Susan Senator
All happy families are not alike...
All happy families are not alike...
A Perfect Storm is Roiling Disabled Students
Here is my latest article in WBUR’s Cognoscenti Column, on the perfect storm of political nightmare roiling students with disabilities. Add to this icy mix Jeff Sessions who describes the ways in which IDEA and disabled students are burdens.
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The problem Susan, is that 10% of us do, and 90% of us want it done.
So, parents like you and I, who’ve busted our backsides finding services, begging for help, doing what needs to be done both at home and at these services, who have had other parents tell us “it must be nice….” are not the problem.
Problem is, the complaints about the “disabled”, the “behavioural” the lack of discipline of these children, the fact that other children both fear and can’t learn with them in the class… yet, the do gooders think they should be integrated and the parents agree…. is a huge issue in the school system. I have seen and heard about it regularly.
Somewhere, there has to be a compromise. That the children like my eldest who verbally caught up at Gr 4, academically at Gr 6 and just got 90% in Gr 12 Univ Functions can succeed in a regular room. Where the severely ASD, not ID can be like my youngest in a 1 Teacher, 1Ea, 9 kids class where ironically, he’s the smartest. He should be in the “straight to work” class but he needs the smaller class, ability to move that his room offers.
At the same time, the behavioural issues that occur in a regular room can’t continue. Whereas my kid and his classmates integrate on their terms and my son (yes, the severe one) and 2 classmates sang “Soul Man” at the Xmas concert (not my youngest’s first performance) they got excellent feedback (clapping during and huge applause afterwards) because they don’t… to be blunt… scare the others.
It doesn’t matter who’s in “power”. The problem is huge, wide spread and completely dependent on where you are on the “spectrum”. Every autistic is different, but so is every household and every classroom.
How to fix it… do you have months to talk about it????
“His highly specialized education cost our town tens of thousands of dollars more than his peers.”
The same goes for my town and my autistic son’s education. I too am grateful. But the problem is, as I see it, the majority of people today have no heart. They would rather that money go to support sports at the school. They see us having a disabled child as being “our problem” not theirs. Our kids interrupt their kids in an inclusive class and cause them to miss out on learning and that’s all they are concerned about.
We live in a cold society that is all about SELF.
Yes, they think our kids are a burden. They think our ASD adults are a burden too. I had someone tell me not long ago that they didn’t appreciate the fact that a group home moved into their neighborhood and now their home is undervalued because of it. The nerve and nastiness that people have! He knew that I am in the business of serving ASD adults in group homes! Oh, he agreed that institutionalization is wrong, he just doesn’t see where “THOSE PEOPLE” should be living in HIS neighborhood.
He is typical of our society today.
Sorry, don’t mean to be negative. Not trying to bring anyone down. Just venting about the majority and their selfish inconsiderate ways!!