Teaching Special Needs
I'm in one of my first education classes at ECU and we are supposed to write about something that bothers us about the new teaching standards. I'm not really sure if this is what number 2 of the standards is implying but I heard that they were trying to put special needs students into a regular classroom setting in order to get them socially prepared for life outside the classroom. This, to me, does not seem like a good idea because this will slow down the rest of the class. However, I do believe that they should get some interaction with students that don’t require special attention.
My mother’s best friend, Marie Tingle, is a computer teacher at a local high school and she has a special needs student in her class. Mrs. Marie says that often the student will scream if she speaks too loud or consults another student at their desk. This is not the case with all special needs students but how do you know which ones can and can’t handle it.
Like I said I do think they should get some interaction. For example, they can be placed in some of the same classes as the other students. It would be easier for the teacher and other students to grasp the material. Some of those classes could be elective classes like an art class, music class, PE class, or theatre class. This way they still get the same interactions without having to inhibit the learning process of the other students. This, like I said, may not be what the standard is involving but I felt this is a dilemma that needed some attention.
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Definantly
I agree. When I was working in the Special Education classroom in high school, the students had their own classroom, but branched out independently throughout the day. Some would go to the cafeteria, some would go to chorus... it all had to do with the interests and abilites of the students.
I agree
I think that special needs children need to be in their own specialized classrooms. Not because they would slow down a normal class, but because they would not be getting as much one on one attention. That would not be far for the special needs child because they have just as much right for one on one attention as an average child.
Yes...
I think that special needs children should be in their own classroom as well. I don't believe that they should be sheltered from the other students, but special needs children sometimes need more attention than other students and being in their own classroom could help them.
you're right this does
you're right this does need attention. I agree with you! They should really get more interaction because that could help them learn the material and understand the lesson.
Alexis Jones
Although I understand where
Although I understand where you are coming from, I am a huge supporter of inclusion in the classroom. Not only have I seen first hand the benefits of inclusion from experience, but I have heard countless stories of success with inclusion. At first thought, it does seem like it would "slow down the classroom" but you have to look at the bigger picture. Not only would the special needs student learn how to adapt to a "normal environment" but the other students learn just as much from having to adapt to having a special needs student in the class.
Inclusion Good, But Not All Day
I'm preparing to be a special education teacher, and I am the mother of a son who has Asperger's Syndrome (also known as "high-functioning autism"). I am very encouraged to read all the preceding blog comments, because it seems as if everyone agrees that special needs students should be included in the general classroom as much as possible. I agree strongly, and I think that many good points have already been made in this regard.
I would like to say, however, that in some cases inclusion can become overwhelming. In my son's case, his autism means that he is easily overstimulated by sounds of chairs squeaking against the floor, people's voices, movement in the room, etc. Some days, he can deal with it better than others. But, mostly, just being out in public places is very wearing on him, emotionally and physically. Dealing with all that overstimulation drains his energy. If he becomes too over-stimulated and cannot escape to a quiet place, this is when he will begin to react by becoming angry or (when he was a child) throwing a tantrum ("having a melt-down", as we always called it). As his parents, we became expert at watching him for symptoms of over-stimulation and then removing him to a quiet place before he reached this melt-down point. But for an autistic child who is in an inclusion setting at school, it is unlikely that anyone will have the time to guard against this happening. And the student is unlikely to tell you, because it usually sort of creeps up on them, and then they just explode.
I think special needs students should be fully included at school, but I think it is important to provide a "get-away zone" for them--this would be a place where they can go, without having to ask for special permission, if they feel they are becoming overstimulated by the classroom environment. It should include a blanket that they can wrap around themselves, which can be a very comforting thing for autistic people, and also a big, comfy chair or large beanbag chair on a carpeted area in a corner of a quiet room or large closet. Basically, a place to calm their nerves, and to continue their school work independently for awhile, if they feel able.
I know that some of you are probably thinking, "Well, anyone would like to have a get-away zone like that!", and you're right. But if you could only understand the torture that autistic people feel as their nervous systems over-react in environments which you and I would find to be completely peaceful, you would agree with me that they need a place like this. When students with special needs experience "melt-downs" in school, they do feel embarrassed, and it does tend to have an alienating effect in tems of the other students' social interactions with them. Nobody wants to hang out with the "weird kid who gets crazy sometimes." This is where inclusion can be a double-edged sword.
This is why I believe that, while all special needs students should be fully included at school, we as teachers must provide them with a special "get-away zone" where they can choose to exclude themselves until they feel ready to rejoin the group.
special ed
I think it's very important for students with special needs to have interaction with other students. During my observations in a second grade classroom this semester I became familiar with a special needs student in another classroom (i actually worked with him and observed him for a day). This student recieved part of his instruction in one classroom away from his peers, and then joined the rest of his class for the remainder of the day. I could tell how happy this student was to be with other kids, and I would hate to see that taken away from anyone.
Special Education
Special Education students do need to be included in regular classes. I do not believe that they need to be completely shut out from the rest of the world. I also think that these students need to be in a special education classroom prat of the time they are in school. In the special education classroom these students will get the one on one attention that they need but they also get to be socially active with regular education students for part of the day. I agree these students do need to be involved and not shut out completely as you said.
Mary H. Frazelle
Special Education
Inclusion in the right setting can work wonders. These children truly need the social interaction because many of them will be in the work field one day. Yes it can be hard on some teachers especially when the child is disrupting classes. When I was in highschool most of the inclusion took place in electives first. We had special needs students at lunch with us, in art classes, and in P.E. This seemed to work great and some special needs students were allowed to visit some of the language arts and math classes as well. It was a lot of fun being able to work with these students and when you have to help teach something you just learned it makes it much easier to remember it.
Special Education
I am currently a special education major and am very excited to be in this field. I would like to say that this is something that I have thought about over the past weeks in our EDUC 3200 (intro to American Education). Many of the student I will teach and have begun to observe/aid are learning those basic life skills. One of those is social. The classroom that I have observed they stayed in that classroom all day, but did go out for certain activities. They had p.e and art classes with other students.
I believe that this is the best way for those students to get that very important social interactions with other students their age. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see them interact due to scheduling conflicts. When thinking about it, those classes in which they can express themselves are the best classes for them to have the interaction with other students in the school. This also gives the opportunity for other students to learn about these students. I strongly believe that this is the most positive and effective way for the special needs students to be socially involved with other students.
Just remember that autism is now 1 in 150 childern and the likliness of a student of special needs to be in your regular classroom will be high. Soon enough they will be in the regular classroom (expect those with lower fuctioning) will be in the regular classroom because their are not enough special needs teachers to go around.