Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome" Reflection

“Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"

Christopher Kliewer

Reflection

Since I have started taking some of my special education classes here at RIC, I have finally been able to understand what an inclusive education really is.  I think that it is a great thing.  Being able to have students who have a disability integrated into a regular education class is amazing.  Just because someone has a disability doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with them when it comes to learning. 

When we were watching the movie in this class about all of the students who were able to go into regular education classes, shows you that it is possible.  The parents of these students were their biggest advocated and without their support and drilling the facts that their children were able to be at the same levels as there peers was very beneficial to all of them.  If they didn’t do this for their children they would not have just been separated by a class but instead they would be separated by an entire classroom wing or building.  By doing this to these children it would have been segregating them and singling them out instead of giving them the real education that they need. 

Kliewer describes inclusion as it being the integration of special needs children into a regular class setting.  I am doing practicum hours in my SPED 310 class right now and in this inclusion setting there are two teachers.  One is the regular education teacher and the other is the special education teacher.  Having two teachers in this classroom setting gives them each a chance to help one another. 

I have a cousin who has Charge Syndrome and if it weren’t for my uncle, he would still be in a segregated classroom.  Because my uncle was his biggest advocate he is in an inclusive classroom and is doing above average work in all of his classes.  The teachers before advised him to keep him in a segregated class because he has a disability that you could see physically.  My uncle fought that and said well he may be physically impaired, but he sure isn’t mentally impaired.  Since the day that he was placed into these classes not only has he done well academically, but he has also excelled socially.  If he were to still be the segregated room, how do you know that he would be doing worse than he is now?