Hide in plain sight

Once upon a time public schools had special education classes separate from that of the average kid. Oh, how I long for the return to that.

I’m not sure the reason why the integration, let me speculate as to why:

Someone's rights were being stepped on?
Segregating SE kids set them so visibly apart, and/or set them up for taunting as they are grouped together and pose an easy target?

Po-lease!

*Note: I do understand the reforms (IDEA, NCLB and many other) have reshaped this since I was in school) ;-)

Look, from what I’ve experienced from most teachers today, having a special needs child in their classroom:

They (teachers) are less tolerant to these kids. Perhaps feeling burdened in teaching beyond their means or understanding.

All too often I hear “he/she must have ADD/ADHD”, quietly suggesting (though “we’re NOT suppose to suggest” and they do anyway) to have the kid drugged up.

Clearly there is an agenda, not always meant to help the child, in as much as ones self.

These teachers are making these suggestions based on lack of knowledge, and certainly lack of tolerance. This is not what they signed up for when they thought that they’d be teaching sweet angels with an apple-a-day offering from the little darlings. How To Be a Teacher classes doesn’t prepare them for the challenges they will inevitably face with a special needs child in their classroom. Sure they touch on ‘stuff’, but are they truly equipped to deal with the enormity of issues?

I have witnessed pushing of “if we hold the pencil properly this will magically transform your writing into a legible miracle”.

Fact in case: The child may have Dysgraphia. (mine does, and I was told be a SL Therapist that Dysgraphia is another word for "sloppy writing". Ugh!!! It is a chronic condition, not like Suzie in first grade who's handwriting eventually becomes legible. "..Directly related to sequential/rational information processing". Ehem. "It generally refers to poor handwriting".)
This is like asking a blind individual to see…now! Because I want/will/demand it to happen. Unreasonable!

I have seen the ”if we tell him/her enough times he'll/she'll get it, I’ll bet we can get this child to: focus, be more organized, stay seated, speak in a quiet tone, not be such a chatter-bug, write in full sentences…on and on.

Fact in case: The child might have ADD/ADHD. Hey…If I hold this red balloon long enough…do you think it will simply turn green for me?? Unreasonable!

What in the heck are we doing to these teachers? Setting them and these kids up for failure because we just can’t have the kids who need special assistance…have just that, in their own environment?

Sure there are schools cropping up that are specific to such needs. They are few and they are, well… expensive.
So, some of the kids are carted off to the little room with 2-4 (if that) “trained” folk designated to help the kids make it through public schools. Some of the pushing to learn comes from these folks, completely ill-equipped to understand the complexities of the range of disorders that stall these youngsters.
*Note: This is without an assessment/evaluation/IEP
After a few hours in special classes they are churned right back out to a world (regular class-rooms) where the lack of understanding, proper help, and tolerance meet.

I certainly don’t have or know the answers to this conundrum. If you do…fill me the heck in.

Well, this sounds like a good seq-way to the all important CER (Comprehensive Evaluation Report} and/or IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation), IEP (Individualized Education Program), finally Accommodations & Modifications. See links in advocacy at right.