How do you like the label 'Special Ed's student?

[dhn121]

What school is this?

they're both in TX but they're mainstream public school not school for HOH. One is in Houston and the other is in Austin.

When I worked w/a 3 yo toddler w/Down Syndrome-- we went to a 'special ed' preschool 1/2 the day... that's where I learned that being 'gifted' was also considered a learning disability...

I don't think people think "gift" as a "disability". They just have to teach at a different level then normal kids because the gifted kids catch on faster and get bored if you stay on stuff they already for a long time. Some teachers don't understand or know how to deal with them and just give them busy work which they know is busy work and hate.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

Yeah, I think that's the better way that most deaf kids can start that way...by this way, everybody are the same and accept each other...heck, even to form social skills and behaviors during the formative years. I think anybody who wasn't part of this kind of program can miss out on developing important social skills later in life.

I had pull-outs at times in elementary and middle schools, but strangely...I didn't mind it so much and other kids were fine with me leaving the classrooms sometimes. I was pretty much friends with the 3/4 of my mainstream classmates back in elementary school.

I think they were more accepting than others at our age because my elementary school had a huge amount of deaf and learning disabled students walking around the school. I went through 2-3 different elementary school. In the last elementary school I had attended after school for YMCA.....I was bullied for being different from others...and that school had a nearly non-existent special education program...Imao, so there's probably a positive correlation between the number of deaf/disabled students in a school to the treatment we get.

What it this Resource room people are talking about , I did not this when I was in school. All the students that had LD were dumped into one room for the whole school day with one burned out teacher!

 

[iSign]

I personally don't like the term cause people underestimate the ones labeled "special" students. I have a few friends whom have learning disabilities but I don't see them any different and when I talk about their schooling I always try to use different words instead of "special ed" 'cause I know it makes uncomfortable. Plus I just think there's nothing wrong in being a "special ed" student...it just means the person needs a little bit more of attention than a regular student. Besides nowadays people rather diagnose a kid with the-Lord-knows-what than genuinely help him/her.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I personally don't like the term cause people underestimate the ones labeled "special" students. I have a few friends whom have learning disabilities but I don't see them any different and when I talk about their schooling I always try to use different words instead of "special ed" 'cause I know it makes uncomfortable. Plus I just think there's nothing wrong in being a "special ed" student...it just means the person needs a little bit more of attention than a regular student. Besides nowadays people rather diagnose a kid with the-Lord-knows-what than genuinely help him/her.

I agree there is nothing wrong with needing extra help all of these people were dyslexic, General George Patton ,Thomas Edison ,
Sir Winston Churchill , Alexander Graham Bell, and John . Kennedy and they're were very smart. .

 

[FutureGame2100]

A Special Education is really stupid to label those students. Yeah, I watched it from the Dumb and Dumberer 2. If do, then those students should sue against someone who labels them.

 

[rraja]

I was never in special ed, though I did have pullouts in elementary and middle school. To be perfectly honest, they weren't that productive. I was completely mainstreamed in high school (the only accommodation I used was a FM system) and I liked it way better than elementary or middle school.

People didn't really comment on my pullouts, but then again I didn't really interact with others much in elementary school. There weren't any other deaf people there. Hm, it might have been nice to interact with someone like me at that age though.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

If you are mainstreamed then you wouldn't have that label, would you? I thought mainstreamed and special ed are mutually exclusive.

Absolutely not. I was mainstreamed all my years and considered a Special Ed kid. I was bullied and mocked all my school years. Too many of us on this forum have said the same. That comes from having a Special Ed label. If you didn't experience that, then please don't say "labels shmable." It is not as simple as you just made it out to be.

+1

Definitely not, Rockdrummer. Special Ed and mainstream were two separate entities. If you were designated "Special ED", you were educated away from general population of students. It was a world unto it's own back when I was exposed to it. Special Ed students were segregated. If you were a mainstream student, you were in amongst the general population of students, and like AlleyCat, I was ridiculed a great deal for being "different". I will say that FOR ME, it got better once I hit high school, but elementary school and, particularly middle school, was harsh! I can hardly endure remembering all the crap I went through.

Also, don't disregard or minimize this. To do so, minimizes the experiences many of us (even I) went through. It wasn't easy going through the school system at all and it didn't matter if you were in the mainstream or were considered "Special ED", you were ridiculed.

Thankfully, for the ones who were in school with me, and, were in the special ed classes, DIDN'T hear or weren't subjected to as much of the ridicule (because they were segregated), but *I* heard it and it sucked. I heard the whispers and so forth. Like I said, it sucked.

*Note... My school district did things differently. If you were designated special ED, you were NOT a mainstream student. If you were mainstreamed, you were NOT a special ED student. Not sure why they felt the need to segregate the special ed students, but they did.

 

[deafdyke]

Oceanbreeze, now a days it's mostly Resouce Room pullouts. Mainstreamed kids are still labeled as special ed.... I mean when you have a class togehter for all of the day, you notice when a classmate gets pulled out for sped services.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Oceanbreeze, now a days it's mostly Resouce Room pullouts. Mainstreamed kids are still labeled as special ed.... I mean when you have a class togehter for all of the day, you notice when a classmate gets pulled out for sped services.

Alright, thank you. It's been a good while since I graduated, but I know things have changed. They did away with a lot of the orthopedic units when I was still in High school. Now that we have full immersion into the mainstream of all students who are disabled or Dhh, I can see where there are pull outs. In fact, they started doing that when I was in HS. Usually, it was a study hall class, though. But yes, you're right

 

[Oceanbreeze]

I personally don't like the term cause people underestimate the ones labeled "special" students. I have a few friends whom have learning disabilities but I don't see them any different and when I talk about their schooling I always try to use different words instead of "special ed" 'cause I know it makes uncomfortable. Plus I just think there's nothing wrong in being a "special ed" student...it just means the person needs a little bit more of attention than a regular student. Besides nowadays people rather diagnose a kid with the-Lord-knows-what than genuinely help him/her.

OK, so you don't like the labels, but yet, you'd pity someone who's different from you?

Boy, do you have a lot to learn. You are trying way toooooo hard here to hide your biases and it's showing. Why not just be yourself? That works a heck of a lot better than trying waaay too stinking hard not to notice that the person is wearing an HA or might be in a wheelchair.

 

[deafdyke]

They did away with a lot of the orthopedic units when I was still in High school.

I think it's now very rare to have an orthopedic/Physically disabled unit in school. If there is one, it's usually for severely/profoundly physically disabled.I know my state still has a school specificly for PD kids, but it seems like most of their students are severely medically fragile, intellectucally disabled or use AAC.
And you know, it does seem like most PD kids can be served well through a resource room. (if they have LDs) They tend not to have really intense educational needs. They can be served via very simple accomondations. Like for example, dhh and blind/low vision kids would need a class or one on one time with a TOD or a TOB to work on Deaf skills or Blind skills (ie O&M, Braille etc) They don't really need a seperate class or anything......actually on the other hand, they might get lumped in with the "Ummmm who's President Obama?" types who are warehoused in the Resouce Room, if the sped teacher isn't familiar with how to teach PD kids. Also, they may have difficulty schuduling things like OT/PT and speech therapy (and I know this b/c I had all three of them as a kid. Very hard to schudule everything.....and as a matter of fact, I hardly saw my speech therapist my senoir year of high school (still had pitch, modulation and volumne issues to work on

 

[Oceanbreeze]

I think it's now very rare to have an orthopedic/Physically disabled unit in school. If there is one, it's usually for severely/profoundly physically disabled.I know my state still has a school specificly for PD kids, but it seems like most of their students are severely medically fragile, intellectucally disabled or use AAC.
And you know, it does seem like most PD kids can be served well through a resource room. (if they have LDs) They tend not to have really intense educational needs. They can be served via very simple accomondations. Like for example, dhh and blind/low vision kids would need a class or one on one time with a TOD or a TOB to work on Deaf skills or Blind skills (ie O&M, Braille etc) They don't really need a seperate class or anything......actually on the other hand, they might get lumped in with the "Ummmm who's President Obama?" types who are warehoused in the Resouce Room, if the sped teacher isn't familiar with how to teach PD kids. Also, they may have difficulty schuduling things like OT/PT and speech therapy (and I know this b/c I had all three of them as a kid. Very hard to schudule everything.....and as a matter of fact, I hardly saw my speech therapist my senoir year of high school (still had pitch, modulation and volumne issues to work on

Well, to be honest, I've been out of school now 25 yrs, so I know a lot has changed. I have no knowledge of how they accomadate severally disabled students. But, I believe you're right.

But, can I ask you to please stop characterizing the mentally disabled the way you are? It's demeaning. I've seen you do it more than once, and, its starting to bother me. People of all differences all have something to offer the world and to speak in this manner just demeans that group of people.

 

[deafgal001]

Do LD/special ed students need extra attention or they are just people who use a different method . for instant, instead of auditory teaching, deaf people need visual teaching -- same thing, but different method. Is visual teaching "special attention" ? What about helping deaf with auditory teaching (FM, SLP, etc.) , is that special attention? Or is that different method because teachers help students all the time and since they are all different they have their own method . I hope I make sense. if not, forget it. I just wonder what you think after reading "little bit more of attention"

 

[deafdyke]

But, can I ask you to please stop characterizing the mentally disabled the way you are? It's demeaning. I've seen you do it more than once, and, its starting to bother me.

Um, I'm not saying that the "Ummmm who's President Obama" students are mentally disabled. I use that expression to denote the kids, while they do not really have any problem learning, are very apathetic towards learning, and so are in the Resource Room b/c it tends to be a dumping ground. In other words, they have a brain, and the abilty to use their brain They just chose not to use their brain.
You've been out of school for 25 years. While there are some kids with classic(hearing, sight, physcial, mental as well as learning ) disabilites in the system, overall it's a dumping ground. Sad but true. And b/c of those students, if kids with classic disabilties don't suceed with minmal accomondations, they get lumped in with those kids.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Um, I'm not saying that the "Ummmm who's President Obama" students are mentally disabled. I use that expression to denote the kids, while they do not really have any problem learning, are very apathetic towards learning, and so are in the Resource Room b/c it tends to be a dumping ground. In other words, they have a brain, and the abilty to use their brain They just chose not to use their brain.
You've been out of school for 25 years. While there are some kids with classic(hearing, sight, physcial, mental as well as learning ) disabilites in the system, overall it's a dumping ground. Sad but true. And b/c of those students, if kids with classic disabilties don't suceed with minmal accomondations, they get lumped in with those kids.

I know it's become a dumping ground. It was a dumping ground when I was in school too; believe it or not. But, that's not really the point. The point is your characterization of people can seem demeaning at times and it bothers some of us. If you mean to say something then say it the way you mean it. Saying, "Special Education resource rooms has become a dumping ground", sounds a lot better than what you said above. You may not mean to sound demeaning, but you come across that way a good bit of the time.

 

[deafskeptic]

I know it's become a dumping ground. It was a dumping ground when I was in school too; believe it or not. But, that's not really the point. The point is your characterization of people can seem demeaning at times and it bothers some of us. If you mean to say something then say it the way you mean it. Saying, "Special Education resource rooms has become a dumping ground", sounds a lot better than what you said above. You may not mean to sound demeaning, but you come across that way a good bit of the time.

DD, with all due respect, I remember thinking I sure as hell don't want you to be my advocate when you go off on these rants about LD students or other disablities. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that.

 

[faire_jour]

Um, I'm not saying that the "Ummmm who's President Obama" students are mentally disabled. I use that expression to denote the kids, while they do not really have any problem learning, are very apathetic towards learning, and so are in the Resource Room b/c it tends to be a dumping ground. In other words, they have a brain, and the abilty to use their brain They just chose not to use their brain.
You've been out of school for 25 years. While there are some kids with classic(hearing, sight, physcial, mental as well as learning ) disabilites in the system, overall it's a dumping ground. Sad but true. And b/c of those students, if kids with classic disabilties don't suceed with minmal accomondations, they get lumped in with those kids.

Have you ever considered that those "apathetic" learners are that way because they have been failed? I work with kids (adults really) who have learning disabilities, but mostly, are where they are because they have been failed so much that they have completely given up. If you are told you are stupid enough, you eventually believe it and give up.

 

[Bottesini]

dd, with all due respect, i remember thinking i sure as hell don't want you to be my advocate when you go off on these rants about ld students or other disablities. I'm sure i'm not the only one thinking that.

+1

 

[deafdyke]

Guys, guys just to clarify. I am NOT talking about kids with LDs AT ALL! . I AM actually LD myself (dyscalculia and a lot of the same issues that someone with mild global CP would experiance) I KNOW kids with LDs can be really smart if given the correct intervention/instruction. (and you know....I wonder if a lot of kids with LDs might improve if they went to special needs/UCP/Easter Seal style early intervention" Heck, some of them might do better with a contium of placement approach....ie seperate classes or even maybe seperate schools) LDs ARE a legitimate thing. I am NOT one of those pundits who bashes every addition to the DSM V, with "oh they're just being lazy, it's just another excuse" I've actually lived the life of an LD/not exactly nereotypical kid. (along with being dhh!)
What I AM talking about though are the kids who DON'T nessarily have a legitimate issue, but they are dumped in the Resource Room b/c teachers are taught to think " Oh they're not learning. It must be an LD!" In a lot of cases, yes it's a legit thing. BUT, even with all that, there are still kids whose ONLY problem is that they are really apathetic towards learning. I saw that when I was in the system, and I actually have many friends who are sped/resource room teachers (I attended a state school that produced a lot of teachers) who still see a lot of kids whose ONLY problem is that they are apathetic towards learning, and don't have an LD.

 

[deafdyke]

and faire joure.......if LD kids with real issues are being underserved in the mainstream, then why do you think that a dhh kid will be served well in the mainstream? The most common issue seen in resource rooms is LDs!