It’s a hot topic.
Educating your child with Down syndrome. Or any other different for that matter.
I’m hearing more and more being said about it. It’s not usually something I hear discussed openly. It makes it’s rounds via a comment here. A quiet exclamation of disdain there. The sworn to secrecy phone calls of those who can’t understand how another parent has the right to judge their child’s educational placement.
Do you choose total or partial inclusion? How many hours a day in a typical classroom is written into the IEP you signed?
Do you put the larger focus on the intellectual or the social?
And are you a traitor if you choose not to fight the inclusion battle? Does choosing to enroll your child into a small groups/life skills/class make you a ‘bad’ special needs parent? What about those who have a child attending a school who’s entire population are those with special needs?
Or (gasp!) what if you homeschool your kid with an extra chromosome?
The choices are varied and exceptionally personal. There is, in my opinion, no right or wrong here. Just what best meets the needs of YOUR child.
Others would disagree. They would point out the responsibility to blaze the path for those who will come later. They would say that by you choosing to place your child in a small groups setting you are making it harder for their child to be in a regular classroom.
Where does advocacy end and what’s best for YOUR child begin?
Can’t you advocate for those who choose to have their children mainstreamed while feeling absolutely secure in the choice you’ve made to add your child to the population of kids in the special needs class?
Shouldn’t we be fighting for the choice to be able to educate our child in the way think is best, rather than facing accusations regarding our choice?.
Yes, I believe educational experiences that include those with special needs are enriched and the experience is a win-win. I believe that teachers should welcome all children into their classrooms. But ONLY if that placement is what is best for the child. The child comes first. The only parent who has a right in that decision is the parent of that THAT child. I want my child to be educated, not used as a pawn in someone else’s agenda.
Often, we as parents of kids with special needs, wish the world would embrace the differences between their kids and ours…..rather than allowing them to drive wedges and downgrade opinions.
How come we don’t seem to expect the same from each other?
Holy Cow,all of this is swimming around in my head these days. Miss Em starts school in October and although right now she will be going to a perfect little school for her, I’m worried about a couple of years from now when things change for her. What will even be best for her? Will it be inclusion? I don’t know. We hear so much about inclusion but what if that’s just not best for your child. i still would want to fight for it and support others in it. Of course there are times like when I think ahead to Jr. High and High school and have an anxiety attack about it, and think home schooling would be a great option:)
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AMEN!!!! I believe each child has the right to have the best placement for THEM. It is my responsibility to MY CHILD to advocate for him/her.
Hence now, I home school all 4. My son with Down Syndrome was in public school until they refused to let him repeat Kindy like we asked. We chose (for us only) to take him out of p.s. and bring him home with the other 3. We could have fought. don’t know if we would have won and if we won, if it would have been a good thing. At this point, we’re much happier with our setup.
Each year we decide what is best for each of our children, individually. Next year maybe different. Maybe not. We’ll decide when the time comes BECAUSE that is our right and responsibility as our children’s parents.
So, preach on sister. I agree with your stance.
Agreed!! Thanks for sharing your opinion! I share the same thoughts as you because I don’t want to be accused of not fighting the inclusion battle if my son is in the special needs class because that is what is best for him.
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Twitter: kadiera
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I’m of the opinion there’s no one size fits all education solution for any child, special needs or not. You have to weigh the child’s personality and needs and strengths and weaknesses with the options available.
It’s one of the big things that kills me about being a 2-working-parent family – I strongly suspect that what would be best for our little guy when he’s school-aged is either a specific local private school (which would eat through half of my income each year) or a less structured homeschool environment….and right now neither is possible.
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Twitter: MommaHopeful
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BRAVO Tammy. Bravo. AMEN, and AMEN!!!
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Twitter: trishdoerrler
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Wonderful post, Tammy! I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. Even though I recognize the importance of holding the school accountable to educate all children, I go back and forth all the time to make sure my decisions are what’s best for Michael.
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For me, I got tired of fighting with the public school system because it takes every ounce of energy I have to care for my son. I don’t have the desire nor the energy to fight. So, we found an amazing private school. It is small. It is made up of all kids with special needs and we couldn’t be happier. It works for us. Currently, I have no desire for mainstreaming. I want him to have the best life possible and right now, that includes our school Clear Horizons Academy in Provo. He is loved. All of his needs are met and it gives me other parents to network with who understand my life. I will never judge others and their decisions, because, like you said, it has to be what works for each of us. I just hope no one ever judges me, because I’m just doing the best I can!