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Wrapping Up Special Education

Throughout this semester, this blog project kept me busy each week. I was able to research about special education and learn more about the career I will be pursuing in the future. Researching this topic and learning new information regarding special education has really made me even more excited to become a special education teacher. I'm glad I was able to share my knowledge and own personal experiences with everyone in this blog. At times, it was difficult completing some of the assignments because I had trouble finding information for them. Overall, though, I had fun writing this blog and conducting my own research on this topic. I hope everyone now can view disabled children differently and stop discriminating against them. Remember that disabled children are just like you.

#research #experiences #personal #information #topic #busy #teacher #semester #special education #career

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A Prayer for Special Education Teachers

A PRAYER FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, 1971 Thank you Lord, for special teachers, Who teach the special child; The child whose learning problems Are anything but mild. Thank you, for giving this teachers The concern for each little one; The dedication to keep on trying, When hope seems almost gone. Thank you for her patience, Which is needed very much; Although they seem so innocent, They are a trying bunch. With out this special teacher, Their future would be quite dark, But because of her special efforts, They can have a start. It takes special qualities To teach these little ones. It takes concern and dedication And patience all around. I'm sure that most important; It takes a lot of love; This is why, I know you have A special place for them above. By: Sheila Weaver

  special education poem

      This poem/prayer is important because it is thanking special educators for dedicating their time and patience to teaching such a difficult group of children. This poem/prayer shows special educators that the parents and guardians of these special children really appreciate what they do for them. It also mentions how special educators give each special child a chance for a start to their future. As a future educator with special education experience, I know how challenging it is to work with disabled children. I also know how much patience and dedication it takes to do a special education teacher's job right. I find it personally gratifying to see that parents and guardians appreciate special education teachers. I will be looking forward to this rewarding career in the future!

#Sheila Weaver #prayer #challenging #dedication #rewarding #career #future #guardians #difficult

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This is a video from the Special Olympics of Delaware Project Unify Youth for Unity Leadership Conference that I attended back in 2011, my senior year of high school. The purpose of this conference was to promote "Spread the Word to End the Word" and to encourage high school students to be involved with special kids. This video is very effective because it shows highlights from the leadership conference and high school students talk about the importance of respecting people with disabilities. The video uses quotes from high school students to emphasize the importance of changing the way people act around intellectually disabled people. I feel like this video encourages people to want to make a difference in the lives of intellectually challenged individuals. From the pictures, video clips from the conference, and background music, this video is an overall effective and encouraging piece of work.

#Special Olympics of Delaware #Project Unify #encourage #inspire #leadership

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Interview with Mrs. Schirm

For my interview, I interviewed my best friend's mom Kathy Schirm. She works as a special educator in a full inclusion classroom.

1. What type of classroom do you teach in? (ex. full inclusion classroom, secluded classroom, co-teach...)

I teach in what Colonial School District calls "Integration A." (each district calls it something else)  2. How do you feel about fully including disabled children with regular education children? Are you for it or against it?

I am for it! I believe it is easier to fully integrate disabled children with regular education children when they are younger rather then middle school or high school. The educational gap widens with age.   3. What are the benefits of teaching special education students?

For me, the benefits include watching a child's growth, maturity, and personal satisfaction.

4. If you don't already teach in a full inclusion classroom, would you consider teaching in one? Why or why not?

  I teach in an inclusion classroom.  My classroom is self-contained within a regular school building.  I teach the core academics of reading and math to those students and we go into the general education classroom for science, social studies, and specials.   5. What similarities and differences do you see in teaching disabled kids vs. general education kids?

  Teachers are responsible for teaching ALL students within their classroom, be they disabled children or special ed. children.  To me, there is no difference.  Each group of students brings on their own challenges.  The general ed. teachers have a lot of pressure on them for the common core curriculum, state testing; whereas teachers of disabled children also have state testing and Grade Band Extensions which connect the common core curriculum to their general education. 

#full inclusion #general education #academics #integration

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A Teacher Moment

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I worked at John G. Leach school this past summer. Leach is a school specifically for disabled children and serves children from ages three to twenty-one. These children have disabilities ranging from mild to profound. Over the summer, I worked in an elementary classroom. All of the kids in my class were severely disabled and very low functioning. Yesterday, I had the chance to go back to Leach to observe for one of my classes. I was so excited to go there and see all my kids from the summer! We took a tour around the school and visited various classrooms and grade levels. When we got to the elementary classrooms, the kids were at their special, so we didn't get to go in the classroom. I thought I wasn't going to be able to see any of the kids I worked with. As we made our way around the school, our last stop was in the music room. That's where the kids I had over the summer were having their special at. My group and I walked into the classroom and the music teacher, Ms. Bailey, instantly recognized me. The kids were all sitting in a circle, and one of the kids who I took care of most often during the summer was in the center of the circle. When he turned around to go back to his spot, Ms. Bailey said, "Look Roger! Someone you know is here to see you!" When he looked at me, I said, "Hi Roger!" and he had the biggest smile across his face. He also made a high pitched squealing noise which is how he vocalizes that he's happy. My first reaction was to cry, not because I was sad, but because I was just so amazed that he remembered who I was and reacted to seeing me. I didn't cry, but I smiled and it never left my face. It really amazed me how someone as low functioning as him, a young boy who can't walk or talk, was able to remember someone who only spent about a month with him. I feel like my time at Leach really impacted him in a positive way. This was, by far, one of the best moments I've ever experienced. I really can't wait to become a special education teacher and impact students' lives forever!

#John G. Leach school #music #special education teacher #impact #smile

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Exceptional Children

I would highly recommend the textbook Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education to anyone interested in learning about the history, practices, advances, challenges, and opportunities in the field of special education. This textbook covers the aforementioned topics, and each chapter is introduced by a special educator telling their stories about working with disabled children. This book offers details and statistics from government agencies and organizations regarding special education. It describes the field of special education in detail and presents the challenges students, parents, teachers, etc. may face. It gives tips and examples on how teachers can overcome challenges and interact with their students. This book describes a wide range of disabilities and disability levels.

Overall, as I stated above, I would highly recommend this textbook. It covers just about anything one would need to know about special education. This textbook greatly influences my decision to teach special education and join in on the challenges and fun of teaching!

Heward, William L. (no date). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education. United States: Pearson Education, Inc.

#William L. Heward #exceptional children #special education #teaching

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Special Olympic Bowling

Today I had another awesome experience involving disabled people! I watched my cousin Joseph and the rest of his special olympic team bowl today. It was amazing seeing all the people of various ages and disabilities come together to enjoy each other and more importantly BOWL. Watching them bowl competitively isn't the same as watching any group of people bowl. When most competitive bowling teams bowl, it is very quiet and members offer each other little support because everyone wants to be first and is wishing for their opponent's downfall. This is the complete opposite with Special Olympic bowling. The noise level was outrageous with everyone cheering each other on and giving each other support. If a bowler missed all the pins, they were encouraged to do better on their next try. If a bowler bowled a strike, the whole team high fived and cheered. The expressions on their faces after bowling a strike or even hitting one pin made me smile. I loved witnessing all their support for each other and the amazing sportsmanship each and every person showed. I also loved seeing all the parents and guardians come out to support their child and watch them bowl. It just amazes me how no one needed any instruction on what to do; it was like they were all born to bowl. I even saw a girl in a wheelchair participating in the bowling with some support. This is another aspect of proof that disabled people can do whatever a "normal" person can do. Watching my cousin and his teammates bowl was an awesome experience. Their smiles, positive attitudes, and support for each other was the highlight of my day.

Photo Credit: Me

In this picture, my cousin Joseph is bowling and two other boys are watching. The one boy is sitting at the control panel, and they all know how to work the control panel by themselves just like any "normal" person.

#bowl #bowling #Special Olympics bowling #disabled #expressions #wheelchair #cheering #strike #sportsmanship

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Contemporary Special Education: Shaped by Social, Philosophical, and Political Forces

In the academic article "Contemporary Special Education: Shaped by Social, Philosophical, and Political Forces" (2010), Kathryn H. Kreimeyer claims that readers will enjoy the section of Margret Winzer's book From Integration to Inclusion: A History of Special Education in the 20th Century addressing the education of deaf individuals. She supports her claim by using a quote from Winzer's book that states, "the only so-called disabled group to form into a discrete, identifiable, and politically viable cultural group" (p.157). The author's purpose is to inform her audience about the education of deaf students in order for people to understand this group of students. Her directed audience is special education teachers, sign language interpretors, and researchers of deafness.

This academic article focused on the history of special edcucation, but was really leaning towards the history of deaf students in education. I learned that the term "hard hearing" was commonly used after World War II. I also learned that it's rare to see the history of deaf education intertwined with special education. The author really lacks in detail of deaf education in her article. Overall, I don't think this was a very good article depicting the education of deaf students. 

#deaf #hard hearing #sign language #World War II #education #Margret Winzer

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Teachers Deserve Real Merit Pay

In the following article My View: Teachers deserve real merit pay, written by special education teacher Colleen McGurk, she discusses how many people believe that schools are not performing at higher and more consistent levels because of poverty. She notes that poverty can be reversed by giving kids an excellent and challenging education. Teachers may be the solution for an excellent education, but they need the same support and high expectations they have for their students. As a solution, real merit pay is what many teachers seek. Compensation for teachers should be determined by better evaluation, differentiated pay, and career ladders. In order for teachers to make the best of their career and teach students on a challenging level, they need incentives like merit pay.

I agree with Colleen McGurk. I think teachers deserve a real merit pay for all of the extra work they do in educating children. As an aspiring teacher, I think teachers should receive a merit pay because teachers do their job completely on their own. They don't have an organized list of tasks handed to them, not everything they need for their job is supplied to them, and their job doesn't come with a rule book on how to do their job. Teachers go above and beyond to make sure their students benefit from their teaching methods. I currently work at a daycare and I feel like I am underpaid for all the work that I do for my students. I understand where teachers are coming from when they feel like they do more for their job than their job does for them. I also agree, though, that teachers should receive merit pay based on evaluations, differentiated pay, and career ladders. Although most teachers work to their fullest, many teachers are just available to collect a pay check; I think teachers should be evaluated in order to receive merit pay. Overall, teachers deserve merit pay for all of the hard work they put into teaching their students.

#merit pay #teacher #teaching methods #evaluation #work #tasks #hard work

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Rett Syndrome

photo credit: Rett Syndrome

In photo above, the girl has Rett Syndrome. The positioning of her hands is common in girls with Rett Syndrome. Although she has Rett Syndrome, the girl is like any "normal" girl because she goes to school throughout her day.

"Rett Syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that leads to developmental reversals in the areas of expressive language and hand use. It occurs mostly in girls and is caused by a defect in methl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene. The gene is on the X chromosome, and since girls have two X chromosomes, the other X chromosome that is unaffected is normal enough for the child to survive. Boys with this gene usually result in a miscarriage, stillbirth, or early death since they don't have another normal X chromosome to survive. About 1 in 10,000 children are affected with Rett Syndrome and geographic regions such as Sweden, Norway, and northern Italy are affected the most."

"Infants with Rett Syndrome usually have normal development for the first 6 to 18 months of their lives with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Symptoms of Rett Syndrome include: apraxia, breathing problems, change in development, excessive saliva and drooling, floppy arms and legs, intellectual and learning difficulties, scoliosis, toe walking, seizures, slowing head growth at 5 or 6 months of age, loss of normal sleep patterns, loss of purposeful hand movements, loss of social engagement, severe constipation, poor circulation, and severe language development problems. Genetic testing can be done to look for the gene defect associated with Rett Syndrome. There are three types of Rett Syndrome which are Atypical, Classical, and Provisional. It is classified as Atypical if it begins early or late, speech and hand skill problems are mild, or if it appears in a boy."

"There is really no treatment for Rett Syndrome. Assistance may be needed with feeding and diapering, methods could be used to treat constipation, physical therapy may help the hands from contracting, and weight bearing exercises could be used for those with scoliosis. Supplemental feedings can help with slowed growth. Medications can also be used to treat seizures."

"Rett Syndrome slowly progresses until the teenage years, then the symptoms start to improve. There is developmental delay and regression, though. Skills such as walking can be lost. The life expectancy of a child with Rett Syndrome is at least until the mid-twenties to the mid-forties."

Rett Syndrome is an unavoidable disease that affects the X chromosome. It is very common for girls and rare for boys. I worked with a little girl who had Rett Syndrome. She could walk and eat like any normal child, but she could not communicate with me. She constantly wrang her hands together. I was told that by next year I will probably notice major regression in her.

#Rett Syndrome #regression #X chromsome #Atypical #Classical #Provisional #apraxia #development

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Leach Elementary School: A Personal Experience That Will Last a Lifetime

John G. Leach Elementary School is an elementary school like no other. This school isn't for your everyday regular education child. This school is for elementary aged children with severe disabilities. Leach is located in the Colonial School District in New Castle, DE and serves a wide variety of families from around northern Delaware who have severely disabled children. The teachers and professionals at this school love these kids dearly and do whatever it takes to help the children reach their goals. The school is connected to another elementary school called Colwyck Elementary School. Up until this school year, Colwyck served as a regular education school with self-contained classrooms and as an integration school that allowed students from Leach with less severe disabilities to transfer into Colwyck's self-contained or inclusion classrooms. Colwyck no longer has self-contained classrooms or an integration program. These programs all got moved to Southern Elementary School this school year.

This past summer, I was able to have the amazing experience of working at Leach during their six week summer school program. I worked as a paraprofessional in a classroom with eight children ages five to eight. These children had a mutitude of disabilities such as Rett Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Deaf/Blindness, Autism, etc. These children kept me very busy all summer while I helped guide activities, bathroom time, games, lunch, community trips, gym, and music. These kids may have been a handful, but I enjoyed every second that I was there.

 Everyday we pretty much followed the same schedule. I would help get the kids off the bus at 8:15 in the morning, and then I would change my assigned kids and help stretch out the kids with cerebral palsy. Next we had our morning meeting where we would interact with the kids by talking about the date and weather and dressing Joey the kangaroo in appropriate attire. We would say the Pledge of Allegiance and then take attendance by singing "Where is ____." After morning circle we usually went outside to the playground. When we got back in, I would rotate equipment, do an art project, change diapers, and then get ready for lunch. I would go on break at eleven and finish up with the kids' lunch when I got back. After lunch, I would read a story or put on an educational video for the kids to watch. At 12:55 my class had their special which was gym on Tuesday and Thursday and music on Monday and Wednesday. I would go with them to their special and help the kids hold and use instruments in music and help them walk, ride a bike, or play Wii in gym. After our special, I would help bring the kids back to the classroom where we would play games, rotate equipment, and change diapers until it was time to go home at 2:45 in the afternoon.

These kids kept me very active all day by lifting them, changing equipment, changing diapers, and pushing them in their wheelchairs. I had fun making art projects with them and occasionally making food with them. I enjoyed going to gym with them, but not music (music was very boring). My favorite activity with the kids, though, was taking them out into the community. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I was able to take one kid out to the Christiana Mall for an hour so they could get out of the classroom and interact with the community. This was my favorite activity because I got to bring the kids to a new environment and try to engage them. I just didn't like the judgement stares I would get from people because I was pushing a kid in a wheelchair.

Overall, working at Leach was one of the best experiences of my life so far. The kids amazed me in every way because they were always working towards their goals. It was difficult working with severly disabled kids because they were unable to communicate with me, but I still feel like I got through to them based on their reactions. A school like Leach is my ideal place to work when I become a teacher. It has amazing staff and amazing kids. I will hold on to these summer school memories forever.

#Leach Elementary School #Christiana Mall #New Castle #DE #goals #wheelchair

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Best Buddies

Best Buddies

Best Buddies, created in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, is a nonprofit organization that enables opportunities for one-to-one relationships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The relationship formed is between a disabled person and a nondisabled person. This organization has grown into an international organization serving more than 1500 middle school, high school, and colleges, and positively impacts about 700,000 people with and without disabilities worldwide. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities can get jobs, live on their own, become leaders, and make longlasting friendships because of the Best Buddies program.

I think Best Buddies is an excellent organization for people with and without disabilities. I like how it enables disabled people to interact with nondisabled people by forming friendships. In Delaware, the Best Buddies chapter organizes 5Ks, and they set up the program in many of Delaware's high schools. I think everyone should join the Best Buddies chapter or make a donation to this positive, life fulfilling organization!

#disability #Anthony K. Shriver #Best Buddies #organization #Delaware

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The Controversies of Special Education

1. Inclusion vs. Self-Contained Classrooms

This is a huge controversy determining whether students with disabilities should be included in a regular education classroom or be placed in a self-contained classroom. If disabled students attend a regular education classroom, their behaviors may distract the other kids, they may be behind in their schoolwork without the extra help, and they may benefit socially from interacting with other kids. If disabled students are placed in a self-contained classroom, they may not benefit socially due to lack of interaction, they may show better progression in their schoolwork and learning goals, and they may not be challenged enough in a self-contained classroom. I think that the severity of a student's disability should determine which classroom they are placed in. If a student has mild to moderate disabilities, they should be included in a regular classroom as long as they can handle the work and don't pose as a threat to other students. If a student has moderate to profound disabilities, they should be placed in a self-contained classroom in order to get the extra help to reach their goals.

2. The "R" Word

"Spread the Word to End the Word." This is the slogan presented to high schools across the United States to get adolescents to stop using the "R" word. For those of you who do not know, the "R" word is "Retarded." Advocates of special needs from all over the country are against using the "R" word because they see it as offensive and want to turn it into the word "Respect." Retarded has been used for many years to describe someone with special needs. I try to refrain from using the "R" word as much as I can. I think it can be offensive to people with special needs and their families when the word is used to described them. Just because someone has a disability does mean they are retarded. I think words such as "disabled" and "handicapped" should be used to describe a person with special needs instead of "retarded" because they don't sound as hurtful when they are being used. It is politically correct to use the term "Intellectual Disability" instead of "Mental Retardation" to even describe a disability now.

3. Bullying

Bullying is a big controversy with special education because intellectually disabled children tend to be bullied often. The bullying is especially huge in inclusion classrooms. I think teachers need to inform regular education kids about special needs kids so they have a better understanding of what they will be dealing with in the classroom. Kids should also be punished for bullying special kids because they can't control how they are. Bullying should not be okay in any classroom, but it is especially hurtful for students with special needs when they are just trying to fit in.

4. Disability Classifications

Disability classifications are controversial to special education because not all disabilities are easy to identify. Although many disabilities are difficult to identify, some are easily indentifiable such as blindness and deafness. The identification of disabilities are based on professional judgement and subjective analysis. I think disabilities should be identified based on observations from many different people and perspectives. Parents, doctors, teachers, etc. should be the ones to observe the child and collaborate with each other to compare notes. This seems like a more accurate way of identifying a disability in a child.

5. Funding

Funding is a controversial issue in special education because special education requires additional funding compared to regular education. The federal and local governments don't see special education as their top priority, so general education schools are funded first. I think that special education schools should receive the same amount of funding as regular education schools since they require special equipment to aid their students. I don't think either type of schooling should be prioritized over the other since education is important to everyone. Although many organizations benefit special education, I don't feel that it's their place to provide a school's funding.

#inclusion #controversy #self-contained classroom #funding #bullying #retarded #R word

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Study Shows Autistic Teens Bullied

In the Fox News article, "Nearly half of teens with autism bullied, study says" (September 4, 2012), news reporter Reuters claims that close to half of all teenagers with an autism spectrum disorder are bullied at school. Reuters uses a survey of parents, studies, quotes from study leaders, and research results to argue his points. Reuters writes this article to inform people of the bullying of autistic teenagers and to try to get the bullying to end. Reuters' intended audience is people who are unaware of this bullying and educators everywhere.

I think it's sad that children with disabilities continue to be bullied in schools, and the educators do nothing about it. Disabled children already have enough to deal with, so why do people continue to make their lives more difficult for them? In order for inclusion to work, eveybody needs to participate in a positive way. That includes the regular education children. Schools officials need to come up with better ways to end bullying. Bullying is bad enough for regular education children, so imagine the impact it has on special education children. Bullying needs to end, and children need to learn how to respect everyone and put aside their differences.

#autistic #bullying #education #disabled #autism

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photo credit: down syndrome child

In the picture above, the little girl has down syndrome, a genetic disease that causes physical and mental disorders. Although she has down syndrome, she can use a laptop just like any other person.

"Down Syndrome, or Trisomy 21, is a genetic condition where a person has 47 chromosomes instead of 46. This extra chromosome attaches itself to a person's 21st chromosome; this is why Trisomy 21 is an alternative name for this condition. This extra chromosome makes down syndrome the most common cause of human birth defects, and it causes problems with body and brain development."

"Down syndrome has many symptoms that range from mild to severe and vary from person to person. Physical signs of down syndrome include: decreased muscle tone, excess skin at the nape of the neck, a flattened nose, separated joints between the bones of the skull, a single crease in the palm of the hand, small ears, a small mouth, upward slanting eyes, wide, short hands with short fingers, and white spots on the colored part of the eye. A person with this condition usually physically develops slower than normal and does not reach their adult height. Their mental and social development may be delayed and may result in impulsive behavior, poor judgement, a short attention span, or slow learning. They may also have medical conditions such as birth defects involving the heart, dementia, eye problems, early and massive vomiting, hearing problems, hip problems or disolcation, long-term constipation problems, sleep apnea, teeth that come in later than normal and cause problems chewing, and underactive thyroid. Down syndrome can be diagnosed based on a baby's looks. The doctor may also hear a heart murmur when listening to the baby's chest. A blood test can confirm the diagnosis and check for the extra chromosome. There is no cure for down syndrome, although the conditions associated with it may be treatable."

Overall, down syndrome is an incurable genetic disease that affects a person physically and mentally. It has many additional conditions that go along with it that may be curable. Down syndrome children strive to be the same as "normal" children, so they should be treated with respect, just like you would treat anybody else. For instance, I've helped down syndrome children play baseball. The kids knew how to bat, run, and play their field positions just like any children's baseball team. There is no need to discriminate against down syndrome children when they are just like you.  

down syndrome

#down syndrome #trisomy 21 #chromosomes #genetic #disorders #treatable

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Wish to Learn

"The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn." -John Lubbock

Teacher Quotes

Every child wishes for something. They may wish for a toy, to be famous, to meet someone famous, etc. How many children wish for the most important concept of life? That concept is learning. A majority of kids would say that they hate learning and learning isn't fun, but they don't realize that they learn everyday in the smallest of ways. They don't realize learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom.

Every child can learn, even those that society claims are unteachable, such as intellectually, physically, or emotionally impaired children. These children learn each and every day and prove this by showing signs of improvement. These signs of improvement could be as subtle as blinking an eye or as massive as walking (for children who could not walk before) or talking (for children who could not communicate with speech). These children wish to learn to better their lives and become as socially acceptable as possible.

Overall, I agree with this quote amd think it can apply to a special education classroom. I think it's not important for each child to be taught, but to have the children wanting and wishing to learn. Every child, no matter how severe of a disability, has the right to learn, wish, and achieve their goals.

#disability #wishing

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Look at the boy on the right side of this picture. Based on his looks, what is your first impression of him? Does he look like he has a disability? He does, in fact, have a learning disability that placed him in a special education classroom. Minus the shirt that says "Special Olympics," a person may not be able to tell right away that he has a disability. Not all disabilities and handicaps are visible. Some may be mental or emotional.

The boy in this photo is actually my cousin Joseph, and I am the girl standing to the left of the sign. We were on a family vacation in the Appalachian Mountains in Boone, North Carolina. As you can see, we were playing mini golf at a place called Magic Mountain. Although Joseph has a learning disability, he is still a "normal" kid. He is an avid bowler and actually won first place for bowling in the Special Olympics held at Penn State University about three years ago. Along with bowling, Joseph likes to play basketball and baseball, and he likes to swim. He enjoys going to church every Sunday, youth group every Wednesday night, camp over the summer, and work during the day. Like I said above, Joseph, along with many other disabled kids, is just a "normal" kid trying to fit in and have fun.

photo credit: Sharon DiEmedio (my mom)

#Special Olympics #learning disability #Appalachian Mountains