Doesn't the special education class room environment do more harm than benefit the students?

Question

Considering what I have noticed, special education class room environments often are full of disruption, and conflict between students.

It also seems to instill a poor attitude into some students who feel insulted by being placed in such classroom environments, and this particular labeling process makes students more vulnerable to being socially out casted by their peers and victims of torment and bullying.

What it seems to come down to, is these special programs that are supposed to be designed to help what the schools deem to be challenged students, catch up to the majority of the population of students, but in the long run really just holds them back further.

Answer 1

When I made my classroom, I made it a very inviting and fun place. Even the students who weren't special ed wanted to come in.

Answer 2

I'm very curious about what Beckee said in her response. She gives support for inclusion in regular ed settings, and I concur; my daughter is in regular ed with support and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am sure that there are better and worse special education classrooms, and that some are disruptive and unhelpful, while others provide a safe and supportive learning environment for kids who really can't deal with the pressures of a regular classroom. It's really a shame that the original poster of this question has observed so much of the former.

That said, I'm just wondering who these parents are who Beckee refers to, the ones who are trying so hard to get their kids classified. I've never met a parent who actually wanted their child to be pulled into a special ed setting. Most of us would give our eye teeth not to have our kids need this stuff. You can always find a bad apple, but I have to believe they're few and far between. Most parents are honestly trying to help their kids learn and grow.

And yes, my daughter would light up like a Christmas tree if she came to a meeting and someone told her they wanted to remove her from special ed services. She's very smart, so I could see someone trying to make a case. However, she can't take notes, keep track of her homework, have a conversation, not melt into a big loud puddle when the dance is unexpectedly cancelled, etc. Her reaction to a proposed declassification wouldn't change this fact. That's why we're grownups -- because kids don't always know what they need, and we can't base our decisions on their reactions.

Answer 3

I think that largely depends on the program, the school and the grade level.  At the lower levels, many special ed needs can be handled with the use of dedicated aides or with pull out time to work with educational specialists.  Kids with more serious needs are often placed in smaller classes, organized to service the type of disability they have (children with autism are grouped together, children with Downe's in another, children with severe physical handicaps in another, etc).  As you go up in grade level, many school systems feel these methods cause social issues to the extent they harm more then they help.  You end up with students who have been supported and assisted being tossed into a very different learning envirment and being expected to naviagate it alone (very few schools will do transitional plans to avoid this).  This is also a time in the educational process where kids with less severe issues can suddenly be more noticeable and where behavioral problems are also more likely to escalate.  Instead of finding ways to support students within the exsisting class, many systems choose to pull the students out and place them in specialized classrooms that are supposed to address the issues, help the student better understand themeselves and eventually return them to the traditional classroom with the skills they need.  Sadly, this is often not the case.  You will see students with autism or asperger's mixed into the same class as students with learning difficulties as well as students who are having behavioral issues stemming from any number of emotional, mental or psychological issues.  The teachers are often forced to teach to the middle of the group, which means many of the students are not getting what they need or are ready for.  The majority of the students end up in these programs far longer than needed, simply becuase they are not in enviroments structured to meet thier needs and because of that, are so isolated from their peers that normal socialization becomes nearly impossible.  However, it should be pointed out that many of the students in these programs were having social issues to start with, so you can't simply say lack of time with non-special ed peers is the cause.  

That being said, there are still many wonderful programs out there..both in public and private schools.  I think what can make the biggest difference however is the parents.  Many parents are unwilling or unable to support and supplement what the school does at home in the evenings and weekends.  For there to progress, there must be continuity and that means carrying over the methods used at school into daily home life.  It is not easy to do, but it can make a huge difference.  I think another area parents can help in is by knowing thier school and school system.  While the public schools are there to educate our children, many are struggling to survive.  Special ed is costly and is the area many schools turn to when budget cuts must be made.  It isn't right by a long shot, but it happens.  If you want the best in education for your child in a public school, it is imperitive you support that school through volunteering, being active in the parent-teacher association, fundraising and raising awareness in the community.  Special ed families tend to be under-represented in these areas of school life...the more involved you are, the more you can help the school help your child.  And finally, the best way to support special ed is to support the funding of the public schools.  If you vote for lower property taxes, you are voting for schools to loose money.  Know how your school system is funded and fight to keep that going.

Answer 4

Special education programs are not designed to catch a student up with his or her peers and send them back.  When a student is removed from a "regular" classroom, students, staff and parents should have exhausted all options.  The student is so far behind and/or in desperate need of a small group instruction that the regular classroom isn't really an option anymore.  Sure, there's a child in a hundred who will get to that point where it makes more sense to reassign him back to the 'regular' classroom - but, again, it's one in a hundred.

As far as the attitudes go,  the student's attitude is often like that long before he or she reaches the special ed classroom.  Special ed. teachers often fill like social workers.  Major family concerns (poverty, poor housing, uninvolved and/or YOUNG parents, etc.)  and run-ins with law enforcement are often part of these students lives towards the high school level.  It's not uncommon at all.  In fact, 70% of prisoners test severely learning disabled or mildly mentally retarded.   Inability to make good decisions accurately describe these two disabilities.  Add in a bad home life and you've got a negative attitude who doesn't want to learn about the anatomy of a frog very easily.  

Take a look at a school's options for these students before saying they do more harm than good.

Answer 5

I can see your point and I would agree that some classes are like that, I have seem them myself. However, I would hope these are an exception rather than the rule. I teach at the high school level and most of the students that I have in my classes are used to them and want to be there because of the smaller class size and the pace. It is my goal to be sure that each of my students are receiving what they need and that they won't be held back at all. I use the same types of material that they would see in a regular academic class. We just approach it differently and if we need to we can take longer to be sure that everyone is learning. If a student has a poor attitude chances are it is not the class, but their sense of having to always struggle. I do my very best to be sure that each student knows that I know they can accomplish what they need to do. I talk to them just like I do to my own children. If there is bullying then the teacher isn't doing their job!

Answer 6

The research suggests that you're right. Students with IEPs tend to learn more in the general education classroom than they do in the Special Education classroom. Lets say it's more distractions, fewer positive role models among their classroom peers, lower expectations, and less encouragement to be self-directed learners. Add to that the stigma from students who do not want to appear different in any way, and the giving up. It's not difficult to see how that happens.

Contrast that with the parent who always seems to think you're taking something away from their child if you are trying to cut back on their Special Education services. Or the parent who comes back to the school again and again for an evaluation, until their unmotivated child with average to superior test scores is made eligibile for Special Education, so that he can be unmotivated in the Special Education classroom. Or the teachers who want to "open the door to services", or make sure they have plenty of Educational Assistants, or get a difficult student out of their classroom, and thus make a student eligible whenever they can.

When the possibility of decertifying a student comes up, I always like to make sure the student is at the meeting. When I turn to the student and say, "We're talking about taking you out of Special Education," the look on the face of the student says it all. When their face lights up, their parents see the light!

Answer 7

It almost sounds like your describing a class for emotionally disturbed kids, rather than more typical special ed (autism, down syndrome, etc)  

I work in just such a class.  The kids in our program have huge gaps in their learning because of their issues.  They are not "mentally challenged" but do have severe emotional issues, with diagnosis like severe depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia. We work individually with them to help get them up to grade level in as many areas as possible.  Yes there are disruptions and conflict between students at times. These students were all very disruptive in their former placements. We work on social skills, problem solving and appropriate behavior.  When there is a major disruption (usually attention seeking) we remove all other students to another room to continue with the lesson. Those students are rewarded for cooperation, the student who disrupts loses privelages.    

These students can't make it in a typical classroom, and getting into our class is actually pretty difficult, and a last resort.  They have a huge benifit being there, lots of adult support and counseling.  We have "group" every morning where everyone checks in with their feelings and concerns.  If someone is having a problem, we all problem solve together.  The kids learn from others perspectives and realize that they have valuable insight to help each other. They receive 1:1 teaching to help with their learning gaps.  We can't bring them up to grade level in the time they're with us, but we make lots of progress.  

Now, a more typical special ed class....my daughter has been in one since kindergarten.  She's always been in a mixed disability mixed grade type class. First it was k-2, 3-4, and now it will be 5-6.  She also goes to mainstream classes daily for math, and science.  She has benifited greatly from the very small class size and individualized instruction.  I've never had problems with disruptions and conflicts in her classes, and have always had good working relationships with her teachers (very important!)

Answer 8

All students have the right to learn in the LRE (least restrictive environment) - that means regular-ed students as well as spec. ed. students.  If you have disruptive spec. ed. students in a reg. ed. class, no one is going to learn much.  It's a catch 22

Answer 9

It takes time but if you make your room an emotionally safe place where they can come to learn, have fun, and be supported in every way then they trust you and others want to come too.  I openly talk to my students about their disabilities and work to make them (and the whole ed community) understand that they are not dumb or less in any way but they learn differently and not all teachers are equipped to teach them.

Answer 10

There is certainly that danger to consider.  I think once we move from the "least restrictive" concept to the "most enabling" concept that we just might have some different classroom environments in the special education classroom.  For more ideas on special ed., you might want to see www.alternativeeducationbible.com which talks about rules, discipline, etc.  They also take submissions for commentary, and I think your commentary above would be a good addition to their site should they decide to publish it.