I have a question for people have have graduated or are still in high school.?

Question

What are the special education kids like? How do your percieve them? Do you believe that most of them have disabilties? Last, do you think kids who were in special education will achieve things in life such as a college education...or will they work menial jobs the rest of their life?

Answer 1

I believe Special Education kids are treated very badly by high school students. They are just like all of us. I'm currently a Sophmore in high school and I hate the way Special Needs kids get treated. I always try t be really nice to them and be their friends. Yes, I do believe some of them have disabilities. Others just don't want to do regular work. I think kids who were in special education will achieve all things in life. If they apply themselves, they can be just as successful as the rest of us!

Answer 2

One of my good friends is in high school and her sister is in 'special education'. I do not think she needs to be in there as I've talked to her myself. She has commented me on myspace saying happy new years, she recognizes me and says "Hi, Steven!" whenever she sees me. She has some type of social problem.. like meeting new people is hard for her. Not all kids really NEED to be in special ed.. how is keeping a kid around other kids with problems going to help them? That's just making them feel even more inferior.

To answer your question, I think some of them could go to college (I know blind people can go), and some can't. The severely austistic probably couldn't have a college education.. but hey, they wouldn't be in public sped anyway.

Answer 3

Special education kids are as different as you and I. You can't plop them in one bucket. Special ed kids run the gamut from having mild Specific Learning Disabilities to kids with severe and profound mental retardation, and everything in between. Here are just a few of the categories and the expectations.

Specific Learning Disability - Delays or disorders in processing information either that is heard or read. These children have average or better intelligence. Children with mild learning disabilities can go to college. Kids with more serious SLD issues often are able to go to vocational schools and learn to do a well paying job.

Autism Syndrome Disorder - These kids range from being highly intelligent to profoundly mentally retarded. Autism is a communication and social disorder that impacts the child's ability to communicate with the outside world and to understand social situations. Children with high functioning autism can go to college with supports. There are also children with Asperger's disorder in this group who can communicate but have severe social problems and a tendency to focus on a particular subject, usually science or math. Many kids with Asperger's can go on to college.

Mentally Retarded Children - These kids range from having IQ's of 69 (average is 80-110) to IQ's of 10 or lower. Obviously the higher functioning of these kids will be able to be taught a trade or labor job. The lower kids end up living at home or at a group home and possibly working in a sheltered workshop.

Physically Impaired - These kids tend to be of average or better intelligence and often have cerebral palsy or another disorder that makes them have difficulty with ambulation, writing or reading. They require some special devices for writing or communicating. Some very severely impaired kids with normal intelligence do go to college with plenty of support. They may or may not live independently, depending on the degree of impairment.

Other Health Impaired - These are kids with ADHD or long term illnesses that impact their ability to either sit long enough to learn or are out of school so often that the require a teacher to come to their home. Sometimes being a hospital/homebound teacher can be very upsetting because some of these kids die. The ADHD kids usually have a fairly normal life while annoying everyone.

Hearing Impaired, Vision Impaired - The outlook is totally dependent on intelligence level. They can do whatever they want if they are smart enough. Most are. College with support.

Language Impaired - These kids have deficits in their ability to receive and understand spoken language or cannot express themselves. Again success depends on the IQ for these children. Children with severe disorders or who are mentally retarded as well, don't have a great outlook. They end up living at home or in group homes. The work at sheltered workshops.

There are quite a few more, but I would say that 90% of the kids will fall into these categories.

Answer 4

I'll answer your questions from the perspective of a special education student.

1) Every kid is different.  Some are quiet, some outgoing, some athletic, some musical.  Think of it this way, someone asks you, What are kids in your school like?

2) When I was in school daily I was asked if I was retarded because I was in special education classes.  When I walked into a new classroom I would hear, this must be the retarded class.  It was like a punch to the stomach every time I heard it.

Kids daily call you stupid.  You get to the point where you believe it too.  

3)  All students in special education have some type of a disability.  That's how you get in special education.  The answer above mine did a nice job of naming the identifications.  The only exception I will take is in Ohio we have not used the term "Mentally Retarded" in over 20 years.  Don't feel too Superior if you are not a special education student because everyone has a disability.  Some are just not as noticeable.

4) Again, every special education student has a different story.  For me, I figured out how to overcome my disability and went on to College.  I gratuated in four years, became a science teacher and coach and did that for 17 years.  I then became a middle school principal and now a high school principal and special education coordinator.  The success you achieve in life is not defined by what your disabilities are, they are defined by your abilities.

Answer 5

They are regular special education students.  For the most part, kids are nice to them, or ignore them completely. Some people may laugh with their friends, but not to the students' faces... people are pretty considerate.

Most of them do have disabilities, mostly social that makes it difficult for them to interact with the other students.

Some of them can achieve things in life, but it will be difficult.