I went to Catholic schools all my life and never had any idea this was happening until one of my friends went on to teach in the public system. Apparently "special needs" (RETARDED) students are put in the classroom right alongside regular kids here in the United States. We’re not talking dyslexia or ADD here; we’re talking Down’s syndrome and autism. Is this taking the concept of equality way too far?
Isn’t this disruptive to the classroom? Also, how does this policy do anything to address the actual needs of handicapped children?
This went on in my school, and generally, it's not a good thing. The two should remain separate because people with special needs won't be getting that help just because they're in a class full of normal kids. They require special teaching that they won't understand in a normal setting.
I understand that it's important to have them feel like any other person, but there are other ways to do that besides awkwardly placing both in the same classroom when both have different needs that can't be solved in one single setting.
I think that it should depend on the individual in question. While putting somebody with Downs Syndrome would hold back the rest of the class, I think it would be unfair for somebody with Asperger's Syndrome (who probably doesn't need as much help) to be put in with mentally retarded people.
Aspie kids tend to do relatively well and I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about non-functioning autism full of involuntary tics and vocalizations. These kids are completely unaware they're in class or even on planet earth. They're just parked in the back to make everything super-awkward for everyone.
I got to look over papers my friend was grading. The word "you" will be dead in 50 years. U heard it here first. Also, it's amazing how many papers/tests are just incomplete because "that student has dyslexia" or some other excuse. This is a history class for juniors. They made it this far and can't even prove they can read, basically.
Fun note: hardest part of my friend's job? Pretending not to understand 4chan references.
Just don't forget that kids with ADHD are not idiots or stupid, they just can not concentrate like 'normal' kids. Please respect us