“You need to understand that kids with disabilities don’t do well in an inclusive environment after 3rd grade.”
Thanks for sharing this anecdote based on your experience. I am sure you have seen many cases, however, my goal is to focus on my child as an individual. That said, I believe there is only one way to find out how well he can do it, to let him try.
“It doesn’t make sense to push them to do things we know they can’t.”
I agree. I have no intention to “push” my kids to do things they are not capable of, but how do we know what they are capable of if we don’t allow them to show us? Are we letting disability define their futures without even realizing it?
“It’s going to be really hard for your child to keep up with typical students. They are way much more advanced and that’s is going to frustrate and intimidate your child.”
I completely understand typical children may be more advanced than my child, and that’s why my goal as a parent and advocate, is not to make my child keep up with anyone else, but to progress at his own pace and with his own abilities. Considering frustration is the inability to change or achieve something, let’s work together to ensure he has the appropriate supports and services to comply with his right to free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
“We know for a fact that children with disabilities present behavior issues when placed in the regular classroom. We cannot deny the fact that they are different and have different needs than their peers.”
I love that you realize that they are different. By acknowledging that children are different we are going in the right direction. The next step is to understand how do we address those differences so instead of waiting for them to present behavior issues due to lack of planning strategies, we can take action from the very beginning to respond to their needs with the right services as they adapt and adjust like the rest of their peers. Sounds very natural and feasible to me.
“I am not going to lie to you. I don’t think this is possible.”
And I am not going to lie to you either. I do believe this is possible and most importantly, I am ready to help and collaborate as needed. Accepting our insecurities and fears is a great beginning to address them effectively as we fill those wholes with the training and education we are missing. I don’t know how to do it either but I would love to learn and help. How can I help?
“He is going to be better with others like him. They love each other and they are always happy.”
It’s great to know that this option is available. We are all different and our goals as parents may differ too. In my case and the case of my family, we believe in inclusion. We are aware this is going to be challenging for everyone, but we are willing to assume the risk of not seeing him “happy” all the time to see him grow through the natural challenges that we all need to face to build ourselves as individuals.
And the last one is not a question from someone else but one you need to address yourself. “Are you willing to do your best?”
Happy back to school!
