How do you feel about special ed.?

Answer 1

What specifically are you asking about?

As a special education teacher, I feel the biggest problem is that most people don't know or understand what special education does.

Most people now receiving special ed have normal smarts, and just learn differently than "average" people do because they are wired differently or have an extra challenge or two in their lives.

Current special ed practices, done correctly by competent teachers and staff, can result in a student with normal smarts and extra challenges in his/her life succeeding in attaining career and life goals quicker and more effectively. Because of modern special education, more and more young people with normal smarts and extra challenges in their lives are earning standard high school diplomas, and moving on to college.

In quality sped programming, those with more intensive issues (intellecutally disabled/extremely slow learner in all areas) show increased independence as adults, and are therefore less of a drain on community resources than they would have been without intensive childhood training.

However, this is only the case in schools with well-trained and competent special ed teachers. In a sizable minority of schools, many staff is not as competent as it should be (not all college prepatory programs for special ed teachers are quality programs), and most regular ed teachers, as well as the community in general, have no real clue and just assume that people receiving special education help have no potential.

The education of regular ed teachers, administrators, and community needs to keep pace with the potential of special ed programming. Some college special ed teacher preparation programs need to be scrutinized closely and forced to update and improve. This needs to be done while the special ed teachers who are truly doing their jobs well aready are NOT put under additional pressure, so that they can continue to invest their time and knowledge in their students.

Properly done special education programs are of great value. Do you want to invest in the extra supports needed to help children learn to live in a difficult world (a 20-year cost), or do you want to have even more people dependent on the state as adults because they can't take care of themselves (a 60-year cost)?

Answer 2

When special ed was first developed it was meant to address the educational needs of children who could not perform academically in a "regular classroom setting". Now it has become a dumping ground for children who are difficult to teach. Some children who are placed in the categories of learning disabled or behavior disorderd, do not truly belong there. They may be difficult to teach because of some educational gaps or hard to handle because of poor behavior. This does not mean they need special ed.
Some parents even encourage their children to perform poorly on tests so they can be labled disabled and recieve money from Social Security and other government programs.
I do realize most of the students placed in Special Ed. have an identified problem and do need the services of special ed teachers. These services are then complicated by the amount of time needed for the ever-mounting paperwork nightmare these teachers must contend with.The paperwork must be completed in a timely fashion and on school grounds not at home. These teachers have hours of paperwork and classes to teach and with no extra pay for the extra hours and stress.
As you may be able to tell, I am a certified special ed teacher.

Answer 3

As a former student of special education; I think that it is horrible and terrifying. I have adhd and was placed in a program at a very young age. I have an above average IQ and in special education your entire education future is soily based on standarized testing. "Normal Students" have control regarding their education and what type of curriculum that they are following. From day one in a special education setting it is nothing but readimeal classes. I believe the teachers in this country are totally assholes. Teachers Unions and Soccermoms shoud not have a say about where their child is going. Our children should be totally independent of their education and should be able to learn what they want to; and not to be seperated from their peers. Special education does this. If teachers want to make money and be beucrates then dont go into education.
Also students in a special education setting are not able to take college preportary classes in middle school or in high school which will give them a solid foundation to get a good job, go to college and have a future. Learning a trade is stupid to teach someone in special ed becasue there are a bunch of tradesmen out there who are better and can compete.
Most students in this area are labled at dumb, moron and so on and are seen as never being able to care for them selves.

This is how I feel. I believe that women should stay home and away from the school setting and do what is needed by them and what God Put them on the planet for keep the family together.

Answer 4

It is an excellent resource that should be taken advantage of if needed. My child (now 5) has been in DDP classes (special education classes for children with developmental delays) since age 3. This is a child that has hydrocephalus and I was initially told after his first brain surgury that he would more than likely never walk and/or talk......anyway, to make a long story short......I fought to get every resource available for him....from speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy to entering him into the school system at the age of 3 in special ed classes in hopes that it would help him from being too delayed. At age 5 he will be entering kindergarten just like every other 5 year old knowing his ABC's how to count, colors and shapes and will only go to special ed for one hour each day. The difference that putting him in special ed has made has just been amazing......so I am all for it and think it is definitely a resource to be utilized by any who need it. And I commend the teachers for their time, effort, and heart put into it.

Answer 5

I have dealt with the special education program here for many years. I know there are schools who don't do a very good job using it. Some are only interested in the state funding it brings in and try to hold some kids back a grade to keep it comming in . This is shameful and needs to be corrected. However the program here is awesome. The kids are main-streamed in the schools and its not hidden but also not made out to label the kids in the program. In fact they are so well mainstreamed that my grandson was not aware he had special education classes until he was told they were going to stop them. Hes never been treated any different than all the other kids. The teaching staff the intermediate through 8th grades move from class to class and help the students in their daily work..My son started these classes in 4th grade by the time he got to high school he was on the honor roll every semester and graduated with honors. My grandson was in this program from 1st grade until 7th grade . Now an 8th grade he no longer needs the extra help . He went to an honors assembly at the end of this year and walked away with 5 awards. One was in Algebra , 1 for accelerated math class and 1 in language arts all of which he holds the highest grade in these classes. I believe part of this is also due to the teaching staff and their dedication to the kids.

Answer 6

If a person needs that extra little push that special ed. can provide I see nothing wrong with it. The child in special ed. classes should be made to realize that they are there because they needed a little extra help with certain subjects and not because they are mentally incompetant.A child should also be prepared by parents and teachers of the ruthless teasing that special ed. students are so often the butt of. It may not make the teasing any easier for the special ed. student to bear,but at least they will be prepared for it.

Answer 7

Feelings on special education depend on the situation. I do believe the the teachers give up too easily and medicate or toss kids into special classes. There are some kids who need to be in them, however I went to a school who mainstreamed most of the special ed kids. I learned more from having these kids in my class then I could have ever imagined. I also believe these kids learned from us. There was one child in particular who was definately retarded. I remember they saying he will never walk on his own when he was in Jr. High. Mark was walking by the first year of high school. With us cheering him on all the way. I also remember ADHD kids calming down and children who were bipolar fitting into situations better that they ever could have imagined. Bottom line is if the school knows how to handle steam lining I feel it is the best. If the school can't do it properly then evaluate things on the child. If you feel your child is getting a raw deal, and this sometimes happens, then appeal higher. Make sure you scream loud and strong in order for you to be heard. YOu are the only voice for your child. All the teachers in the world may think they know your child, but only you do. I made the mistake of not speaking up stearnly enough and they punished not only my son, but also my daughter. I truly feel our particular school was using the system for funds. Though I am not 100% sure something was definately going on and it was not good.

Answer 8

I feel it is needed there are many children with mental retardation, mental problems, autistic they need special ed but I don't like that they are forced to go to school with other children because I feel they get lost in the system. Atleast where I live they don't do a very good job with special ed or programs

Answer 9

I have ambivalent feelings about the subject. On the one hand children who have learning disabilities may need special attention and programs tailored to their aptitudes. Placing them with their peers can offer a basis of support and provide encouragement. Tailoring the classwork to their level can provide them with a sense of achievement.

On the other hand separating them based on their disabilities can stigmatize them. Too often special education becomes a label with a connotation of sub par. That is a tremendous deficit for a child to have to try to work out from under.

In all I think we are in an age when we place too much responsibility on our institutions. Nothing can take the place of caring and loving parental support. In this day and age with two income families too often children are placed into the hands of institutions and the institutions are asked to do more than they were ever meant to do. The answer is a concerted effort between the institution of school and the parent(s). The schools can offer a lot but they cannot give a child the love of a parent. Many of these learning malady's are often due to the lack of parental involvment in a child's academic development.

Answer 10

My brother was diagnosed with autism when he was around 4. He is now thirty. He was in special education classes for most of his elementary years. Only there was no specialized education involved. They really didn't try to teach him anything. He was labeled a problem child for asking questions. However, the entire faculty knew he had this uncanny ability for retaining facts. (think RainMan) Finally, a teacher (who didn't even have him in class) took an interest in him and decided to set up a reward program for him that took into account his interests. What do you know? He soared academically. When he finished his schoolwork, he received his reward. Then they figured out he had been failing because he was BORED. Apparently this introverted child labeled a 'retard' had turned to books and learned everything he needed to know to graduate high school by junior high age. He ended up graduating at the normal time to grow socially only with massive college credits under his belt. Then he went off to a highly regarded state university and graduated on the deans list with an engineering degree. While he was there he received help from programs designed to enable the disabled. He is now living on his own 100 miles away from his family with a great job surrounded by fellow employees who understand his genius and his different way of handling things.
Perhaps we would be better off to assimilate some of these children into normal classrooms with extra time after school with private tutors. It seems lumping all these children together ends up leaving them all without the special attention they need.
I believe that most people who are labeled as mentally disabled are far more able than we give them credit for. They can communicate and learn. We just have to figure out how to reach them.