Torey Hayden's "Somebody Else's Kids" Quiz

Answer: she could not read or write

Torey's Special Education class had been mainstreamed with regular classrooms. She was working as a resource teacher, which meant that students would come to her class when they needed help with their work. Torey had no longer had a regular classroom until one was created by the four children, Boothe, Lori, Tomaso, and Claudia.

Lori had a twin sister Libby. Before they had been adopted, Lori had been abused by her father. One night when he was beating her, he fractured her skull. A piece of the bone went into her brain causing damage. She could not read or write. Doctors hoped that one day her brain would rewire itself and that she would be able to recognize letters and numbers. Lori had been coming to Torey's class for help with reading. After having a fit in her regular teacher's class, Lori stayed in Torey's class.

Answer: he was autistic

Boothe was pretty normal when he was a baby. His doctor just said that he had been a late bloomer. When he was 18 months his parents noticed a change in him. They took him to many different doctors before he was diagnosed as autistic. Then his parents took him to all kinds of schools and institutions to try to cure him.

He had finally been placed in Torey's class. Boo was the first one that came and stayed all day with Torey.

Answer: he was violent

Tom, as Torey called him, had seen a lot of violence when he was a young boy. His father had been murdered right in front of his eyes. Tom had been shipped around to different relatives ever since that day. As a result he was very behind in his school work.

He had been put in Torey's class because she had experience working with children like Tom. Tom also stayed in Torey's class all day long.

Answer: she was pregnant

Claudia was just 12 years old when she became pregnant. Before she came to Torey's class she had been in a Catholic school. After her parents learned of the pregnancy they took her out of school and put her in Torey's class. Claudia did not really belong in the class, but at the time there were no parenting classes for girls as young as Claudia. So, she stayed in Torey's class until she gave birth to her daughter Jenny.

Answer: a bullfighter

Tom had a very hard time coming to terms with his father's death. In fact for a long time he pretended that his father was still alive. He also told everyone that his dad was living in Texas, and would one day come and get him. One day he brought the ceramic bullfighter to school, and told everyone that his dad made it for him.

It was obvious that Tom had made it himself. Claudia was the one who called him on this fact. Before he could go into a full blown rage Torey took him aside and talked to him about the death of his father.

Answer: "Dick and Jane"

In reality Lori had just memorized the book. The "Dick and Jane" book that she memorized was "We Look and See." It was a simple book with very few words and pictures to carry the story. First Torey had Lori look at the pictures and then they went over the words very carefully. After a few times of this, Lori had memorized the book. And, it gave her a great feeling of accomplishment.

Answer: No

When Torey had approached Claudia about the subject of keeping the baby or give it up for adoption, Claudia was set on keeping the baby. She did not want to give it up. Her parents also did not want to give the baby away. But, after being in Torey's class Claudia realized that she was not ready to be a mother.

She was afraid that she would not be able to handle the responsibility of motherhood. Claudia did give Jenny up for adoption to a couple that could not have children. After Claudia left Torey's classroom she went back to her old school. And, she graduated valedictorian.

Answer: a bear

Before Tom's birthday he had told the class that when he was little he had a stuffed bear. But, because of all the moving he had lost it. Lori saved her allowance and bought him a bear. Torey had a birthday party for him. Tom had never had a birthday party before this one.

He was surprised and could not believe that the party was for him. When he opened Lori's gift, he flew into a rage. Tom got scissors and tore a huge hole in the bear's tummy. After he calmed down and seen what he had done, he asked Torey to sew the bear shut.

At the end of the day he took the bear home. Torey never knew what had set him off about the bear. After Tom left Torey's class he was awarded a hero's medal for saving children from a burning building.

Answer: Yes

When Boo came to the class his mother was afraid that he would be taken away from her and placed in an insane asylum. All she wanted was for her little boy to call her mama. Boo did talk but, mostly it was just repeating the news he had heard on television.

After he left Torey's class he was placed in a parochial program for autistic children. He could only talk in a moderately coherent way. But, he learned to say mama.

Answer: False

Lori never learned how to read. Because of this her teacher decided to keep her another year in the first grade. She later moved to the eastern part of the United States where she attended a private school for the learning disabled.