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I had an aunt born in 1934 who was mentally retarded (sorry, but she didn't live long enough to get a prettier designation like "challenged") and had cerebral palsy. The idea BACK THEN was to shove them in institutions and my grandmother wouldn't. A local teacher came to the house and taught her to the point she was able to be taught. She could write her name. In today's world, she likely would have been able to be taught further.
Back then we did not have intelligence tests that could really measure the intellectual capacity of children with cerebral palsy or other motor impairments. We do much better now partly because we have the technology for these children (and adults) to use other methods of communication like the computer. Steven Hawkings would have been thought to be intellectually impaired had he been born with his motor impairments and not had access to devices that allowed him to speak.
Note, that when your sister was growing up, disabled children were not only not being served in the public schools, but they were often kept *hidden* (not saying your mom did that, but many parents did). You cannot know what your sister might have been able to do had she had some education in a public school setting. It really depends on what her disability was. For many of our disabled children now, they will be able to work and be productive *because* of public school services. Why do you want to deny my grandson who is autistic services because your sister did not get any?
My mom was a advocate for disabled children. We NEVER hid my sister. My mom faced this and tackled it with anyone who suggested my sister didn't have the same rights, including any family member. Yet, she didn't go out to get some award for taking care of her child. She did seek programs outside of the school system. Not all states have programs, but Arizona and California have been helping disabled kids for years with programs outside of the school system. Possibly, this is the better choice for all involved.
I am not saying all funds should be pulled for disabled children. I do believe it is up to each parent to know and understand is their child able to learn things beyond making noise and disrupting the other children. The teachers are not qualified, trained or have the time to take on one child while 30 others are waiting to learn together.
My sister has gotten further than most kids, even today.......it took a family that worked together and all the people who know her to get her to the place she is today. I would never have wanted her in the public school system. If you think this is the place for your grandson, I hope you are volunteering each week to relieve the burden on the teacher and his fellow students. This was one of the biggest issues in school, parents fail to go to the schools and help out. Don't give me most don't have time, I did it for my kids, its the right thing to do.
As Tokinouta pointed out, there are private schools that are doing a great job of educating children with special needs. Many are homeschooling. They'd love vouchers.
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Once each student comes with a voucher that parents can deposit in the school of their choice, wonder how many will continue to choose public schools?
Do you have any idea what the vouchers will pay for? The private schools (and we are currently looking at them for my grandson who is mildly disabled) here have tuitions that are $25,000 to $30,000 per year. Vouchers *might* provide $5000 or so. And then because these are not in the neighborhood, we would also need to transport him to these schools - no school buses are provided.
If the taxpayer actually provided enough for parents to send their children to the private schools that specialize in teaching learning disabled children, it would cost them a lot more than what vouchers will pay for.
I have a nephew, now thirty years of age, with severe autism. The only reason he's not vegetating in an institution is his two caring parents, both of whom hold advanced degrees from Ivy League universities. His mother sacrificed any hope of a serious career; his father transitioned from a struggling private practice to the public sector primarily because of health benefits, and his one sibling, a brother four years younger, has put his own life on hold.
Most of the family's support network revolves around a small, independent Christian church; it's apparently pretty well-removed from primitive Fundamentalism, but I can't fathom how the empiricism which is essential to function in a secular, professionally- or technically-oriented socio-economic order, is expected to reconcile with a belief system that looks the other way when many of the faithful cling to absolutes which include talking snakes and a human history of only 8000 years.
In my darker moments, I can only take solace in the fact that there are people capable of shouldering such a burden; but anyone who subscribes to the shallow thinking which characterizes our supposed "safety net" will likely have some painful un-learning to do one day.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 01-20-2017 at 12:10 PM..
Hearing Betty DeVos, the new Education secretary and a woman who is a die hard Mad Max social darwinist, talk about how disabled children shouldnt get federal protection is very troublesome.
Do you support the idea of disabled children being left to the mercy of the states so states can chase out families with disabled children because they use too much taxpayer money?
As a mother of a son who is 30 years old and has Down syndrome, what you are saying doesn't make any sense. "Federal protection"? The states handle education and also Medicaid services and that won't change.
When we lived in AZ and my son was in school, "English as a Second Language" was considered a part of the Special Education budget and gobbled up a large percentage of the budget leaving people like my son not able to get needed services. Now, the illegal aliens and their spawn are gobbling up Medicaid dollars and in our state and most others, Medicaid funding for services for the disabled and elderly have a massive waiting list. Some of the states have waiting lists that exceed 10 years. My hope is that we bounce the illegals and their spawn back across the border and serve Americans first.
Most states are struggling because we have lost industries and the cost of medical care and medical insurance is through the roof. The state and federal government will have more tax dollars to support all Americans that need help when the economy recovers and we create jobs other than retail and fast food.
I still don't get federal protection from what. I really resent posts like this that exploit people with disabilities for the "party" cause. Although, in all fairness, the liberals have exploited every demographic in our country in order to sell out who we are as a country and a people to globalism.
Thousands of children and people with disabilities have been waiting for services for years!!! I live it!!!
Back then we did not have intelligence tests that could really measure the intellectual capacity of children with cerebral palsy or other motor impairments. We do much better now partly because we have the technology for these children (and adults) to use other methods of communication like the computer. Steven Hawkings would have been thought to be intellectually impaired had he been born with his motor impairments and not had access to devices that allowed him to speak.
No, they didn't. She WAS mentally impaired in addition to the CP, there is no question about that. I know that some children with CP were assumed to also have mental impairment when they didn't. Still, today she likely would have been treated and taught differently. She could speak, and she could also play music on an organ after hearing it on the radio or on a record without lessons. She had a memory for certain things.
I used to sit with her sometimes so my grandmother could go to church. She had a thousand 45s, most of which had the labels worn off, but she would pick one up to put on the record player and start singing "You ain't nuthin' but a hounddog" or whatever the song might be and ask "Do you like that one?". She knew what every single record was.
Do you have any idea what the vouchers will pay for? The private schools (and we are currently looking at them for my grandson who is mildly disabled) here have tuitions that are $25,000 to $30,000 per year. Vouchers *might* provide $5000 or so. And then because these are not in the neighborhood, we would also need to transport him to these schools - no school buses are provided.
If the taxpayer actually provided enough for parents to send their children to the private schools that specialize in teaching learning disabled children, it would cost them a lot more than what vouchers will pay for.
You're right.
$15K - $25K is fairly typical for private schools in our area.
$7K - $10K for Christian school tuition.
It is difficult to see how $5K vouchers are going to get low-income kids out of failing schools.
Or children with disabilities into private schools that can meet their needs.
But it will allow middle-income families to enroll their kids in religious schools and I suspect many will.
I'm curious though, why are you looking for a private school for your grandson? What is it that public schools aren't providing that you're looking for?
Many, maybe all, districts have classrooms dedicated to children with profound, severe, and multiple disabilities. Often these children have complex medical histories and chronic health concerns. Generally the focus is on communication skills and keeping them alive.
Placing a disruptive student in such an environment would be a poor idea. Even if a school official were dim enough to do this, I'm sure the parents would advocate their child right out of that.
In most districts, alternative learning centers are for high school students.
Some have slots for elementary and middle school, but these are generally for the students who are a danger to themselves or others and require constant supervision. The student with an ADHD diagnosis or a diagnosis on the autism spectrum or cognitive disabilities... which result in outbursts and disruptions would not typically be placed in such an environment. Once again, if a school district did place such students in this environment, I have no doubt that the parents and advocates would insist they be removed immediately.
"Least restrictive environment" refers to the environment the student with a disability can function in without injuring self or others. It says nothing about the learning environment that the rest of the rest of the students have a right to expect.
Starting around middle school, some are sent to "study hall" for periods of time, and then back to the classroom.
I don't see how you believe I think violent students should be in the same room as profoundly disabled students. What did I say to make you think that?
My son has ADHD and autism. He is in a mainstream classroom. If he became overwhelmed, he was removed from the classroom by his aide - not employed by the district - and taken for a walk to calm down. When he was good again, he returned to the classroom.
The LRE clause does not take away other students' right to an education. I'm very sorry if this is happening in the schools you are familiar with but from what I've seen with my own eyes, being in my children's schools for years, their school doesn't seem to struggle with this issue.
These profoundly disabled kids aren't integrated as higher-functioning children are. It wouldn't matter anyway because they have no clue about who is around them or that there are differences. They don't have that level of awareness.
Now for typical kids, I agree that is good for them for be around differently-abled children as long as they are not shoved aside to accommodate the special needs kids.
My dd's public school not only had a good program for kids on the spectrum, but we had all the hearing-impaired kids from our side of the county, including HIP kids with other special needs. The kids all learned to sign early.
However, in fifth grade, my dd was upset because for the fifth year in a row, she was in the collaborative class with the special needs kids and the special aides. Other typical kids were alternated so that in some years they were not in the collaborative classes.
Well, it was me being naive. The more controlling mothers were lobbying to keep their kids out of collaborative classes while like an idiot I took the school's word that the class makeup was computer-generated. I went to the school and they moved her into a non-collaborative class after looking at the records. She was already feeling different being one of the few kids with divorced parents. At least I could do that for her, and it was not in any way a slam against the special-needs kids.
What was wrong with the collaborative classes? What did your daughter encounter?
I do too. Right up to the point this interferes with providing a decent education for all students.
Many families have already pulled their children out of the public school. They realize that a decent education is the foundation for the future and they don't have faith that our public schools can provide this.
Once vouchers are widely available, more will do this.
As Tokinouta pointed out, there are private schools that are doing a great job of educating children with special needs. Many are homeschooling. They'd love vouchers.
It is not fair to blame this all on funding and services for children with disabilities. Teachers' unions who make it impossible to fire incompetent teachers carry their share of blame, the emphasis on social over academic goals...
But the emphasis has switched from academics to meeting the needs of teachers, of students with special needs, of low-income students... and there is growing support for vouchers.
Since the Republicans rule the roost now, I see this happening in the near future.
Once each student comes with a voucher that parents can deposit in the school of their choice, wonder how many will continue to choose public schools?
My other son (not the one on the spectrum) has shared a classroom for years with twin brothers on the spectrum. Now they are not as high functioning as my son who is also on the spectrum but they are able to a mainstream class most of the day. Over the years, they've had many outbursts and other disruptions. Their aides take them out of the classroom til they calm down and they return. Most of the kids, especially who've known these boys since kindergarten, understand that they have special needs. Its just run of the mill for them, and IMHO, I think that's a good thing. These kids realize that while these boys might be different, they are still just kids over all.
Another point I wanted to make...this kind of thinking could damage the gifted classes too since they are technically special education classes as well.
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