Kids with disabilities in mainstream classes

[LuluHB]

DD2 has a little girl in her class that has obvious intellectual disabilities and at a guess I would say Down's. She has a full time care assistant with her, doesn't seem to have any speech at all but otherwise seems to just get on and do everything that the other kids do. What's great is that the kids at the age of 3.5 odd are learning to sign in her special little language so that they can communicate with her. I am so proud of them all that they pretty much all seem to make an effort and there is nothing but kindness shown to this little girl, and she looks so relaxed and happy to be as normal as she can possibly be.

DD1 has a boy in her class who has cystic fibrosis. He very obviously can't keep up running around at recess and lunch with the other kids and we have all been asked that the second our kids develop any sort of sniffle or cough that we inform the school so his parents can make the decision as to whether or not to pull him from class .

I wonder what's going to happen to these little kids though as they grow older and the other kids stop being as sweet and accommodating as they are now and turn into, well, kids with all their abilities for viscious truth and sometimes nastiness. I wonder what's going to happen to the little boy with CF who is obviously going to miss an enormous amount of school through his own health issues as well as just to avoid whatever bug the other kids have. I think its brilliant that the kids are in mainstream classes now, and I just hope the school has the capabilities to ensure it can continue for as long as possible.

I don't really know what the point of this post is but its been going round in my head all night after something not so nice that I saw yesterday at the shops. I worry for how these poor kids are going to get on in life, and I'm just so grateful that my kids are healthy.

[glenny_c]

As a teacher, I think it is great that these kids are given the opportunities to interact with their "mainstream" counterparts. However, I don't think it's always for the best. Often, children with severe disabilities are better catered for in special schools. They get more attention and the curriculum is designed for them personally. In a mainstream primary school, often these kids are expected to keep up. I think it's a shame that this is the case but as a teacher, with 28-10 other children in your care, often it is difficult to cater for special needs properly, and give them the attention that they deserve. Mainstream primary teachers are often not trained in working with special needs either.

I am in no way saying that we should go back to the dark ages where kids were locked away and not spoken about but I think that in some cases, mainstream education just isn't the right path to follow. I have seen too many times where parents are pushing mainstream education on their children through their own denial rather than the child's true best interests. I have no knowledge of the kids you're talking about, and mainstream may indeed be working brilliantly for them. It just doesn't for everyone.

[RockingBaker]

Mainstream education is the goal. My son is disabled and we are doing early intervention to get him ready for mainstream school (or as we call it school). As an adult he will have to live in society and function with other people and the best way to learn is to be around other kids now. He may miss out on some days because he can't cope and they other kids may learn some basic makaton but my boy is giving other people the opportunity to broaden their horizons and learn about others. Special school is a last resort and I know of very few options in my region personally. When my DS is prep age he has to go to a state school as there is no other option.

[Traveller]

This is something I was worried about when I was told that boytwin was deaf. As much as I would have wanted him to go to school with my other children we also gave serious consideration to schools for the deaf. My feeling was that school years help children gain friendships and confidence that will see them through their entire life. Also children learn better when they are happy and feel accepted, and that knowledge once learnt will not be unlearnt at uni or in the workplace. As it happened our diagnosis was wrong and therefore it was a moot point but I doubt I would be fighting to have a child with a major disability accepted at a mainstream school because of fear of them being singled out/picked on or ignored once the kids became older and the differences became more transparent.

[meow]

Inclusive education is a two-way street. The hope is that with early exposure to people with varying abilities children will learn that the only 'normal' is difference. I would hope that this would be supported in the home and by the time children are older the idea of teasing other people based upon their abilities would be the furthest things from their minds.

Perhaps you can look at the what you can gain from these children, rather than the burdens you have to suffer.

[Traveller]

Perhaps you can look at the what you can gain from these children, rather than the burdens you have to suffer.

with respect, nobody has said anything about disabled children being a burden. Quite the opposite, those of us who has said we would not mainstream a disabled child have said so because we want all children to get the attention and support they deserve during their schooling.

[*Twinkle*]

I am all for inclusion. As someone who works in the disability sector, who now strives for the inclusion of adults, when you look back that exclusion, that isolation starts at school. Then we spent the rest of our lives trying to include. Australia is backwards compared to other countries. We should be finding a way to include all children rather than teach our kids that if you're different or 'special' you go to special class. All children are different and unique regardless of disability.


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[Freya]

My son will be attending private school where they a) have a teachers aide in the class every day from start to finish time and b) they are already organising funding through the Cath Ed Dept to get an additional teachers aide in a few days a week who is specifically trained to deal with ASD kids for him. They dont get automatically allocated funding to do whatever with like majority public schools, they have to apply and be approved; as well as specify exactly what help they need so the child is getting the right help for THEM.The school has gone above and beyond already for us and he isnt even starting til next year! I got a much better response from them about my concerns (that I raised at Ds1's prep interview because Im not sending the boys to two different schools) than I did from the public school he was zoned for. The school even has their own affiliated speech and OT therapists who assess all the classes on a regular basis to try and minimise the gap between neurotypical kids and kids who have difficulties in these area's; ASD and non ASD alike.

I guess thats just our luck to find an amazing private school and be able to afford it. If Ds2 took a spot in one of the few SN schools up here, if would mean one less spot for a SN child who truly needs it.