GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2018 61 goodFRIENDS Best Buddies Kate Larman (right) and Kaycee Batres attend Rockwall-Heath High School. “I love hanging out with Kaycee. He has the kindest heart, and he is really smart too… He plans to be a NASCAR driver and a video game designer.” - Kate Larman “Kate is awesome!” - Kaycee Batres AboutBestBuddies Best Buddies International is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with disabilities. The community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities. Students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities can often feel that they are held apart from the rest of the school, but the Best Buddies Friendship program allows them to build one-on-one friendships with students who do not have disabilities.Through their participation, kids with disabilities form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and share interests, experiences and activities that many other individuals enjoy. The friendship program can be at the middle or high school level and is even implemented at some colleges. Best Buddies also offers a jobs program that secures work for people who have a disability, focusing on finding jobs that match the employee’s interests and talents.There are also Leadership Development and Ambassador Programs, which empower those with special needs to become leaders, public speakers and advocates. Source:www.bestbuddies.org Best Buddies Stefanie Seaney (left) and Libby Boydston, both seniors at Plano West Senior High School. "Libby inspires me everyday to be as kind and friendly as she is." - Stefanie Seaney