. We call her princess and she definitely is a princess."