Federal regulations state that children with developmental disabilities
will have free, public, and appropriate education, but what are the
practical implications of this practice? Does the student benefit from
being "mainstreamed?" Do their peers gain insight or empathy? Do we
enrich classrooms, or make teachers' lives more difficult? Consider
either a learning disorder or an autism spectrum disorder in your
discussion.
This site has a more detailed description of autism, and autism spectrum disorders.
Some practical implications of Federal regulations allowing children with developmental disabilities to get free, appropriate education is that they could be a distraction to children without, therefore, hindering that child. Also, more teaches that are specialized in presenting information in a specialized way would have to be hired. This obviously costs more money that some schools simply do not have.
ReplyDeleteI truly do think that these students benefit from being “mainstreamed”, that is, if they are also in a specialized classroom for part of their day depending how far along their disability is. For example, in the case of autism, some children and young adults are, “fully able to perform all activities of daily living while others require substantial support to perform basic activities.” I think that peers would gain insight on developmental disorders by being around people that have them, but also, this integration can cause bullying for the student with the disability. Although, I still think that classrooms are enriched, teachers lives are made more difficult, but the benefits outweigh the faults. Overall, I think students with developmental disabilities should be, at least part time, put into classrooms with other, not developmentally disabled students.
Citation
“Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopment disorders characterized by difficulties with social communication/interaction, and repetitive patterns of behavior (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n.d.). The severity of the condition can vary across a wide range, which is why “spectrum” is in the name. Nevertheless, any severity of ASD makes it more difficult for a child to have a normal life in and out of school. Federal regulations state that children with developmental disabilities such as ASD should be “mainstreamed” in school and treated like all of the other children. This can be extremely difficult, as children with developmental disabilities learn at a slower rate than their “normal” peers. I do believe that children with ASD should not be treated as outcasts and looked at as different by other kids their own age, but it may not be completely practical to teach children with ASD the same way we teach children without disabilities. Children with ASD need more one-on-one attention with a teacher, and a classroom setting may make them uncomfortable. Though children with Autism Spectrum Disorder should not be treated poorly or as outcasts by their peers, they do need separate and special attention especially in school.
ReplyDeleteReference
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact
Sheet. Retrieved April 16, 2019 from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-
Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet
I agree with your opinions on this matter and I think that you wrote this well. It is difficult to have a balance on all sides when every decision can have a very big impact on all involved. Great post Kayla!
DeleteKayla, i agree with you that children with autism should not be treated poorly in school. its so sad because kids make fun of people that are different than them. i think that children should be taught about people with disabilities, in the hope that they will have more understanding of the disorder which would make kids more compassionate towards them. i think if kids are not educated about disabilities they simply consider the student with special needs weird or different. i think this would give children with disabilities a better chance at a normal life in school.
DeletePutting a student with autism or another mental disability into a regular public school classroom can have its pros and cons. I think these children belong around on another in their own class because they do not learn the same as other students in many ways. They should have activities that are specific to them and that will benefit them rather than challenging them with thing that they might be unable to do. Putting these kind of children into a normal setting can also create problems for the teacher; she will have many students learning at many different paces. He/she also might not have proper skills to make the kids learn effectively. That is why there are special needs teachers.
ReplyDeleteAli,
DeleteI agree that there is a special place in classrooms for developmentally disabled students at certain times. Does any part of you think that if these kids were to be put into one or two "normal" classes that it would help expose those that are not developmentally disabled to see that there are people like that in the world? I think the exposure is very eye-opening, what do you think?
Ali,
DeleteI agree with everything you stated. I liked how you pointed out that putting that child into a normal setting can create problems with the teacher. This also goes along with other children in the classroom. They might not be receiving the best education possible while in a varied class. Good post!
There are definite implications that come with granting children with developmental disabilities the chance to have a free public education. One of these implications that may be seen when it comes to children with autism is that they are often times placed in special needs classrooms depending on the severity of their disorder. They may not get integration with regular school children and are only around faced with the same problems as them. Not only may this present them with interaction issues but also with issues with their social skills and forming relationships with others as they grow. Being in the normal classroom can also create many challenges for children with disabilities. There are less services available to aid them in their learning process and they may not be getting the one on one help they need from the teacher because they have many other children to focus on too. On top of this, if the child has problems focusing and paying attention, they are many distractions in the classroom that could affect their learning. They may need to take tests, read, and learn in a more private, quiet setting. Not only does integrating children with disabilities in the classroom present them with challenges, but also the students around them. They may have a hard time focusing and getting help from the teacher if the teachers attention is focused on the child with disabilities. This child may also be a distraction to them. While the free public education is good for children with disabilities, it is important that they also make sure they get the one on one help they need that may not come from a regular classroom.
ReplyDeleteI find it very important that there are regulations that allow people with disabilities free, public and appropriate education. First I believe each disability needs special accommodations that may not be met in a regular classroom. This is where special education teachers come into play, they accommodate the learning disabilities in a way that a teacher in a regular classroom might not. Also placing those with disabilities into a separate class also helps with how much they might actually pick up. In a normal class the teachers move at a pace based off of all the students not just one. This separate classroom may delay social interactions with others throughout the school, but just because the education is separated doesn't mean they are cut completely off from everyone else. No matter the disability I believe everyone should be treated as equal, but the disabled need more one on one attention and guidance in the schooling environment.
ReplyDeleteLynsi, I completely agree with you. Every student should be treated equally but it is also necessary for some students to have specific education teachers to teach them at their own pace.
DeleteLynsi, I agree with you talked about each student receiving the correct accommodations for their learning. I also talked in my post about the importance of this. Children with disabilities are going to learn much differently than a child that does not have any disabilities. With that said, I also agree with you that every student should be treated equal and theses type of children should not be completely excluded from them.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteProviding free, public, and appropriate education to children with disabilities such as autism or a learning disability is extremely important for not only those with the disability, but to those of the general ed. Students who have autism, for example, differ from one another in many ways. Some may be less severe while others need constant support or help, but in both cases this affects their lives each and every day. “Mainstreaming” these types of students has its pros and cons, but a more effective way of learning for them would be mainstreaming where appropriate. Putting students with autism in general ed classes benefits both them and the other students. It allows them to interact with all types of people and allows the rest of the students to become familiar with them and also how to interact with them as well. Students with autism may need more help in certain areas which is where a specialized class would benefit them. Putting them into specialized math, English, and reading classes and in general classes such as art, music, etc. allows them to receive education that is suited to their needs while interacting and experiencing the environment that everyone else is in. Having teachers or para’s who are able to teach these types of students within specialized classrooms would be ideal towards their own learning but may cost more money for the schools. Although it may be less cost effective, allowing students with these disabilities to gain an education in both a general and specialized class could provide them with the most success in learning.
ReplyDeleteCameron,
DeleteI agree with the statement that you made about having students with disabilities in the classroom and how it is important for everyone involved. I think people tend to think that it a negative effect on "normal" children, when in turn it is actually showing them that people with disabilities have just as much of a right to learn as they do. Great post!
Personally, I don't know if "mainstreaming" disabled kids is the best idea, because I know a lot of the students with learning disabilities will need one on one help with a lot of their assignments anyway. My mother is a special education teacher, she works with the students who have the developmental disabilities the most and she writes a lot of IEPs we discussed in class. I don't know what they say obviously as it's a confidentiality issue, but I do know that it's hard to write an individual plan for over forty students based on the individual's capability, drive, success rate, assessment scores, and "intelligence" (for lack of a better word) and they can take hours to write each out. I know it's can be rathering hindering on the teacher because it's hard to individualize each student but also get all of them done in an hour class period, so I can't help but question if this system is really beneficial to anyone involved. I do, however, think that it is good for other students to see or empathize with the disabled ones as it can help them understand their struggle. The flip side to that coin is that those same students could possibly make fun or even bully those other students because of their disabilities. I can understand how mainstreaming may make it easier on the parents, as they can send their kids to a school that may be closer to home, have better statistics, or be easier on the parents as public school is cheaper than private school. In the long run, I'm just not sure if mainstreaming the disabled kids is the best idea if they usually just end up in an environment separate from the rest of their peers. If the severity of the child's disability can make them a threat to others, I would be a bit nervous for the safety of the other children. More often than not, these students learn at a different speed than the non-disabled kids, and that can really put them behind in productivity in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteFederal regulations state that children with developmental disabilities will still be granted a free, public, and appropriate education. Due to Federal regulations, children with disabilities can receive a free, public education, but when it comes to educating a student with a developmental disability, a regular classroom might not educate the child the best possible way. Children with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), do not learn the same way or as quickly as their peers without a developmental disability. Therefore, these children will benefit from more one-on-one time with educators that can teach material based on how quickly the child can learn. However, this can be an issue when it comes to the socialization of children with developmental disabilities. Parents or other bystanders might not believe a child with a developmental disability is getting the same socialization opportunities as their peers. However, the children with disabilities are still socializing with their peers, one of the benefits of these children being "mainstream," but they are also receiving the specialized education they need in order to learn and understand material. When it comes to giving these children a specialized, yet public education, more teachers will need to be hired to supply these specialized educations. Overall, children with developmental disabilities still deserve a free, public, and appropriate education in order to assist in the socialization of these children, but in order for this to happen/continue, more teachers will need to be hired in order to supply the specialized education these children need in order to learn.
ReplyDeleteThe practical implications with providing free, public and appropriate education for children who have developmental disabilities are few but can have a large impact on others. A child who has ASD could slow down the learning for other classmates. The reason is because that these children learn and develop slower, compared to “normal” kids. I believe though that the child would benefit from being mainstreamed into a class room because being in groups and around other kids they could possibly learn and understand better. The peers would have a great experience because they would learn how to help the disabled child. This is a benefit to both of them, because they can both learn at the same time. I know my siblings and I have benefited greatly by helping our younger brother learn, since he learns slower than normal. As to making teachers lives difficult, it’s a toss-up. Kids are all different from each other. In some cases a child with ASD can be easy to help, while as others can be super difficult. I would propose bringing in a “helper” if that is the case. The “helper” would be there to assist everyone, but especially the disabled child. This way there is not as much stress about everyone being at the same level of learning.
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
DeleteI agree that it could slow down learning for other students. I also believe that these children would benefit from being mainstreamed because they get to interact with others and their peers with also have a learning experience.Good Post!
Practical implementations of children with developmental disabilities having free, public, and appropriate education is not what would be considered ideal. Appropriate education for a child with a developmental disability, such as dyslexia, would be one-on-one time spent with an adult who is trained for those situations. But that is not free by any means. Many students do not get this one-on-one time because neither parents nor schools can afford to hire someone trained to teach dyslexic students. I believe that the student does not benefit from being mainstreamed. Their minds work differently than other children, and should not be taught the same as other children. Peers do, however, gain insight and possible empathy from the mainstreaming of children with disabilities. Children learn that not everybody is the same and what may work for that child, may not work for a disabled child. I believe that classrooms are enriched due to the variety of children, but I also think that it makes the teachers’ live a little challenging to try and keep all children interested and engaged.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very important and right that federal regulation provides children with developmental disabilities the right to have free, public, and appropriate educations. What gets lost in this very well-intended regulation is the word “appropriate” in the phrase. Take the learning disability of ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for example. There are many different levels and severity of this disorder and depending on where a student falls on this scale, they might need a different kind of education. If a student is diagnosed to have slight ADHD and is immediately put into a special class with students who may have severe ADHD, this student will probably decline in his studies because he thinks that he is a “dumb” kid now and underperforms because of it. This student might just simply need some extra attention after class or extra time for test taking. I understand that it takes a lot of time, resources, and effort to appropriately assign groups that children with developmental disabilities should be in, but I think that it is the only way to provide the best education for these children. This might provide the teachers with more work and stress which could lead to spending the little money that most public schools do not have on more teachers; however, I do not think that students with a developmental disability gain from being “mainstreamed” into the system, simply because those students learn and see the world differently. When it comes to the peers of these students, I think that, in a way, it does enrich their schooling experience to be exposed to kids who learn differently than themselves. Overall, as long as the student with a disability is able to learn and be loved in a regular school setting with other children without disabilities, it can be beneficial to both that student and their peers, but if this setting hinders their ability to learn, the school should consider moving them to a group of students more at their level of learning.
ReplyDeleteChildren with developmental disabilities will have free, public, and appropriate education is a very important concept, it impacts all children in the school system. The practical implications of this practice are the children with developmental disabilities could restrict other students from learning. Also, it costs more money because teachers that are specialized in the field would have to be hired to accommodate the children, costing the school more money. I do think that the student benefits from being “mainstream” because they still deserve to be treated like any other student, they just may need specialized learning styles as well. I do think that students with disorders do need to have aid in their learning, because some do learn at slower rates than normal. I think that peers do gain insight and empathy because they see and learn about the disorders first hand. I do not think that it makes teaches lives more difficult because the teachers have learned how to change styles to help children with developmental disorders. Most teachers also have aids or helpers in their classroom to help with the children. I think that developmental disordered children should be in a normal classroom for at least part of the day an be in a special classroom to help them with the curriculum that they need assistance in.
ReplyDeleteLeah,
DeleteI agree that students with disabilities deserve the same learning opportunities as students without learning disabilities. Developmental disabilities affect every child differently. It is important for the students with disabilities to be able to get the one-on-one help that they need while also being able to gain the social benefits from being in a classroom. Because every student is affected differently, the "appropriate" education changes for every student. I agree with you that it would be beneficial for the student with disabilities to be able to learn outside of the classroom (one-on-one), and inside the classroom, when appropriate.
With this concept I feel 50/50. Children that have certain learning disabilities that are put into regular classrooms can have good and/or bad reactions from both the child, the other students, and the teachers. For example, children that have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), "They may become overly focused on certain objects, rarely make eye contact, and fail to engage in typical babbling with their parents."(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2018) I believe that if the child feels comfortable enough and wants to be put into a normal classroom, then he/she should be able to. On the other hand this might become difficult for some teachers because they might not understand the learning disorder and won't know how to teach others the correct way. Peers could react in a number of different ways. Some may be empathetic towards them but others may have rude opinions because they might not understand their disorders and specific needs.
ReplyDeleteI fully support that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) should be able to take regular classes if they choose to do so but I think if this happens, all teachers should have some training in how to correctly teach kids with learning disabilities. This will help avoid misunderstandings and frustrations.
I also believe that children with learning disabilities should be in specific classrooms that have teachers trained for that type of teaching. This will give the students the ability to learn at their own pace and help them feel comfortable in their learning space.
Putting children with developmental disabilities into classroom’s has its advantages and disadvantages. These children should get the same opportunities as every other child and should not be left out because of their disability. Having these types of children in the classrooms will help the other students put themselves in the place of a student with a learning disability, which hopefully teach them how to be empathetic and patient with them. A disadvantage to mainstreaming children with disabilities is that these children are going to learn differently than a child that does not have a learning disability. A kid with autism is going to need to move at a much slower pace than any other kid, so it will set back these kids. Putting these children in these classrooms might be beneficial socially but not in the learning category.
ReplyDeleteKennedi, I agree with you on the fact that every child should be given the same learning opportunities as one another. I feel that putting children with learning disabilities into regular learning environments if they are capable is a very good thing for both them and other students. I also feel that there can be some disadvantages to this practice as well.
DeleteIt is very important that all children with developmental disabilities have access to a free, public, and appropriate education. Developmental disabilities affect every child differently, and therefore, they needed to have an education appropriate for them. Some developmental disabilities affect a child’s everyday life significantly. For these children, a lot of one-on-one learning may be more beneficial than being in a classroom, forced to learn at the same rate as every other student. Some students, on the other hand, aren’t as affected by their disability, and therefore may be able to spend more time in their classroom with their peers, and get some one-on-one with certain subjects. An “appropriate” education is different for every child. I think it is important for students to be evaluated to find out how much one-on-one time is needed for them specifically, and then be given this to enhance their learning. Another option for students is a teacher helper. This person would be there to further help children who are struggling and give them the help they need while still allowing students to learn in a classroom. I believe it is essential for students to receive the help they need, and also to be able to spend time with their peers and learn with them when appropriate. Not only will this benefit the child with the developmental disability, but also their peers. This gives their peers insight to new disability’s and teaches them that not everyone is the same, but everyone deserves the same kindness and respect. Although it may take more teachers, money, and time to give these children the education they deserve, I think it is important to give students with developmental disabilities the same opportunities as other children.
ReplyDeleteThere are federal regulations on school systems when children with disabilities are enrolled in their school. These regulations include providing free, public, and appropriate education. These regulations come from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Some of the practical implications that stem from these laws is that there are not many teachers that have the education needed to teach students with special needs. These programs we use are meant to specialize a child’s education. When looking at the “specializations” that the school systems uses, it lacks the specialization. Usually children are put in one of the few options they have available, which does not seem specialized at all. I think that this is the where the fault in the program lies. There are children who are labeled as autistic, or on the spectrum, and are placed in an educational path that is below what they can achieve. Yes, we should “enrich” our classrooms, but with students that it is right for. Children that are higher functioning should have the chance to be in classes with their peers. This should not make a teacher’s life more difficult because the child will most likely have an aid with them, or are well enough in the class without one. Learning disorders, such as dyslexia or ADHD, do make teachers’ lives harder, but this happens very often and should be taken into consideration when discussing autism spectrum disorders. Children with learning disorders and their teachers can sometimes adapt, and that should be an option for other children with disabilities. Although children with disabilities and disorders can sometimes make other’s lives harder, they should be given the chance to be treated with respect and not be treated as an outcast.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Latham, Patricia, J.D.; At a Glance: Which Laws Do What; The Understood team; Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/at-a-glance-which-laws-do-what
Mainstreaming children with disabilities definitely provide all children with a variety of learning experiences. If you think about it, children are exactly the same anyway. These days, they place kids in different groups for reading or math based on level. They come back together for other subjects such as science or social studies. These are the subjects that kids can be engaging and learn to work with everyone. From a social aspect, they should be out to recess with the kiddos and interacting as much as they can, and this inclusion needs to happen at the earliest age possible. It teaches everyone compassion, patience and perspective. I think what gets tough is the wide spectrum of disability levels. Some, with work and understanding, can be folded into mainstream quite well. Others thrive in a separate school in order to get the best education for them given their circumstances, which is where Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) concepts come in. I think schools need to be equipped with personnel to help with children that have disabilities, which is not always the case, especially in more rural areas. Also, with increased class loads, teachers have a hard time handling all the kids and are not always trained to deal with the complexities of kiddos with disabilities. Hopefully, parents and schools can work together to give these kiddos the learning experience they need to be functioning members of society.
ReplyDeleteI think students with and without disabilities do benefit from being mainstreamed. Children with disabilities create a special environment in a school and being around other kids makes the atmosphere that more enjoyable. I think classrooms are enriched even though it may be difficult at times. Being at school with a diverse amount of kids is a beneficial experience for teachers and students. Although the education may be different, a social life may be all a child needs to feel happy and welcomed.
ReplyDeleteThe practical implications of the federal regulation on children with developmental disabilities are cost and distraction. There is a chance that a child with a disability could cause a distraction within the classroom. This may worry parents that their child is not going to get the best education that they can. Although some parents may think this is an issue I believe that it would be good for everyone. The implication of cost is having to hire teachers that are educated and trained on handling a child with a disability. If a child is high on the autism spectrum then they are going to need someone who is trained and knows how to handle their behavior rather then a normal teacher. As I said before I believe that mainstreaming children with disabilities is good for everyone. It gives the child a chance to interact with their peers and gives them a chance to see how other teachers run a classroom. If the child with disabilities is going to be mainstreamed it needs to fit their disability. If a child is low on the autism spectrum and can engage in social settings then I believe that they should be put into the appropriate setting, where they can still learn. But if a child is high on the autism spectrum and isn't comfortable being mainstreamed then I don't think they should be forced into it. I fully believe that we enrich the classrooms by doing this because it teaches valuable life lessons for everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteProviding a free, public, and appropriate education to children with developmental disabilities is a very good thing; however, I feel that there are some pros and cons to this practice. Some children with disabilities are fully capable of being put in a classroom with students who don’t have learning disabilities and learn the same things and benefit from them. Other children with disabilities may need a little more help from their teachers, and that help might not be given in a regular classroom. Children with autism for example may need more help learning from someone who is able to give them help in those areas, but I do think that children with disabilities should be given the same opportunities as every other child if they are capable and comfortable with it, regardless of their disabilities. Putting all children together in a learning environment can give peers more insight on how to work well with each other and also help them learn more about disabilities. It can also benefit teachers in how to teach children with learning disabilities. A con to this practice is that putting children with learning disabilities into a normal classroom setting can hinder children without learning disabilities from learning at a pace that is normal to them, and maybe even hinder the teachers learning curriculum. I can see the views of this practice on both sides of the spectrum.
ReplyDeleteFor this blog post, I will be using my own personal experience. This law allows people like me to be able to go to a mainstream school instead of being forced to go to a deaf school. I was able to thrive and be able to do the same things as my hearing peers. I have many deaf friends that went to the deaf school and graduated there. I have noticed they struggle in many different field such as English, interactions with the hearing world, etc. There is a huge benefit in letting deaf people like myself and other disable people into the mainstream school. They are able to learn among their peers and be able to thrive in a way.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from experience in a school that integrated students with developmental disabilities into every day learning opportunities, I believe that it is incredibly important, not only for their personal, social, and educational development that they are in public schools, but for other students as well. The overall population of students with developmental disabilities is not especially large in Montana, so it was common practice to place all these students into a few elementary schools, one or two middle schools, and mainly one high school. I am guessing this was done due to the small faculty size in this area of expertise. I, personally, attended the middle school and the high school where most of these students were focused. This not only aided in my understanding of how to interact with them on a daily basis but opened my eyes to the impatience and intolerance students from other schools exhibited when in the same social settings. Primarily the students in the “special needs” program exhibited moderate to sever autism. Their symptoms ranged anywhere from the absolute need for certain activities to be “right” to the inability to communicate verbally. However, I believe that immersing these students into a public-school environment greatly helps their social, emotional, and educational development. I have seen several students completely adapt their behaviors for the better the longer they were in school settings with us. While some aspects of interacting with and teaching these students may be difficult, while dedication to these students still exists, I would not consider teachers’ lives to be made more difficult.
ReplyDeleteI too will use my own personal reflection on this topic. My whole life I was in a "special room" with other children that had "slower learning processes". I was one of those kids in school who had an IEP. My whole life I was separated from the "normal kids" and placed somewhere that I could learn in a more slow paced environment. There were definitely pros and cons to this situation. One of the pros were that I was able to spend more one-one-one time with an aid, instead of being in a more fast paced environment and I was able to continue learning at my own pace. One of the largest down sides was that I felt I was never going to achieve the same things my friends could. I was taught that I probably wouldn't be able to attend a "normal" college. I always felt that my peers found me less interesting or mentally inept. I was completely separated from my friends and the activities within a classroom. I believe that children with disabilities (like myself) should be able to learn at their own pace and thrive in a slower paced environment (such as a different room), but should never be fully taken away from their classmates. That can make a child with a disability feel like an outcast and can stunt emotional and social growth. I know I felt incredible isolated and "different". It needs to be a healthy medium of both, so that the children in the regular classroom continue learning at an average speed, and the other children are still included in classroom activities.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that we are required to give children with disabilities a free, public, and appropriate schooling is one of the best things that could happen to them. Being free is not the only perk that public schools have. They give children with disabilities the ability to engage with other students. It also gives the other students the ability to understand people with certain condition. This in turn gives peers a way to understand what living with a disability is like and also teaches them to empathize. The prompt asks about each of those things like they are completely separate from each other. I think that you need to have insight on people's lives in order to empathize.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the actual classroom, things can get a little more tricky, as it has more variables. My dad has been the director of special education in my home town for around 13 years now. In that time, I have been able to learn more about the programs and how they work. Laws state that students are to be taught in the least restrictive environment possible. This enables children with disabilities to be able to stay in the classroom with their peers, but also to learn in a way that is best for them. When we talk about how it effects teachers, we need to understand that every teacher is different. Some teachers may have to work harder to be accommodating and some may have no issues when it comes down to it. It is what they chose to make of it. And to help them when they cannot accommodate certain students, resource rooms with trained personnel are always provided.
Overall I think that a free, public, and accommodating learning environment is a great thing for almost all parties involved.
There are many implications from children with special needs going to public school. One of them being that in order for these children to benefit the most from school they need individualized learning plans. There may be many children in a classroom or school with developmental disabilities. If all of these children could have individual learning assessment this would require more teachers and more funding for education which is not available in classrooms. I think that the student would benefit slightly from being “mainstreamed”. They might benefit in some ways from the social aspect of a classroom. But they would benefit tremendously more by having an individual learning plan. I think that their peers gain insight from being in the classroom with children with learning disorders. I would like to think that the peers would gain a sense of compassion when they see first hand that everyone is different, and some people need more help than others. Although I do think students with disabilities enrich the classroom by teaching their peers compassion I believe that it makes the teachers life more difficult. If I were a teacher, it would be frustrating for me to teach a classroom with a student with a learning disability and know that I am not able to educate that particular student to his/her needs because of lack of ability to conform to individual needs.
ReplyDeleteChildren with developmental disabilities have federal regulations stating they are granted the access to free, public and appropriate education. Almost all schools separate children out into different learning levels based on standardized tests. Children with developmental disabilities have certain classes they are also placed in. These indivduals all have to have there own pace and circumstances for learning. It is very important that these individuals grow and learn with each other and help each other grow. It is often hard for these indivudals to interact with other kids outside of their own class because they often have their own lunches and breaks. This is harmful to their development because they need to socialize with other kids in their age range and not just classroom peers.
ReplyDeleteConnor,
DeleteI completely agree with you that children with developmental disabilities should have, and require more one on one attention than other students. However, because the autism spectrum is so vast, do you believe that some should have more or less support? Furthermore, how would this realistically play out in public school systems? Requiring separate educational requirements and time periods would need a lot of resources and would cost a lot. Would you have any suggestions on how to integrate the two of them effectively?
I believe that children with developmental disabilities should have every educational opportunity that any child other has. However, I believe that they can’t simply be “mainstreamed” into traditional education. For example, a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no matter where on the spectrum, could learn at a slower rate than a child in the same grade; forcing the child with ASD to attend the same classes as the other child for mainstreaming purposes is not logical. I attended a high school that had a separate classroom for the students who had developmental disabilities. This allowed those students to receive their education in the most effective way and for the rest of the student body to be more understanding and compassionate without developing negative feelings. In the specialized classroom, a large group of paraprofessionals helped those students daily. They also attended classes with the child in order for them to help collect assignments, further explain something, or just for support and encouragement. This also allowed the teachers to make sure that every student received equal attention and made teaching in general easier. While the learning and teaching situation was different, the social was not. All students ate lunch together, had the same breaks, and attended the same assemblies and pep rallies. I have seen that this type of system operate and it benefited everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, mainstreaming should only be used if the student has less than severe disabilities so that they can have less trouble flowing the class topics, have very minor chances of disrupting/hauling class flow, and not give too much of a work load on the teacher or advisor. For instance, if a student has dyslexia in High school, in English or Literature class they might have a difficult time staying at the space everyone else is, thus they would need some extra help in an educational environment that fits with their responsibilities. In other classes like P.E. or extracurricular classes (drama, band, weight training, etc.) they wouldn’t have as much trouble and would be able to succeed in those classes.
ReplyDeleteIf the child is able to be mainstream, sadly they have to go through some tough obstacles. Applied Behavior Analysis Edu has an article explaining that “2012 Johns Hopkins survey of parents with children with ASD found that those children were more than six times as likely to be bullied than students in dedicated special education classrooms.”
There are many reasons why mainstreaming is beneficial, but in reality, it comes down to if the teacher is willing to work harder to focus on different styles of teaching, if there are other advisers who can help those children, or if there is funding.
I believe putting a student with autism or another mental disability into a regular classroom can have its pros and cons. Some pros would be the child gets to learn next to peers and gain confidence from them. Being able to learn with them gives them a chance to feel normal, and make friends. A con that goes along with this one is some of the other students might be mean or rude, saying he/she isn't smart enough to be in the same class. This might be difficult for teachers because all students learn at different paces. It would be hard to make sure all kids are getting the education they deserve, because you can't move on if some kids aren't getting it, but you also can't take away from the ones who learn faster. That puts a lot of stress on teachers to find a happy medium. This is where a different learning environment comes in, with special education teachers focusing on the students who need more help learning. I would know this because my mother is a special education teacher, and she works with the students who need one-on-one learning help. She is able to work the students who need more help learning as well as the kids who struggle with focusing. Her classroom is a very safe environment that allows the students to focus and get their work done without distractions of other students. The nice thing about what she does, is she only works with those students for a period of time during the day and the other parts of the day they get to learn with their peers. To me that's what a happy medium is.
ReplyDeleteThe regulations stating children with developmental disabilities must have free, public and appropriate education has both pros and cons. Although children who have developmental disabilities may do better educationally with one on one or specified support, the risk of them being able to integrate that information still stands. I would argue that yes, regulations such as these are incredibly important in mitigating discrimination towards people on the autism spectrum or those who have variations of developmental disorders. On the other side, this type of treatment is incredibly expensive, resource heavy, and isolates students from their peers and experiencing a “mainstream educational route.” I would also argue that sheltering these populations of students especially in early elementary does not allow other students to empathize or have the ability to treat their peers with developmental disorders as quals. In some ways, this separation makes it even easier for students to either look down on or alienate those on the autism spectrum. I think that if it could be done, integrating students with autism into actual classrooms in small groups with a second teacher that could work one on one with a small group of students with some kind of disorder would be more beneficial to those kids. This way, “mainstreamed” students learn how to interact with those considered on the spectrum and it prepares students who need a little extra support what it actually looks like to integrate their knowledge moving forward in their life- either in high school, the grocery store, workpaces, wherever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with federal regulations that children with developmental or learning disabilities should have free and public educations. It is very important that the education system leaves no student behind, and with free education students that may be left behind get a chance to learn. Although I do believe that it is the right thing to do, I’m sure there are stigmas the child must deal with. Children can be very harsh and may not treat a student with a learning disability with the same respect as one without. I do think over time with the help from teachers and as part of growing up that these mean kids for the most part will learn and develop empathy for their fellow students. Another concern with children suffering developmental disabilities is the social aspect of their development. It can be very hard for children with autism to socialize and make friends. Although this problem can be hard to address I think that if these children are giving a designated time for learn social skills by talking and interacting with others that this would help develop needed social skills.
ReplyDeleteCalvin,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I like how you pointed out that the other children may be too harsh and not treat a student the same way just because of how they learn. I wish there was a way that all students could be the same room and learn all together. I also think that there is a huge stigma with the mentally handicapped kids being 'weird' and other kids think that if they associate with them they will also be 'weird. This is wrong but unfortunately, I believe this is happening. Overall, great post.
Rae Tiner
I believe that putting a child with a mental disability can be a good this or a very bad thing. The good things about putting children with mental handicap issues are going to have more one on one time to learn. By putting these students separately, they are going to be able to get the help that they need with certain subjects or even learning. I think that this is a good thing because they go a lot slower allowing the children to learn at their own pace. Then bad things that can happen with putting a child into these rooms is that they will thought differently by the other kids in school. This will lead to bullying and maybe even something worse. The other kids are not going to know how to act with these kids. Teachers in regular classrooms are moving at the pace of the whole class and not just one student. I think that this would be very hard for handicapped students to pick up o new things. Overall, I would love to see every student equal in the way that they are taught.
ReplyDelete