Would you send your typical child to school w/kids with needs?

[Anonymous]

No need to get nasty, PP. The point of this thread was for parents to anonymously share their true feelings on an interesting question. It is not surprising that some parents would feel more comfortable than others in sending their child to such a school. A lot of the difference in opinion probably reveals something about the actual exposure folks have had to kids with various types of learning differences and behavior issues.

Back in the dark ages when I was in public school, there was a boy mainstreamed in my college-track classes who was autistic. I think we all benefited from knowing, helping, and caring about this boy. But I also think that we learned a whole lot less Physics and other high level subjects, because the teacher spent a good deal of classtime trying to answer this child's questions that reflected his curious ways of understanding things ... if he understood them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well then I am going to get SERIOUSLY flamed by the PA police on here. I do care about which 'needs' are in my child's school. Not all schools (or teachers) are capable or experienced in teaching every child's needs. If the child has a physical challenge, language/speech disorder, but can handle a rigorous curriculum, and my child is not the only non-disabled student, then I would love for my child to attend any school that is as wonderful as the OP describes. But there are limits, and any honest parent would agree. I don't know if ADHD with severe behavior problems (and yes, some kids with autism and sensory issues exhibit these behaviors) is considered "special needs", but YES I will admit I would have concerns enrolling my child in a school where half the class has kids with these issues.

I agree. I think we should take all the kids with Autism, ADHD and behavior issues and put them in their own special school. I think we should keep them far away from the typical children because being exposed to people who are different from us is very, very bad.

Similarly, can we lock up the fat people and the ugly people too? I don't want my child exposed to anyone who isn't physically attractive. And honestly, if they're not either athletically or musically gifted they're not interesting and I don't want my child to have to waste time on them either.

[Anonymous]

Considering that many parents of children with special needs want them placed with children who are slightly higher functioning than their child (e.g., a parent of a child with autism rejects a classroom with children who have more behavioral issues), some of this commentary seems a bit disingenuous. Everyone wants their child in an environment in which s/he can learn, and very few have said they want no exposure to children with needs, just that they want it to be well managed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd LOVE for my child to attend school with kids with disabilities. I'll admit that OP since you pointed out it was a school for kids with above average or higher cognitive skills, that would attract me more than a school where kids had learning disabilities/cognitive delays. For my child, it is important to me that she has learning peers. And as long as we're honest, I would not send my child to a school where many of them are on the autism spectrum or have behavioral needs.

There is a misunderstanding that people with learning disabilities are cognitively delayed. By definition, someone with a learning disability has at least average (and very often above average) cognitive ability and exhibits unexpected discrepancy between potential and actual achievement....

[Anonymous]

A lot of the difference in opinion probably reveals something about the actual exposure folks have had to kids with various types of learning differences and behavior issues.

I'm a PP who distinguished among various types of needs and differences and disabilities, and you are absolutely right. DCs have, in fact, been in classrooms with children whose neurological differences typically manifested as non-normative behavior. Sometimes that behavior was what old-school commentators might call "disruptive" to the rest of the children. Sometimes the outbursts, chair toppling, screaming, and diorama crushing went on all day long and required essentially the undivided attention of the teacher and parateacher -- who had originally planned to work on phonics that day with the other 19 kids.

Nevertheless, I think there were important values communicated to my DCs during those years. But no, no way would I enroll them in a classroom where 50% of the children had the neurological differences that potentially reveal themselves each day in the manner I've described above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd LOVE for my child to attend school with kids with disabilities. I'll admit that OP since you pointed out it was a school for kids with above average or higher cognitive skills, that would attract me more than a school where kids had learning disabilities/cognitive delays. For my child, it is important to me that she has learning peers. And as long as we're honest, I would not send my child to a school where many of them are on the autism spectrum or have behavioral needs.

Have you heard of John Nash? For whom the Nash Equilibrium is named? And the subject of the movie "A Beautiful Mind"?

If you want to prevent your child from being exposed to people on the Autism Spectrum, you need to be prepared to protect her from many of the brilliant and talented minds of our civilization, for example: Edison, Einstein, Jefferson, Mozart, or Warhol (among countless others) if you can. Maybe she'll get contaminated by association, and you don't want to risk that.

I think Nash was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was he not? That's a psychotic disorder, not an ASD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A lot of the difference in opinion probably reveals something about the actual exposure folks have had to kids with various types of learning differences and behavior issues.

I'm a PP who distinguished among various types of needs and differences and disabilities, and you are absolutely right. DCs have, in fact, been in classrooms with children whose neurological differences typically manifested as non-normative behavior. Sometimes that behavior was what old-school commentators might call "disruptive" to the rest of the children. Sometimes the outbursts, chair toppling, screaming, and diorama crushing went on all day long and required essentially the undivided attention of the teacher and parateacher -- who had originally planned to work on phonics that day with the other 19 kids.

Nevertheless, I think there were important values communicated to my DCs during those years. But no, no way would I enroll them in a classroom where 50% of the children had the neurological differences that potentially reveal themselves each day in the manner I've described above.

I agree with you, Poster. There is only so much one teacher and an aide (if she/he has one) can handle on top of the 'typical' antics and behavior concerns of mainstream kids.
I am all for my child socializing, knowing, being exposed to kids who struggle with ADHD (and I mean the physically hyper active ADHD) or autism. But if I am to be fair to my child, I do not think it is in his best interest to learn with them in a classroom setting. (As opposed to a music or gym class) I also acknowledge that 'learning disabled' kids can be very bright. But if they are not able to exhibit their intellect in a traditional learning environment, then no, I do not think my very bright kid who can should be forced to learn with them.

[Anonymous]

Learning disabled kids can indeed exhibit their intellect in a traditional learning environment!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A lot of the difference in opinion probably reveals something about the actual exposure folks have had to kids with various types of learning differences and behavior issues.

I'm a PP who distinguished among various types of needs and differences and disabilities, and you are absolutely right. DCs have, in fact, been in classrooms with children whose neurological differences typically manifested as non-normative behavior. Sometimes that behavior was what old-school commentators might call "disruptive" to the rest of the children. Sometimes the outbursts, chair toppling, screaming, and diorama crushing went on all day long and required essentially the undivided attention of the teacher and parateacher -- who had originally planned to work on phonics that day with the other 19 kids.

Nevertheless, I think there were important values communicated to my DCs during those years. But no, no way would I enroll them in a classroom where 50% of the children had the neurological differences that potentially reveal themselves each day in the manner I've described above.

I agree with you, Poster. There is only so much one teacher and an aide (if she/he has one) can handle on top of the 'typical' antics and behavior concerns of mainstream kids.
I am all for my child socializing, knowing, being exposed to kids who struggle with ADHD (and I mean the physically hyper active ADHD) or autism. But if I am to be fair to my child, I do not think it is in his best interest to learn with them in a classroom setting. (As opposed to a music or gym class) I also acknowledge that 'learning disabled' kids can be very bright. But if they are not able to exhibit their intellect in a traditional learning environment, then no, I do not think my very bright kid who can should be forced to learn with them.

A voice from the dark ages. I hate to break it to you, but your so-called "bright kid" would honestly have a hard time keeping up with some of them.

BTW, do you also advocate leaching?