The Solution is Inculsion

                One of my earliest memories come from when I was in  preschool.   I have a few memories, but the one that stands out  is  when on a playground on a  elementary school  campus. The  teacher yelled , " The  big kids are coming."  Now  she could have yelled  that the big kids are coming for two reasons  One  that   we were preschoolers and  when you are that little a  seven  year old is a "big kid" compared to you.   Or   it could have  been that  all the kids  on the playground, including myself,  were disabled.    I  attend a county  preschool  special needs class.  That ment that most days I rode a small  yellow bus to and from school  I  was met by others that had special needs.  Some  were hearing impaired  others were in wheelchairs, I was in a speech impaired class as talking was, and continues to be,  a huge moments  task for me.If I spoke clearly, I would try to do a Ted talk on inclusion. Since I don't talk clearly, a blog post I will write. I am able to write it because I was included and learned how to write essays.

         Special  education classes  are  the biggest diservice to students with disabilities  today. That is a pretty  bold statement .   But  so  all these.

  34%  of  people with  intellectual disabilities are employed 
  In 2012,   12% of   people with any disability  had a  BA or higher. 

 How  are thses   outcomes  OK  for students. How  can  we commit one  more youngster to  these  same "programs" that  produce these result.      Obviously we have  failed  people with disabilities but  is inclusion  the   answer.   I   argue that it is because I was included  in school.

    I was included  right from  birth.  My parents  did  not  spend an hour a day with me then  leave to  take care of my seven year old brother.  Could you  imagine if a parent did that.  That would be  child abuse.   If that is  child abuse,  Why  is it OK  for  elementary school kids to only be include for  specials( art music   PE  science and history) ?  The science and history  disappears  as an option  once students enter  middle school.  This  is not okey.  This is  denying  children access  to stories and math  games and other  things that kids are  doing.  I was in  general  education classes  and  we spent most of the day   doing reading and  math.   If  I were only  mainstreamed for science and social  studies, I would not   have had  writers workshop  or  reading Charlotte's Web, and  tile math.

   Speaking about other  kids,  Why  is ok to deny children with  disabilities access to neighborhood schools?     For  kids, schools are there first community outside their family, so  when we  bus kids to other places they do not get  to meet the  neighborhood kids. They do not  get to walk to school.    They  do not  see other kids  that they know in there local  supermarkets  or  REC Centers.   Isolation is  common amongst kids with disabilities.   So knowing this , why do school people routinely bus kids to other schools in there district    All  kids  that use public schools  should  go to the school in there neighborhood.

How  do we  teach kids  how   to be in  the community  when all they  know is isolation.  The answer  is not  to  take   secondary students  out in the community  during the school day.  The kids need to be in there local high school classes learning about the world around them.  Just like they would if they did not have a disabilities.  If they  need  work experience why not  try  to find it  within the high school community so they can feel connected to the school.  Could they work in the cafeteria once a week?  Could they mange the sports equipment physical education department?   Could  they be  messengers that work in the front office? Could they be teacher assistants?  Could they  be on student council ?    They can do all of these activities and more  to get job skills within their high school experience with help. Without ever  stepping off the campus  they can  work in there community.  When you are 16  your community is the high school.   I remember  being afraid when  I  started pre -k in a inclusive setting. There were more kids and different expectations.   I can not imagine  if I had spent my entire school carrer in a  special day  program then  transition into the community.  I  would have  been  lost.    My   transition into the community was made easier  by me  being in  inclusive education because   I   grew up  in  my community.   I learned about being in a community  by being part of  my school community.


          Parents  might tell me that there kid loves  being in the special day classes.   You know  what  ask any kid if they wanted to  go to all day dance and  most would like it. Ask  any kid  if they  want to go  ice skateing  for the day and  most  would  like it.  How  bout to see the latest    film.?    If that was there school  day then of course then most kids would love school, but they  are not  ready for  life.  This  is not education.    Education is all about learning.


  All the special needs classes that  I was in  did not have structure   The teachers  and students disrespected me.     Most  students with intellecual disabilities were segered,  so  when I showed up last year at university,  people  taught  that I was not intelligent    People   were surprised when I did well on tests.   I   really  do not  blame these stereotypes    I  am  willing  to bet  big bucks that  these  professors never  had a chancee to know   what disabilities  were.   Professors   never knew that  the disabled were capable of  greatness.   The  sad   part is a whole  generation of kids in america  are not  having the opportunity to  know different because of the system.    The system  needs to change.     Kids need to be  on the same  level to begin to falsify  these stereotypes    They can not do if they are helpers. They can not do it if   disabled kids are segregated.  They can only do  it when   the disabled student  is   just another kid in their classes  for the whole  day.    

  For those of  you that haven't  heard my story watch this





 What do you think?  I  want  to  hear from  you.   Please commet  before you leave/


  References
 http://www.disabilitystatistics.org/reports/acs.cfm?statistic=2
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unemployment-of-people-with-intellectual-disabilities-more-than-twice-as-high-as-general-population-245835281.html