Oh boy.  I’m bound to piss off someone and everybody all in one blog.  Well here goes nothing…

In our area, all special needs kids, no matter how extreme, are integrated into regular elementary classrooms.  And typically the gov’t will fund a full time Educational Assistant (EA) to chase and babysit them.  However if you have a child with a minor learning disability or even a moderate behaviour challenge, there is no funding for any behaviour/educational support at all.

I’m a teacher and a parent and I don’t like it from either angle. Don’t get me wrong – I think integration works for some kids, but it isn’t for everyone. Our current system SUCKS.

Honestly, how is the non-verbal, screaming autistic child running through the hallways, disturbing every class, benefiting?  Why does she deserve a full time EA to chase her around?  Are all the other kids learning tolerance of her disabilities?  Or are they developing frustrations and headaches and hoping that they don’t have to be in the same class with THAT child again?  I’ll tell you – its the second one!

When that same Autistic child is forced to be part of the school musical and is crying and wailing and being held in place by her EA, its not enjoyable for the audience.  She is ruining the show for everyone.  And I really don’t think that child is benefiting either. So WHY are we doing this?

Its apparently acceptable to throw things and disrupt everyone and have special exemptions if you are a child with severe “issues”, but heaven forbid my child get any special accommodations for her needs.

Mine has Oppositional Defiance Disorder and is a highly sensitive person.  She is triggered by many sounds (such as kids screaming in the halls! or even chalk on a blackboard).  She is instantly calmed by listening to music.  However, when the request to allow her to bring an iPod and use it to calm down was made – it was refused.  iPods aren’t allowed and if an exception was made for her it would have to be made for everyone.  REALLY?  Then why does the autistic girl have her own to use whenever she wants!?  Honestly are her needs MORE important than my child’s? The apparent answer seems to be YES. We cater to the extreme. If you are more normal – SUCK IT UP.

My child is bright. When calm, she will learn a lot and contribute both in school and to the community.  What is that other girl going to do?  She is a lovely girl but she will always need support. She isn’t going to hold down a job.  Yet the school is giving more time and money to her education.  I think it’s absolute CRAP.

My son has dyslexia.  He is also gifted.  But because of his learning disability he hasn’t been able to excel.  He struggles to get any written work done. While he was in elementary school, I had to fight for 5 years just to get him tested!   He got some help one year when he sat next to the ASD child.  THAT boy had a full time EA to help him. So that EA helped my son. It was such a benefit.  He loved the help; he would have had way more success and way more confidence in his abilities if he’d had more help in other years. But NO! –the funding is for the ones who aren’t going to amount to much.  My son’s current teacher has dubbed him “the future prime minister”  She see’s that much potential in him.  But its not come from any EA support. Its come from hours upon hours of support from ME!!!  And persevering through many tantrums, thrown books and lots of “I’m so stupid” crying jags, as he struggled, not understanding why he “couldn’t get it”.  ARGHHH!!

Society needs to put that little extra out NOW, for some of the borderline kids.  Give them that boost and help while they are young and let them fly.  But instead we spend all the time carrying the kids who will need to be carried forever. They aren’t ever going to fly; leaving those who could have learned to fly still struggling because the helpers were too busy carrying our “special” kids.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve seen many successful integrated kids too. I think all kids deserve a classroom where their needs are met. If they are able to sit and partake in a regular class with minimal disruption – its a good situation for all.  However a special program where basic life skills are taught would be better for some. I had a child one year whose EA spent the entire year, toilet training him. Seriously!!  Yet my kid couldn’t get any reading support?!  I had to teach a child choir who could only HONK out sounds to talk, much less sing. And all the other kids who wanted to sing had to tolerate it.  And this is OK?

NO. IT’S. NOT!  Not for me as a teacher; not for me as a parent; not for my students and not for my children. It’s not OK.  Integration isn’t for ALL. IT NEEDS TO CHANGE.

And I’ll stop now before I get my granny panties all in a knot!

That’s me. GP.