your special education mainstreaming cartoon

[Guest guest]

This is a complaint letter. I've read your guidelines, and I think I've

written something worth your time to read. FYI, I have BCC'd it to my email

list.

You'll probably get plenty of email about this, as someone has posted a link

to this cartoon on some email lists for parents of special education

students. Please try to keep an open mind and not write us off as

over-sensitive or knee-jerk reactors. We are extraordinarily hard-working

parents who have more insight into this than the population at large.

The irony is, many of us agree with you about " President " Bush. He's

utterly, willfully stupid. But your analogy with special needs students is

specious and offensive. These students are not forced upon regular

classrooms, and the level of instruction is not lowered for their benefit.

Children such as the one you drew in your cartoon are not generally

mainstreamed, and require far more intensive services than they can get in a

regular classroom.

Please don't blame the child for the tendency of school districts to try to

deny services for special needs children in the name of cost savings by

mainstreaming them inappropriately. These children and their families are in

a daily struggle for acceptance in a society that thinks it's just fine to

treat them like circus freaks.

Some examples of the kinds of accommodations made in regular classrooms for

special education students include: one-to-one aides who help keep the child

on track and allow the teacher to focus on the classroom, different handouts

with specially adapted work, and physical adaptations, such as work spaces

with fewer distractions or computers to facilitate written expression.

A classroom where a special needs student is properly accommodated is a

win-win situation for everyone: the child, of course, gets a more normal

life and is more likely to fit into society later. But the other children

and the teacher also benefit. These children are less likely to become

bullies, and learn compassion in a hands-on way. The teachers get extra

training and are better prepared to meet not only that particular child's

needs, but to recognize and help other children as well. You'll get nothing

but positive reports from such classrooms and their members.

I realize it's a thin line between humor and offense. I'm certainly willing

to give you the benefit of the doubt. I understand that without pushing

those limits, it's safe, but not funny. But if you reflect for a moment, I

think you'll agree; using the disabled as a foil is not funny, and if you'll

forgive me for some unsolicited criticism, it's really godawfully lazy.

Personally, I've always thought of Bush as a spoiled teenager, and a good

analogy for what's wrong with the rest of this country, too. I see no reason

why that couldn't be turned into something funny with your talent and

expertise.

I share your pain and embarrassment that this man was (illegally, I believe)

elected President. But that is not an excuse to push that pain and

embarrassment onto a population that already has more than their fair share.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

son

parent of a child on the autism spectrum