What Parents must know about Special Education!

Six years ago, something wonderful and horrible happened to me at the same time. At the time it seemed like I had entered hell but I now see it as "the best thing that ever happened to me." I am sure some of you out there know what I am talking about. My three year old son was diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder which is a disorder associated with the Autism Spectrum. At the time, I knew nothing about the world of today's Special Education and I was horrified. I spent many hours crying and endless sleepless nights wondering what the future held for my difficult and sensitive little boy. These are the things that I wished I knew at that time:

1)Typically, school personnel, even special education teachers, are not taught strategies in college that assist students with Learning Disabilities and other health issues including ADD and ADHD .

Most teachers know very little about what these disorders entail or how to treat them. Many can be intentionally ignorant and even hostile towards special needs students. Just as many are wonderful and caring people who try their best every day.

2)Parents know their child best and therefore are their child's best advocate.

Period!

You must learn as much as you can about your child's needs and about the rights of children to recieve a free and appropriate public education.

3)Students with learning issues frequently receive high grades but may still be eligible for special education support.

Just because a child is intelligent does not mean that they cannot benefit from a more even playing field. Many children with special needs have very unique gifts and talents. Some children who could be classified as Mentally Retarded or Intellectually Disabled have talents and gifts that could be used to educate them to higher level than is often expected. One of my students cannot read a single word and yet can remember many details of a story that has been read to her.

Also a we do not always need to wait until a child is failing to refer a child for

evaluation.

4)Receiving special education services does not require that a child be removed from the general education environment.

Okay I will admit it. I am an inclusionist and I believe that every child should have the right to spend as much time as possible with their peers. The things that children learn from other typical children are immeasurable! I can tell a child not to pick his nose in public every minute of every day and it will have little effect. If a child wants to fit in with his peers, he will figure this out the natural way. If I remove that child from his natural environment into a "self-contained" classroom, he will never learn these essential social rules of society that will allow him to "pass" as typical. Inclusion is hard for everyone but in the end we all win.

The days of putting children away so that others do not have to "deal" with them are over. I am so grateful that I did not allow anyone to isolate my son. He is now a happy and healthy little boy who seems to make friends easily. I was blessed that I figured most of this out early in this adventure because I feel that his good and bad experiences helped shape and "heal" him into a rather typical and yet extraordinary little boy.