Adult Special Education

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Has anyone here been in Adult Special Education in college? What's taught at that level, and what kind of experiences did you have?

I took an Adult Special Education work experience course in college. I was taught how to present myself in a job interview, work skills for the work force, what to talk about during a coffee break, grooming and hygiene, how to have a positive attitude on the job and what to wear to a job interview.

Sounds like the same life-preparedness courses they teach in high school. But some of that stuff, good god, I'd have no patience with it. What do people think disabled people are, animals? (I am not saying you're an animal--but disabled people get looked down on so damn much.)

What to talk about during a coffee break? This is assuming someone would want to engage their co-workers during a break. It's assuming someone doesn't know how and has the desire to do so. I don't find general chitchat interesting in the least and would rather be thought of as that quiet one in the office doing a bit more work during break time or just sitting quietly, rather than the painfully awkward and poor social mimic no one would want to talk to anyway, but endures with plastic smiles. Anyone has the right to avoid it.

Grooming and hygiene? I won't even go there, except to say that I don't dump chemicals into my hair in an effort to cement it into shapes that never hold.

I'm probably presumptuously scornful as well as biased against anything mainstream society delivers down to disabled people.

Were the instructors in your courses decent and respectful of everyone, including natural differences in preference?

While I've never taken one of these classes, disabled peoples functioning levels vary. Sure not all disabled people could have used a class like that. But some could, from the NT perspective in learning how to function in a normal world.

I sure see my co-worker who's much more profoundly disabled gets treated like a child. I helped him find a broom today and his job coach was like "what do you say?" and even tho I wasn't getting asked that, there's something about that, that rubbed me the wrong way.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, I see what ur saying in that why do people think disabled people are animals. Well everyone varies in severity. So there is technically a demand for a class like that. Not for all disabled people tho.

I agree with you. It really hits a nerve with me when people talk down (in a condescending tone) to people with intellectual disabilities. It is possible to keep things simple while still showing respect.

I wouldn't take such a course, but the funny thing is I would probably fail it. I just can't lie (or fake it) about stuff like this.

present in job interview:
I am neat and clean. My strengths are I am dependable and reliable. My weakness is that sometimes I am impatient and I am working hard on my people skills.
So are you going to hire me or not? Job interviews suck anyway.

work skills for the work force:
just tell me directly, what you want me to do and don't force me to guess! please.

talk during coffee break:
sorry, I don't do it. I like to read the newspaper on my break alone. I'm off the clock--you're not requiring me to socialize outside work are you!

positive attitude:
I guess I fail. I just can't get excited to take another menial low-wage job, but it's better than unemployment so give me a job already.

It's infuriating to be treated like a child, and that it's completely socially acceptable to treat a disabled person this way.

I think most people have little or no contact with disabled people, and they view disability (especially intellectual disability) in the nearest approximation of what they're familiar with--a child, who needs assistance with performing and understanding tasks. It's possible to approach it with respect (I agree there), but people just don't bother.

The problem is in the UK that they just lump all disabilities together, regardless of functioning level and congratulate themselves on their equality. Although I could benefit from SOME of the independent living skills taught in these colleges, I struggled because some of the skills were just so insanely basic that I got bored. Some of the lessons made no sense. How is arranging a children's Christmas party going to help me in life? I don't want to be a party organiser! The college (being residential) also took a lot of my rights away which actually made me lose both confidence and skills. I wasn't allowed to cook, use scissors, leave the building unescorted (leaving escorted was nigh on impossible) or even use loo roll tubes to make things out of. 'Elf and safety an' all that... Two years later I am still frightened to go out by myself, I had a poor diet (which is slowly improving) because I had to sneak pasta into my room all the time without the staff seeing and I am full of anger from being treated this way.

The staff were mostly jerks as well and I really didn't want to hear about their drunken games/one night stands etc.

I agree, while disabilities vary, but just because someone is intellectually disabled, it doesn't mean they have to be talked down to as a child. Unfortunately, even those who work with people with disabilities as their careers don't bother to treat those with intellectual disabilities with the respect that another adult is treated with. I've experienced it firsthand after I was diagnosed with Asperger's when someone who works with those with disabilities said I would never work in an office, despite my having a college degree and plenty of computer training. They also treated me as if I were a child as well, so as soon as I left that office, I had decided to go with another organization because I was actually treated as an adult, and they liked that I had computer skills.

Half of the time, I sat there bored out of my mind. I already knew half of the stuff that was being taught. There were some adults in my class who actually did need to be taught about grooming and hygiene though. A lot of the stuff was too simple for me and I was starting to really hate my dad for forcing me into that programme. The only thing that I got out of those two years there was taking home records from the library and finding out what my favourite band really is. My dad calls it a success because I got a job out of it. It was his success, not my own. I had plans to take required courses to be a Psychologist, and my dad did that to me without asking me what I wished to do with my future. It bothered me so much that I've ended up with Depression and Anxiety, because my parents wouldn't let me look for another job and demanded that I stay at the factory that I ended up in. That was a waste.

Q. Oh, you took a special course in college! What did you learn there?

A. That my favourite band is The Kinks instead of The Beatles.

Q. Did you learn anything else?

A. No, I already knew the stuff that they were teaching me.

Q. Are you happy with the results?

A. I didn't plan to spend two years in that programme to be dropped off at a factory to do simple tasks that a 6 year old can do without assistance.

I have never taken any special education courses at any level.

i envy you even though i probably wouldn't be where i am without them. strange feeling aint it?