Reposted with the permission of the American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org
Today's guest columnist is Romy Wyllie, an interior designer in Pasadena,
California, who is writing a book about bringing up a son with Down syndrome.
Her article also appeared in theLOS ANGELES TIMES,  February 26, 1996, and in
the CHICAGO TRIBUNE,  March 8, 1996.
Can developmentally disabled children learn more in a mainstream classroom
than they would in a special class? Thirty-five years ago, most mentally and
physically handicapped children were excluded from any form of education in
public schools.  Today, the pendulum has swung with full force in the
opposite direction as a class-action lawsuit pressures the Los Angeles
schools to place a larger number of disabled students in mainstream classes
and reduce the school system's reliance on separate special education
programs.
Educators have spent years developing specialized methods for teaching
retarded children to read and write at a pace appropriate for their level of
learning.  Now, all that effort may go to waste.
The new term, INCLUSION, sounds democratic and forward-thinking, but does it
really address the needs of the children? Administrators, lawyers, and
parents can dream of a perfect world where every disabled child is accepted
by  peers in a mainstream class.  But policies are too often based on
generalizations developed by professionals who are out of touch with the
reality of the classroom situation.
Is a severely disabled child in a wheelchair included in a regular classroom
setting if he or she has to spend the day at the back of the room near the
exit, ignored by a busy teacher trying to cope with 29 normal, active
students?  What do regular students, already struggling with their own
learning, gain from the presence of an emotionally disturbed or mentally^
retarded student who has a fit, throws a tantrum, or attacks a classmate?
The concept of inclusion is deceptive because it helps parents believe their
child is being normalized.  It takes away the stigma of "special education,"
"disabled" or "retarded."  It makes administrators feel good because they are
integrating all students into one common program.  In reality, inclusion is
creating a nightmare for the teachers and is harming both regular and special
students.
Andrew, our Down syndrome son, was born 37 years ago today. The doctor
suggested he be placed in an institution, but we ignored the doctor's advice
and brought up Andrew as an integral part of our family.  Andrew benefited
from the individual attention of specially trained teachers in special
education classes in the Chicago public schools.  A partial mainstreaming
program in Kenwood Academy helped his social adjustment and taught other
students to accept him.
Placement in special or regular classes should be adjusted according to a
student's progress.  If, in his early formative years, Andrew had been
included in a regular elementary classroom with his own age group, he would
have foundered as he struggled to learn.  Failure would have destroyed his
self-esteem.
As a result of his educational experience and home life, Andrew acquired
confidence and the skills to function in the working world.  He now lives at
the Lambs Farm, a community for the handicapped in Libertyville, Illinois,
where he enjoys an active social life under the umbrella of a well-run
residential program.  For the last 12 years, he has worked full-time at a
supermarket in Lake Forest, Illinois.  He is known for his conscientiousness
and outstanding punctuality.  Customers ask for him because he packs their
groceries so carefully.
Instead of working with disabled children in a separate program, special
education teachers coping with inclusion are left to worry about their
students reaching high school without being able to write a simple sentence
or count money because an aide did their homework for them.  It is important
to teach these children the basic skills of living.  For some, a work-study
program will enable them to find jobs and live independently.
Special education encompasses a wide range of disabilities, from
high-functioning children who can benefit from being included in a regular
classroom setting to the severely disabled who need one-on-one training in a
separate program.  Who will gain from the integration of all children,
regardless of physical or mental ability?  Will the administrators be praised
for their all-embracing policy?  Will the school system save money?  Will the
parents feel less guilty?  Will the high-functioning disabled children be
better educated and better adjusted?  Will the severely disabled child have
his needs met?
There are too many variables.  All children will suffer if the pressure for
inclusion eliminates valuable special education programs.  Disabled students
should have their needs assessed individually and be placed in settings that
will provide them with the best training for life.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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* UniQWK #5290* Smile they said, it could be worse.  So I did and it was.
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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