"Please Segregate My Special Needs Child"

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If it had been available, I would have LOVED to have "my own little corner."

They could have stuck me in the coat room with a laptop (had such things existed back in the Stone Age), called every class an "independent study," and set aside a time when I could have asked the teacher questions. I would have been two grade levels ahead of my age group everywhere but mate and happy as a high-verbal Aspie with unlimited library privileges.

Of course, my social skills would probably be even worse than they are now...

...but, until high school, the only social skills I was learning in a mainstream classroom were how to take a verbal beating and smile while I did it. Until ninth grade, I wasn't learning JACK; I would probably have been better off hanging out in the teachers' lounge or something. The social skills even the highest-functioning (snort) spectrum kid picks up in an elementary/middle-school classroom aren't the social skills you WANT a kid to have.

I could seriously have gotten ALL of that from a social skills therapy group and/or organized playdates. ALL. I would not be any more screwed-up today, and might be less.

Every child should be treated appropriately; the goal should be "making optimal progress in academic skills and developing greater ability to demonstrate prosocial behavior." And I note that "typical,l" "compliant," and "prosocial" are often not even the same sport, much less the same ballpark. Mainstream might be the best way to do that, and it might not.

Are we likely to get that out of the public school system??

I'd be happy to answer, but I swear I just saw a pig fly past the window.

I think that mainstream schools are the best environment for MOST special needs children. Kids should never be forced out of mainstream education against their parents' wishes unless they have a history of behaviors that 1) pose a danger to others or 2) create a high level of distraction frequently and it can't be remedied by accommodations. I am not going to judge anyone here as I don't no all the details of your situation.

The real world is full of diversity. Kids tend to learn best in classrooms that reflect thats diversity.

For those who watch Parenthood, I think that creating the charter school was a terrible idea and I hope it falls through. They are sweeping the bullying issue under the rug, and inhibiting Max's ability to learn to live in the real world.

My son would not last a day in a "mainstream classroom" with 30 other kids. He needs extensive and intensive 1-on-1 which won't be available in such a classroom. On the other hand, he also did *not* "thrive" in a class full of kids who were classified "life skills learners" and which classroom was nothing more than "glorified babysitting". It was made quite clear to me that the idea was to give the parents 5 hours of a respite a day, as opposed to giving the kids any real education. And we were expected to actually be "grateful" for this placement !

What has worked for my boy is the intensive homeschooling we do with him. It is 1-on-1, tailored for his needs and his abilities, and includes a sensory diet with frequent walks around the block, with the odd swimming break during especially hot days. Had I left my son in his preschool setting, and let him continue on to the "life skills learners" kinder class, he would eventually have earned their label of ID.

My son is obviously not the norm and has extensive needs. He is neither SDC worthy nor mainstream ready. For him, our specially tailored homeschool with his intensive 1-on-1 works best. Actually, it is the *only* thing actually that has worked for him.

I think that, traditionally, special-ed has been for kids who are either intellectually or physically disabled. Autism doesn't fit neatly into either of those categories. In some cases, it doesn't fit into either category at all. Some schools are still struggling to understand that concept and adjust their programs accordingly.

This. ^^^

Even when they figure out that your kid doesn't fit anywhere, it is a perceived outlier and they are not going to change a whole lot for one (or even a few) outlier/s.

It's disgusting that ANY child would be written off as "life skills learners" in PRESCHOOL!

^This^ I am appalled.

I like the article. It doesn't question inclusion, but the dogmatic assumptions and beliefs that surround the inclusion movement.

A mainstream classroom seems to be the best alternative for my son, but it isn't without drawbacks. He obviously needed extra social support, but the school's answer was that his IEP's only responsibility was to help him access the curriculum. I pushed back by pointing out the painfully obvious fact that his social experience at school would obviously affect his performance with the curriculum. Suddenly, it turns out the school already had just the kind of social skills group that we were asking for. Within a month, we were seeing a lot of improvement from his being in that group.

Classifying autistic children as life skills learners is super common.
It happens to most (all?) LFA children and some HFA children in CA.
It sucks.

It seems like this is the problem most advocates of inclusion/mainstreaming are trying to solve. Why isn't there more focus on fixing the special day classes to provide college-bound academics?

It takes less money and effort to sort kids into pre-existing set-ups than to redesign what they have. Some places do have different levels of non-mainstream autistic placement, but I think that is only in certain districts with the finances and a sufficient number of autistic kids to make it feasible. I have heard some very good things about options in Silicon Valley.

I'm not sure what problems advocates are trying to solve, but this providing of education to children with moderate to severe autism beyond age 3 to 22 daycare doesn't seem be their focus. This is a problem that parents need to get together and work on for the benefit of their own children, because the relevant professionals are incompetent on these matters and also believe bizarre things like autistic children can't learn or autistic chidlren can't learn until they behave like neurotypical children or autistic children should focus on behaving more normal first as that is the only path to a good life for them. Meanwhile, they get no education, which is ackshuly the path to a good life for them. This is why I tell most parents to avoid sped like ebola.

It depends on the child. I have PTSD from attending mainstream schools. I don't know if even "segregation" would have done the trick. I'd have been best off homeschooled.

Anyone advocating only inclusion or only segregation is misguided. ASK THE CHILD.