Anonymous
02/21/2012 07:44
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
A psycologist observed my son in his old schools setting and the kids sat from 8-11:30 every day - maybe got up to sharpen their pencil or write on the board. Very interactive - where? i will send my son there.
My son goes to a private school. He get recess 4 times a day (from 15 minutes to 30 minutes) and gym every day (40 minutes). Are you saying your schools do the same?
My son needs no other accomodations or medication or behvioral therapy (any more).
Anonymous
02/20/2012 16:17
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't see that we actually ask our little boys to sit for 8hours in a classroom with very little movement. Kids are moving around all the time. Education is very hands on. And, teachers are much more tolerant and creative in helping kids who can't sit still three and learn espite their different learning styles.
As far ask asking too much in general, my son is a special needs kid in a mainstreamed classroom. School is not necessarily geared to his needs - it's set up for those kids who are mainstream. He manages through a combination of goals, services and accommodations in that mainstream environment. But, 40 years ago, parents pushed to have kids mainstreamed. Even today, when some people feel like too much is being asked of their kids, if an alternative environment was presented, most of us would most likely reject it.
Are you kidding? What school is this where kids are "moving" all the time? Maybe your concept of moving is different than mine. When my kids were in ES in MCPS not too long ago, the only moving around they got was between sitting on the floor and sitting at their desks. No real movement like running, jumping, stretching... Even the small amount of PE they received each week was more sitting around than moving around. Recess was their only real chance to move. I see much less tolerance for differences as well, not because teachers are mean - most teachers work their butt off and try their best - but because their curriculum moves like a freight train and there is very little room for deiviation. You either get on board or fall off.
Not the PP you're responding to but the kids in our FCPS elementary school are moving most of the time (almost 50% of the kids are FARM and it's a majority-minority school). Even my NT is allowed to stand if she prefers rather than sit. My DS's third grade class also has 'brain breaks' every 20 minutes or so to stretch and jump around. I've been very impressed with the techniques the teachers use with all kids.
Anonymous
02/20/2012 15:58
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
Anonymous wrote:Somewhat different perspective here. Yes we are probably asking too much, but my DC learned early on that he has to work twice as hard, or really twice as long, to get to the same place as other kids. I don't know that that is a terrible thing to learn since for some it is a lifelong issue.
I agree. I think that we are so busy making excuses for our children that we are setting them up for a lifetime of failure. My DD understands that her "diagnosis" is an explanation not an excuse. Everyone has a challenge in life and her challenge (with my help and the help of professionals) is to find a way to work with/around that challenge. That is the only way she is going to find success in life . The world will not change for my child. She must find ways to adapt and ways to learn working with and around her disability. We are going overboard making excuses for our children instead of helping them to succeed. I know this is not a popular opinion in today's world, and especially in this area, but I come from a long line of people with ADHD. Those who were pushed to perform at their best have the happiest and most successful lives. They do not see themselves as victims of their biology. Those who were permitted to slide and use their disability as an excuse because they had a harder time learning are angry and miserable.
I agree with this 100%. I also think that this notion that ADD really only exists at the rates it does today because our schools are too demanding is flawed. I worry more about my son spacing out and failing to look for oncoming traffic while riding his bike (and later driving) or the fact that one day we had a kitchen fire and he was in the adjoining room and didn't even notice it because he was so caught up in his book.
Anonymous
02/20/2012 14:41
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
Somewhat different perspective here. Yes we are probably asking too much, but my DC learned early on that he has to work twice as hard, or really twice as long, to get to the same place as other kids. I don't know that that is a terrible thing to learn since for some it is a lifelong issue.
I agree. I think that we are so busy making excuses for our children that we are setting them up for a lifetime of failure. My DD understands that her "diagnosis" is an explanation not an excuse. Everyone has a challenge in life and her challenge (with my help and the help of professionals) is to find a way to work with/around that challenge. That is the only way she is going to find success in life . The world will not change for my child. She must find ways to adapt and ways to learn working with and around her disability. We are going overboard making excuses for our children instead of helping them to succeed. I know this is not a popular opinion in today's world, and especially in this area, but I come from a long line of people with ADHD. Those who were pushed to perform at their best have the happiest and most successful lives. They do not see themselves as victims of their biology. Those who were permitted to slide and use their disability as an excuse because they had a harder time learning are angry and miserable.
Anonymous
02/20/2012 14:18
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
Anonymous wrote:I don't see that we actually ask our little boys to sit for 8hours in a classroom with very little movement. Kids are moving around all the time. Education is very hands on. And, teachers are much more tolerant and creative in helping kids who can't sit still three and learn espite their different learning styles.
As far ask asking too much in general, my son is a special needs kid in a mainstreamed classroom. School is not necessarily geared to his needs - it's set up for those kids who are mainstream. He manages through a combination of goals, services and accommodations in that mainstream environment. But, 40 years ago, parents pushed to have kids mainstreamed. Even today, when some people feel like too much is being asked of their kids, if an alternative environment was presented, most of us would most likely reject it.
Are you kidding? What school is this where kids are "moving" all the time? Maybe your concept of moving is different than mine. When my kids were in ES in MCPS not too long ago, the only moving around they got was between sitting on the floor and sitting at their desks. No real movement like running, jumping, stretching... Even the small amount of PE they received each week was more sitting around than moving around. Recess was their only real chance to move. I see much less tolerance for differences as well, not because teachers are mean - most teachers work their butt off and try their best - but because their curriculum moves like a freight train and there is very little room for deiviation. You either get on board or fall off.
Anonymous
02/20/2012 13:28
Subject: Re:Are we asking too much?
I don't see that we actually ask our little boys to sit for 8hours in a classroom with very little movement. Kids are moving around all the time. Education is very hands on. And, teachers are much more tolerant and creative in helping kids who can't sit still three and learn espite their different learning styles.
As far ask asking too much in general, my son is a special needs kid in a mainstreamed classroom. School is not necessarily geared to his needs - it's set up for those kids who are mainstream. He manages through a combination of goals, services and accommodations in that mainstream environment. But, 40 years ago, parents pushed to have kids mainstreamed. Even today, when some people feel like too much is being asked of their kids, if an alternative environment was presented, most of us would most likely reject it.
As far ask asking too much in general, my son is a special needs kid in a mainstreamed classroom. School is not necessarily geared to his needs - it's set up for those kids who are mainstream. He manages through a combination of goals, services and accommodations in that mainstream environment. But, 40 years ago, parents pushed to have kids mainstreamed. Even today, when some people feel like too much is being asked of their kids, if an alternative environment was presented, most of us would most likely reject it.
Anonymous
02/20/2012 13:28
Subject: Are we asking too much?
The challenge as I see it is that the economy does not provide for a IEP or a 504 plan, so the question I have is does our education system enable these kids to know enough to become viable economic participants. That I am not so sure of at a lot of levels. If I had my druthers there would be more substantive trade school options out of middle school that would help some of these kids, my daughter being one of them do more hands on learning. I feel like the current system favors a certain type of kid and the 30 percent who will not succeed in a seat 8-12 hours a day struggle on and we just hope they have absorbed something.