Advice Needed!!!

[SueM in MN]

The classroom the OP was talking about will have 2 teachers, so it's not like the only teacher in the room will be dealing with all the kids. (Which sounds like it might have been quite the situation in the case Hannathy wrote about).

Inclusion classrooms can be a very good situation and most of the 'non-special-needs' kids do very well in inclusion classrooms from everything I have read.

This is a link to a really good article about inclusion classrooms

 

[Goofyluver]

As the mother of a disabled child who is in special education services...I don't find your post offensive at all. I think every parent has a right to be concerned about their child(ren) and to advocate for their best interests.

That being said, I am also a special educator myself...I am an SLP and work with k-6 students in an elementary school.

I will simply say what our wonderful special education director says here in our school district!

"There is no such thing as a special education classroom. Special education is a service...not a place."

In every classroom, there are children who receive special education services. In EVERY classroom.

Many schools, including schools in my district, are moving towards inclusive services. This can benefit many children who receive special education services, by placing them with their peers. Peer to peer learning has been proven to be an effective and positive way for all children to learn...whether a child is "teaching" or "learning."

As a mommy, I will say that my child does not bring any other student's education down...in fact, it's quite the opposite.

Other children improve and are a positive influence on my son...helping him both socially and academically. There are children like my son in every classroom.

There are no such thing as special education classrooms...special education is a service, not a place.

 

[SandrainNC]

They are adorable Sandra!

Thank you!

They do not have inclusion Sandra? Wow, how is that possible?
It's all self contained?

It depends on the student and the IEP. My son with Down syndrome does better with more one on one help. And they think he needs to be in a SAC (specialized academic curriculum - self contained in other words) to get that. In our district, it is 1 teacher to 20 or more kids and they share helpers between the kindergarten classes (I learned all this last year). I was told I could demand a regular classroom in our home school (he does not go to our home school because they do not have a SAC class there), but they do not have aides for students anymore unless there is a physical reason they need one. And if I fought for an aide, and got one, the aides are not teachers so could not help him with his work.

So, I kind of had to decide which is more important. Learning or socialization. Both, but I want him to learn of course. Last year he was in kindergarten (his class is K-2) and he went to music with a typical kindergarten class. This year he has the same teacher (who I really really do like and of course, it is not her fault what the district does) and he is in 1st grade, and all of the 1st and 2nd grade students in his SAC class will attend science class in the typical 1st grade classroom with the regular class 3 days a week. So now he has music and science with typical children. They count lunch but that is crap. Because he is in the room when other students are eating. Crap crap crap. And I told them that.

I kind of just didn't know what to do. Fight it and he would get "dumped" in a class or leave him where he is doing really well. I was so stressed about it last year.

I do know two older boys with Down syndrome who spend half their day in the SAC class and half in a typical class. One of them did SAC for kindergarten then repeated kindergarten and went to a regular class. But they still don't think my sweety is ready to be in a regular class.

Special ed is not supposed to be a place. But in some places, it really still is. And we aren't in the boonies or anything. It is Charlotte, NC schools.

First of all, I have to say that your kids are beautiful. My kids have repaired cleft lips and palates. My oldest is adopted from Korea, he is 20. My youngest is adopted from The Phillipines, he is 17.

I think an all inclusive class is better.

Thank you! My youngest is from Korea. And I agree, inclusive is better. If it is done correctly. Dumping them in a class is not doing it correctly.

Sandra

 

[Mattsmommy]

i really am not sure why you posted this question on a board where all of our children are disabled

Sorry. I did not mean to offend anyone but I have never heard about the inclusion program. The school was not giving me or the other parents any information about the program and I went to my DS school today and spoke to the AP and asked questions about the program.


Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

[pcparamedics01]

Sorry. I did not mean to offend anyone but I have never heard about the inclusion program. The school was not giving me or the other parents any information about the program and I went to my DS school today and spoke to the AP and asked questions about the program.


Thanks to everyone for their input.

You did not affend me! You did not know anything about what was going on with your child's education. How could you unless your child was in the same situation as most of us. I am glad you came to the boards to ask questions. You are a Mom and you entered the unknown. It is okay with me to be worried or skeptical.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I am not offended either!

 

[KPeveler]

Sorry. I did not mean to offend anyone but I have never heard about the inclusion program. The school was not giving me or the other parents any information about the program and I went to my DS school today and spoke to the AP and asked questions about the program.


Thanks to everyone for their input.

we're not offended, and I can understand your concerns, especially since the school did not offer any information about the program/classroom situation. that sounds like the school was a little lacking in communication.

 

[hotwheels]

i assume your child would them be what they call roll model child. maybe in this class your child will learn the best way to treat people.do you think your child is mature enough to handle being in this class?

 

[Mattsmommy]

i assume your child would them be what they call roll model child. maybe in this class your child will learn the best way to treat people.do you think your child is mature enough to handle being in this class?

My DS is 4 and entering kindergarten. At his age I do believe that he is mature enough to be in the class.

 

[MousekeMommy]

Hi there! No flames from me . . . it's normal to be concerned . . .
As a National Board Certified Teacher with the majority of my experience in Kindergarten, and as a mother of a "special ed" student, my response is "wait and see". It is entirely possible (and in my experience, PROBABLE) that with the small student/teacher ratio, your child will get more personalized and better academic instruction in this kind of classroom situation!!! Not to mention better social development as a result of interacting with different students. And please consider that some labeled "special ed" students are like my child--he has a heart condition which makes physical activities difficult, but he has been reading since age 3 and writing since age 4--I challenge any "regular ed" student to compete in academics with him!!! Keep in mind that "special ed" can cover such a variety of disabilities--small speech delays, physical disabilities, mental disabilities--find out as much as you can, and then become an active advocate in your child's education to see that he receives the most appropriate, "least restrictive" placement . . . THAT'S WHAT WE ALL WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN!!!

 

[Schmeck]

To the OP - visit the classroom as much as it is allowed - (maybe even volunteer in there?) to see how it is being run, if there is enough coverage for all of the students to succeed, etc. My children have been in some horrible 'inclusion'/ESE classes, where too much time was spent on behavior issues, and not on academics. The school did not have enough staff in these classrooms, and the teachers were overwhelmed.

Our Middle School has a better handle on staff/student ratios, and I've never had a problem with a classroom there!

 

[pcparamedics01]

--find out as much as you can, and then become an active advocate in your child's education to see that he receives the most appropriate, "least restrictive" placement . . . THAT'S WHAT WE ALL WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN!!!

You said it!

 

[Poohnatic]

Asking for your son to be removed from the class is doing a disservice to him.

More teachers and teacher's aides means more attention will be paid to how well your son is learning new concepts. Additionally, your son will have several teachers to break out for reading groups, math, and science. Instead of one teacher having to jump between groups, each teacher can take a different segment of the class. Each teacher will be able to devote his/her FULL attention to the group.

The best part of all is that your son will learn that being different doesn't mean a student is dumb or less of a person than he is. He'll learn empathy, patience, understanding and most of all respect for other people's unique needs.

Give it time, you'll probably wish he was in a smaller class setting such as this EVERY year.

Suzanne