03-17-2005, 12:49 AM
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Posted on Wed, Mar. 09, 2005
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Inclusion improves education for all
TARA GREGORI
It is rare today to read or listen to the news without the mention of education, particularly segments related to the federal No Child Left Behind Act and the proposed Put Parents in Charge Act state legislation. Both speak to equity in education. [Both initiatives] seem to place blame with schools and teachers, overlooking the very people they are trying to help - the students.
In South Carolina, there are more than 100,000 children with special needs, with this number increasing each year. About 6,000 educators and service providers work with these students, and many districts have openings for these positions throughout the year.
Without a greater awareness of this need and the presence of these students in our schools, [some] children will be left behind. These are children with disabilities who are as entitled to the same free and appropriate education as typically developing students.
These students have learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and numerous other exceptionalities. They are students who learn differently. They are among our children, our neighbors, our community members and our friends. They become people who make significant contributions to our world: Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Stevie Wonder and Theodore Roosevelt. They are people whom, when provided with opportunities similar to their peers, will not be left behind, but pushed ahead.
Where are these students? Before the 1970s, few students with exceptionalities were educated in public schools. It wasn't until high school that I recall students with special needs at my school, but they weren't in my classes. Their classrooms were far from the classrooms of their typical peers.
Times have changed. Special education legislation provides a free and appropriate education for all students. Special education is no longer conducted in an isolated place, but as part of the larger school community where students with exceptionalities are educated alongside their typically developing peers.
As education moves to maximize inclusion, it is important to realize this is a process of change that requires time, training, funding, collaboration, acceptance and compassion. This process is not always easy; it requires us to look beyond preconceived notions, as resistance to change decreases with greater awareness and understanding. If the ultimate goal is for special education to become a seamless part of the education system, it will require a partnership and shared learning experiences among teachers, students, parents, related service providers and community members. This collaboration will result in positive experiences and attitudes that foster a greater understanding and empathy for everyone involved.
Recently I read "A Different Kind of Hero," written by a 13-year-old girl about her brother with autism. Her words speak to the insight and compassion children can learn through exposure to students with disabilities. She wrote, "Every day is a struggle for him to learn how to do the things we do. ... With my brother in my life I can now see kids who have the same disability. I feel sorry for the people who will never give him a chance to shine. They will be missing out on the greatest thing in the whole world and that is simply him, my brother with autism."
She continues, "He has taught me without even having to speak a word that life is what you make of it. ... He will probably never realize just how much he has taught me. ... I am a better person for knowing him. ... To me, there is no greater hero than one who can teach you how to be human, and humble."
I agree. As debate regarding public education continues, I encourage parents, educators, policy-makers and civic leaders to put aside personal biases and politics and embrace and implement progressive plans for the future of special education. [If we provide them with] more inclusive experiences in our schools, students with special needs will not only achieve academically but also develop greater moral character and social responsibility through participation in a learning community more typical of the real world. Only true equity and inclusion of all students in the education process will ensure that no child is left behind.
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Gregori, a special education teacher for the Berkeley County School District, is the 2005 S.C. exceptional educator of the year.
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© 2005 The Sun News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com
Posted on Wed, Mar. 09, 2005
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Inclusion improves education for all
TARA GREGORI
It is rare today to read or listen to the news without the mention of education, particularly segments related to the federal No Child Left Behind Act and the proposed Put Parents in Charge Act state legislation. Both speak to equity in education. [Both initiatives] seem to place blame with schools and teachers, overlooking the very people they are trying to help - the students.
In South Carolina, there are more than 100,000 children with special needs, with this number increasing each year. About 6,000 educators and service providers work with these students, and many districts have openings for these positions throughout the year.
Without a greater awareness of this need and the presence of these students in our schools, [some] children will be left behind. These are children with disabilities who are as entitled to the same free and appropriate education as typically developing students.
These students have learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and numerous other exceptionalities. They are students who learn differently. They are among our children, our neighbors, our community members and our friends. They become people who make significant contributions to our world: Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Stevie Wonder and Theodore Roosevelt. They are people whom, when provided with opportunities similar to their peers, will not be left behind, but pushed ahead.
Where are these students? Before the 1970s, few students with exceptionalities were educated in public schools. It wasn't until high school that I recall students with special needs at my school, but they weren't in my classes. Their classrooms were far from the classrooms of their typical peers.
Times have changed. Special education legislation provides a free and appropriate education for all students. Special education is no longer conducted in an isolated place, but as part of the larger school community where students with exceptionalities are educated alongside their typically developing peers.
As education moves to maximize inclusion, it is important to realize this is a process of change that requires time, training, funding, collaboration, acceptance and compassion. This process is not always easy; it requires us to look beyond preconceived notions, as resistance to change decreases with greater awareness and understanding. If the ultimate goal is for special education to become a seamless part of the education system, it will require a partnership and shared learning experiences among teachers, students, parents, related service providers and community members. This collaboration will result in positive experiences and attitudes that foster a greater understanding and empathy for everyone involved.
Recently I read "A Different Kind of Hero," written by a 13-year-old girl about her brother with autism. Her words speak to the insight and compassion children can learn through exposure to students with disabilities. She wrote, "Every day is a struggle for him to learn how to do the things we do. ... With my brother in my life I can now see kids who have the same disability. I feel sorry for the people who will never give him a chance to shine. They will be missing out on the greatest thing in the whole world and that is simply him, my brother with autism."
She continues, "He has taught me without even having to speak a word that life is what you make of it. ... He will probably never realize just how much he has taught me. ... I am a better person for knowing him. ... To me, there is no greater hero than one who can teach you how to be human, and humble."
I agree. As debate regarding public education continues, I encourage parents, educators, policy-makers and civic leaders to put aside personal biases and politics and embrace and implement progressive plans for the future of special education. [If we provide them with] more inclusive experiences in our schools, students with special needs will not only achieve academically but also develop greater moral character and social responsibility through participation in a learning community more typical of the real world. Only true equity and inclusion of all students in the education process will ensure that no child is left behind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gregori, a special education teacher for the Berkeley County School District, is the 2005 S.C. exceptional educator of the year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2005 The Sun News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com