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
