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14- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 16, 1996 "Scugog's Community Newspape( of Choice" Program will give kids reality check on barenthood From Page 1 Learning for Excused Pupils (SALEP) program. They're kids aged 14 and 15 who have been identified, for various reasons, as being at risk for leaving high school early. Many of the kids in the pro- gram, who typically attend classes in the morning and take part in some type of work- related progrdm in the after- noon, could also be at risk of early pregnancy, said Heather Hawco-Grey, SALEP youth worker. And perhaps surpris- ingly, these kids are planning to have children. "A high percentage of them are not accidental pregnan- cies," said Ms Hawco-Grey, noting that incidences of preg- nancy are high among SALEP's enrollment, which encompass- es about 1 per cent of Durham's public school student popula- tion. "Of that 1 per cent, we had 19 pregnancies last year." SALEP facilitator Chris Hall says the desire to have children can often be explained by the background many of the stu- dents come from. "Generally speaking, our kids are suffering from low self-esteem problems and dys- functional families," she said. "The perception of a baby in the eyes of a 14-year-old expe- riencing that kind of lifestyle is a lot different even from the way you or I would see it." Having a child could be seen by a troubled teen as a way of guaranteeing love and depen- dence, said Ms Hall. There's nothing wrong with that; but the kids may not be looking beyond those ideals to see the incredible commitment par- enthood entails. Baby Think It Over is a means of providing the kids a glimpse of that lifestyle. It's not designed solely to deter kids from choosing to have babies, Ms Hall is quick to point out; in fact, many stu- dents throughout the system will benefit from the experience of caring for a child, and gain the self-confidence that will serve them well when, later on, they do decide to have kids. But a weekend with Jessie can also serve as a sobering reality check for a teen who thinks having a baby is all coo- ing over cuteness and cuddling. Jessie is a remarkable repli- ca of an infant. Weighing 11 pounds, the anatomically-cor- rect doll feels much like a real toddler when held in the crook of an arm. ...Then there's the crying 'And then there's the crying. A computer which is locked in the doll's back carries a program that make it emit a high wail -- very lifelike -- any- where from every few minutes to every three hours. The com- puter is able to record how well the baby is tended to by moni- toring the amount of time it 1s left to cry. Students will wear a bracelet on which there is a key that's to be inserted into the doll's back to simulate feed- ing. It must be held in place for 30 minutes in order to make the crying stop. It can be detected if either the bracelet or the computer in the doll's back has been tam- pered with. So can any kind of abuse, from rough handling to accidental drops. At the end of the exercise instructors will check the stu- dent's performance as recorded by the computer chip, and also have him or her keep track of expenses, the hours devoted to the child, and whatnot, as well as their perceptions of what might be involved before the exercise. "I think it's really important for them to know how unpre- dictable babies can be," said Ms Hawco-Grey. "when their needs have to be met, they have to be met. She said many students feel they'd be competent parents because they've gained some experience babysitting, or have relatives with infants. This exercise could help show them how prepared they really are. "It's a different thing when they have the child overnight for a couple of nights, on the weekend when they'd rather be doing something else." Ms Hall said the board will now ask high schools in the region to come up with propos- als for use of the dolls, and will distribute them for use. It's hoped, she said, that different schools and programs will be able to use the dolls in different ways, and that they will be distributed among both boys and girls. "I think it's a valuable male learning tool as well as for females," she said, noting that the experience can also help teach responsibility on matters of sex for the guys. "If you choose to have sex, unprotected sex, this is what will result," she said. "And you will be responsible." The possibilities, the two women stress, are many, and have hopes that the dolls will be used fully in the near future. 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There is no admis- sion charge to MaUsE meetings and new people are always welcome. + This month's meeting will feature a special pres- entation on the Apple Newton, focusing on its new Operating System 2.0 and related technologies. Also on the agenda is a demonstration of Apple's Quick Time VR technology on the Macintosh. For fur- ther information, please call the MaUsE Help Line at 433-0777 and leave a message. MaUsE is a non-profit group of Apple Macintosh computer owners and us- ers which acts as a learn- ing and communication resource for Macintosh computer users in Dur- ham Region. In addition to its regular meetings, held on the fourth Wednesday of each month, MaUsE is a great resource for anyone who uses a Macintosh comput- er, offering help, advice, product discounts, access to a 24-hour Bulletin Board Service loaded with Public Domain software, a monthly newsletter, and various other services to its members. 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