Story by CHS senior Sahasra Chakilam and courtesy of The Sidekick student newspaper at CHS. The Sidekick is a Career and Technical Education Program of Study in the Communications Area. Photo courtesy of CHS senior Sukirtha Muthiah.
Sitting in a doctor’s office at age 4, CHS9 student Sean Gooden gazed at a portrait of the New York City skyline. As soon as he got home, Gooden recreated the image with LEGO bricks, from the Empire State Building to the Twin Towers, all from memory. Gooden’s LEGO brick creations do not stop there: Notre-Dame de Paris, Taj Mahal, the solar system and even a working roller coaster; he is a master builder.
For Sean, LEGO bricks are more than just toys. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 4, he struggles with maintaining focus. Yet, since childhood, LEGO bricks have served as an outlet for his creativity and ingenuity. Through teaching his niece, Evie Gooden, how to build with LEGO bricks, Sean discovered a knack for teaching others. So, he decided to part with his old LEGO sets and brought them to school, where he started the LEGO Club at CHS9.
As a Coppell ISD Transitional Pathway Learner, Sean asked special education teacher Kara Lindquist to sponsor the club. Having seen Sean’s passion for LEGO bricks firsthand while he played with them during school hours, Lindquist was eager to help.
“LEGOs help build communication and add more description for Sean as to what’s happening in his day to day life,” Lindquist said. “I was all for it. One of the big things that I try to push with my learners is to get involved to go out of their comfort zone. For me, this was a 100% yes.”
For the full story, visit https://coppellstudentmedia.com/132941/chs9/it-just-clicks/.