Why do some people think that special education children are stupid?

Answer 1

Because they don't understand what special education is.

There are 13 categories of disability/differences serviced through special education (14 in some states, where Gifted education is also funded through sped). Only ONE of these categories, Mental Retardation, involves being a very slow learner.

Every other category involves having NORMAL or better smarts, with a disability that interferes with the person achieving at their full potential academically.

It used to be that EDUCATORS didn't know or understand that someone who wasn't naturally learning in the regular education classroom environment could still be smart. Changes in programming and special education teacher training have only happened over the last 30 years. Even the training given general education teachers hasn't kept up with true understanding of how and why disabilities interfere with learning and how normal intelligence can still exist in a non-reader.

Until the general population is educated about what disabilities are, and how special education programming helps people who learn differently than the "average," there will be a stigma attached to the programming. It is unfortunate that most people only think of moderate/severe/profound Mental Retardation when thinking of people with special needs and disabilities.

General Education teachers also need much more intensive training, especially in the areas of Learning Disabilities, Speech-Language Impairments, ADHD, and Emotional Disabilities.

Answer 2

Because the people who think that are stupid. Granted, they do have reason though. A lot of kids in Special Ed. slack off because they know their parents will accept it from them. I've actually had people say, to my face (i am in a special resource center) that all special ed kids should be moved to a different school from everyone else and make the parents pay for it. I go to a public school, so this obviously is very stupid.

Answer 3

Because Dear one they are the ones that have the problem of not knowing that you are just what the word Special means. You have special needs in your ability to learn and because they see you getting the special attention they have to be cruel and make fun of you. It is just one of the things that you have to learn in life . There will always be those that will make fun of that thing that makes you special. Keep your chin up and don't let the other kids get you down. Just remember that your are the one that may have difficulty learning at the speed they do but, they are the ones with the real problem excepting that they are not as special as you. I know I have a brother that has been very special all his life and I could not love him more. Lift your head up high and be proud that you are one of the special ones.

Answer 4

I was in the special education department through 6-12 grade. It was because I refused to do the work. It was trivial, all of it was too easy. It just seemed to me like busy work.

In the fifth grade I took a reading comprehension test and scored higher than the average college graduate. I also took an IQ test and scored 136 when I started high school. For those of you who don't know, that is higher than about 99% of the American population. The average IQ of a surgeon who has completed college is 130.

My point is, you don't have to be stupid to be in that kind of program.

Answer 5

oh my goodness don't get me started. I was an aide in a special education classroom for 2 years and let me tell you, these kids are not stupid. They are just like us, some things they know some things they don't. Then there are those super intelligent things that they can figure out like it was nothing and it would take our whole lives to figure out. People underestimate these children because they are labeled special.

Answer 6

I think that this is a prevalent opinion because many special needs kids have communication issues. This presents the image that, because they can't communicate, they are less intelligent than others.

The reality is that many of these children are much more intelligent but do not have the ability to tell us.

(Two of my sons are special needs kids and they are quite smart. I have a hard time pulling anything over on them. My youngest will stack chairs to climb up to the top of the cabinet and get something that I thought I had hidden from him. Then he'll climb down and come to me with whatever it was he wanted so that I'll open it for him. Cracks my up every time!)

Answer 7

I think that if people don't have kids who have special ed. needs in school, etc, then there is just plain ignorance. It saddens me. I know that here, the people who even work in special ed. don't truly understand your kids needs and that is so hard to work with. They formed a special ed. committee, but to me, they can have all the committees they want, and little gets done. : ( I don't understand it myself, and I also don't understand that as soon as people would see somebody with Cerebral Palsy, they automatically "assume" that they don't have much of a brain either. So ridiculous!!!! I realized though that I can only do what I do and try to make the administration of our schools aware, and then move on, and say lots of prayers!!!!

Answer 8

Because they don't understand children with dissabilities. It can be very irritating, but try to educate the person/people of special education children & their dissabilities

Answer 9

Society labels others whom they feel are "different" my son has Autism and my ex suffered with Bi-Polar and ADD instead of getting to know a person I watch everyone stare and point in my son's case he is remarked as slow yet he taught himself sign language at 3 and how to read at 4. Closed minds should also include closed mouths.

Answer 10

In my humble opinion, to belittle someone over the basis of another human being's mental capacities or lack thereof, defies the laws of love and compassion, and, thus, makes the person who is doing the "belittling" extremely stupid.