Thirty-five years after federal law guaranteed students with disabilities a free and appropriate education, educating those with multiple disabilities remains a hurdle for many schools across the country.
There are 132,000 students with multiple disabilities in the nation’s schools, representing just a fraction of the millions of students enrolled in special education. But they are often the most difficult to educate, as teachers frequently struggle to balance their need to learn functional skills with academics.
Educators say it can be difficult to know how much those with multiple disabilities are comprehending. And even as these students near the end of their school days, many are still working to master basic skills like differentiating between a nickel and a quarter.
Despite the challenges, educators say they push forward, even if the ultimate success is helping an individual learn to communicate with their caregiver, reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
Basic skills like differentiating between a nickel and a quarter? Some of our kids will never get there! How about basic skills like holding a spoon, asking to eat, pulling pants up/down, or making a choice? These kids are forgotten, and what is appropriate education for them is probably not appropriate for most others. I am SO tired of trying to teach math to kids who can’t answer a yes/no question, when there are SO many things that are appropriate to teach! When will our lawmakers get it right???
My child has the “autistic” label, and a language delay. He’s currently being homeschooled because of this issue with public education. His home school wanted to throw him in a seperate room with others like him, then to have bothered fussing with him in the general ed enviroment. Unfortunately our children don’t have that luxury of waiting to get what they need.(I’m speaking in reference to IEP’s, all the lengthy appeals, and mediations. Our children end up being the ones “left behind” because they’re isn’t enough money to afford their entitled help.
Fortunately, I gave my son enough credit to challenge him, instead of allowing someone to imply that he’ll never be up to par with the “typical” children. He is currently at his appropriate grade level, and flourishing.
The biggest mistake of my life was to allow my son, who has down syndrome, to be “educated” in the “resource” room for 2 years of kindergarten. There were 2 non-verbal children in there with severe brain damage and pain issues. He was subjected to 2 years of this “educational” setting to develope his foundation for his education. Those years he spent alot of time trying to hide under the desk. Please don’t allow them to “place” your child in a “resource” room for his or her foundation. My son is now going into 7th grade and I finally get it. He will be mainstreamed. His curriculum will be modified. He will have adaptions. He will have what he needs to be successful in observing peer models that he will learn from. I love the other kids that have special need as well but my son also needs learn more than hand flapping and how to make treak noises.