your child, inclusion and school system support

Sarah - posted on 09/19/2011

WOW! Inclusion is amazing for all students. My child is given an opportunity to learn from other children. WHat kind of behaviors are appropriate and how to interact with other children. The children are wonderful teachers for my son! However, my son is a wonderful teacher for other children, as well. They are learning all about differences and what wonderful people everyone is. Both the other students and my son are learning from each other. SInce starting the inclusion program my son has progressed beyond our dreams!

Susan - posted on 09/19/2011

I find that it helps a lot to volunteer in the school whenever possible. That way the teachers and staff get to know you as a volunteer, and not just in the role of advocate for your child. When I have been able to volunteer, it's easier for me to understand how my child fits into the bigger picture, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the program my child is in, and the teachers and staff seem more receptive to any ideas or suggestions I have.

Edith - posted on 09/19/2011

Susan It sounds like you have the right idea. Get to know everyone from the head of the school board down if you have to. I have had to visit with him more so often he knows me and Joey by name. I have also had a number of meetings with head of special ed. I encourage all parents to stay in touch with all persons over their child's school when special ed or not.

Susan - posted on 09/18/2011

I have a developmentally delayed child with sensory integration dysfunction and oral praxis. At one elementary school he attended, they had a program where they sent some of the honors students into the special ed classroom to read to the kids. Inclusion was helpful not only to socialize the special ed kids but also to socialize the regular ed kids. They need to be around special needs children in order to learn how to coexist with them. Now he is in middle school, in a contained classroom, and he sees the rest of the student population at lunch and in PE. He's also in a work program in the cafeteria. However, I have found that now that he is older, inclusion in the regular academic classes can be a problem. It's impossible to expect a regular ed teacher to accommodate him with today's growing class sizes, and despite my son's challenges he is very aware that the lesson is going right over his head. As a result he sits in class feeling inadequate and excluded. He needs academics at his level and pace. It depends on the child. There are other children at his level who love regular ed, and do not seem to be aware or to mind that they aren't following the lesson or doing the actual work. One thing that bugs me is that in some of the schools the special ed kids were excluded from the assemblies in the student auditorium. I guess they didn't see the need for it. It's critical for all children, both regular ed and special ed, that the special ed kids are visibly a participating part of the school community.

JoAnn - posted on 09/16/2011

thank you all for your help and keep up the great work with your kids! They are so worth it. Joann

Edith - posted on 09/16/2011

Joey will be 18 next week. He has been in the school system from the time he was 2 months old. We have had to learn as we go. With a special needs child the parents are students for life. He is in a self contained class for most of the day but has meals, PE, Art, and Life skills main stream. He has an aid with him at all times but interacts with the rest of the school. We see people every where that know him by name not only from school but church and every where he goes. He can not read, has trouble spelling, knows simple math, has trouble writing so others can read it but tries hard. He loves school. The trick to me is to find a school that will work with him to nudge him to do his best and push when when needed. He is not allowed to be lazy in class but the way his teachers plan the work to challenge each child with his level of learning. Never under estimate what a child can do or knows. This child supprises us what he knows often. The problem is parents have to push for a childs needs some times. I am in a battle now because the speach theripist wants to do 10 minutes one time a week. That is not enough for any child. Let your instents tell you what should do with each child. That will seldom fail you. Good luck

Jennifer - posted on 09/13/2011

I was a teacher's aide in our special needs program. Many of us want inclusion, but it is really being fought. Inclusion doesn't seem to help the kids in academic skills, but socially it is SO much better. My students learned so much from being with their peers, many would talk more and learned to play games. The other kids were so accepting when given the chance. They would go fight over the chance to help. Accepting children become accepting adults. I don't see a down side. Parents need to learn their rights though, as inclusion is the law, but most schools will only use it if pushed!

Angela - posted on 09/13/2011

My son is in 2nd grade and in the mainstream environment. He gets pulled out quite often, and I expect it will be more as he gets older and his peers progress to a higher level that my son cannot attain at the same rate. Yes, I whole heartedly believe my son has greatly benefited from the inclusion. His peers see him as 'brody' not that 'odd kid that can't talk'. I grew up with students not being part of the classroom, and we never got to know them as people, just "those are the kids in that other classroom". The school system that I'm in supports my child and me. I've had a very good response to my child and I thank the Lord that we picked the right town to move to, as I've heard other schools aren't as supportive and are close to being fought to do the right thing for their special need children. As for the mention from Tania about Autistic children - as many children that are now diagnosed as autistic, I agree with her that teachers should be taught more about it. My son isn't autistic, but I believe anybody that works with children should know as much as possible to help all the children under their care.

Karen - posted on 09/13/2011

I have a severely disabled nonverbal son who went through 6 years of exclusion and 6 years of inclusion. Inclusion, hands down is better. Not only does he get the benefit of excellent teachers and environment, but he makes peer friends from the 'normal' population'. These friends recognize him on the street, at stores and help with inclusion into society far beyond the classroom. It breaks barriers for him so seamlessly--from day to day contact. Sure, there were some adjustments on both sides, but they were very minor. He was able to get his attendance diploma and walk down the graduation aisle with his younger brother who was graduating, too. He could not have had that experience by himself and having an aide guide him would have been so secondary to walking with his own brother. He learned to swim, a lifelong skill and joy, and it was good for our family, too. We had to include him in things we may have gotten a sitter for him and even though he didn't get a whole lot of educational advantage, the social advantage has made a lifelong difference. He still lives in the community near us and runs into old high school buddies at stores and restaurants.
For the second part of that question, I had to learn my rights as a parent and ask for more out of the district and keep pushing for things. One school district in Ohio had him as a 5 year old on the bus for over 2 hours each way, and by reviewing the rules, I was able to get that changed. I have added new goals to his IEP, pushed for adaptive goals and been proactive. I got most of my support for the 2 districts in Oregon who were exceptional, McMinnville and Beaverton. When he was very little(3) out doctor directed us to early child intervention programs and they taught us quite a bit--but I was not in a place to learn anything from them much. I used non tradtional therapies, some very successful, some not so much.

Sonya - posted on 09/13/2011

JoAnn - I'm in Canada. Don't know if you want information from here or not. If you do, send me an email and we can discuss our system. My son is in an inclusive environment, but only for the last year and a bit. He was in a segregated classroom for the first 6 years of his schooling, so we have both perspectives.

Tania - posted on 09/11/2011

the cshhol does not really support me at all . i do believe that all teachers should now be educated in autism and all the different levels of it as i believe that some teachers do not have a clue