Klarinet Archive - Posting 001177.txt from 2004/03

From: "Thomas" <thomas@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: no child left behind
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 23:27:32 -0500

Karl - Most kids with AS are not uncontrollable behavior-wise. My son is an
Aspie, and is pretty damn close to angelic in school and out. (Mom is
starting to get some pre-pubescent mouth, though...!) There are no behavior
issues on his part. And of course, I know they are all different - that's
the purpose of the I in IEP. For my son, it's his attention problems that
require the constant attention from an adult. So he needs an aide in his
classroom. I will not permit the school district to dumb him down to make
it easier for them. My taxes are paying for my kid's education and they
damn well better do their jobs. If their people aren't trained, Train
them. My son is not the only one in the school with AS (there are 8
identified, and several that aren't officially).

In the "inclusion classrooms" in our school, we don't just have one teacher.
True inclusion would actually be one special ed student in a regular
classroom with NO other special ed kids, and there is also either an aide or
learning support teacher in the room. But no schools really do True
inclusion. They do Learning Support. A room of 18-30 kids, with an aide,
and a learning support teacher during some of the classes. Of those 18-30
kids there can be 3-12 children with IEPs and other learning support needs.
That is WAY too many.

I Would call 7-8 kids in a room with different issues and only one teacher a
dumping ground, it's certainly not a "learning environment". PA's state
limit I believe is either 12 or 15. My son is in the elementary school so I
won't know exactly what the middle school has for the dumping ground until
maybe May. But as far as my son goes, even 1-2 emotionally disturbed is too
many for my son to be around, he will regress and act like them. He canNot
be around them in a learning situation. And I have that on paper from CHOP
(Children's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) so there is no way
the District will go against it.

Why was your wife the only teacher in the room with the autistic boy and all
those other kids? That is what I would want to know!!! Not what the other
children were doing. There should be another person with the teacher in any
classroom where there are special ed kids. Period. It helps and also
protects everyone - the kids, the teachers, AND the district.

I know what you are saying about "good teaching" - and I agree with you.
But the fact remains that 90% of teachers do not teach that way. They teach
verbally, especially above the elementary level. "Umbrella label"? I was
talking about a book that talks about teaching styles and how they affect
children who don't learn from verbal assault. Please read the book before
you tell me what I am talking about and in what direction I am going.

Whether or not leaving me with the English book was defensible, that is what
was done 'back in the day' - we had no computers, I didn't need to be
"entertained", and there were 34 kids in the room with me who were all on a
rather low level. This is a school district in the middle of a corn field.
The trouble is, it's still there, but being developed and civilized people
are moving in - and they are fighting progress.....

Lynn

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