My daughters school wants to put her in a special education class.what should i do.I feel like there giving up

Question

do i have any options to this.i dont want her labeled as a slow child

Answer 1

Well what is the situation and why do they want to put her in a special ed class? Talk to the administrators. Can she be put on an IEP or Section 504 plan? Look into that.

Answer 2

most special education class is out of control  you'r daughter i well unable to get butter educon.

ther is no (i  labeled as a slow child) the student  are crazy.

Answer 3

If the teachers feel that she needs special education services, this could be a good thing, especially if she is young. If she does have a learning disability, it is not going to go away on its own, and she will fall farther back in school, making her more likely to drop out. I am a special education teacher, and if she has a mild disability, she will only be in the special education classroom for a very limited part of the day. I have some students come for 30 minutes for reading or math instruction, or I go to their classrooms. I have some student that need more time, but the majority of their day is spent in the reg. ed. classroom. The students also come to my classroom to take tests because it offers less distractions, and can be beneficial to the child. Please don't feel discouraged, I have had several parents with the same feelings, and they have come back to tell me that placing them in special ed. was the most beneficial thing for the child. I have also had parents tell me that they wished their child had received services earlier to help combat the difficulties that their child is facing in the middle and high schools. You do have options, and can deny services, but please take a hard look at what will be the best placement for your child. Also, if your daughter is simply struggling in an area, with help from the special ed. teacher, she can possibly be on par with the rest of her class and be able to test out and not need services anymore.

Answer 4

Stand up to the school.  You are her parent so you have a right to determine what happens to your child.  Have a talk with your daughter too.  If they put her in there she will not be challenged and they will accept so so work not expect her to excel.  I think schools often make mistakes and mislabel children.  Good Luck!

Answer 5

As a former special education student myself, I can personally vouch that being in this program was helpful.

Recieving all of the special education services which I was elgible for was what ultimately enabled me to complete public school.

So I was then able to sucessfully go on and complete college and graduate school.

I had recieved the public school education which was appropriate for me---impossible had I not been enrolled in special education.

Graduating from public school with a quality education which addressed my disabilities gave me the skills to consider, attend, and successfully complete college.

I am not going to lie though, some people in the community did consider me 'slow'. It unfortunately included teachers.

They incorrectly assumed that a person with disabilities in one area could not ever have talents in other areas.

I learned to ignore them and concentrate on MY classes, my. job...etc. I needed to take care of myself and my needs in order to get where I am today.  

This is what your daughter will also need to do.

She is going to school in order to get an effective education for herself--not make narrow-minded people happy.

Answer 6

stand up for your own daughter take responsibility if you will!

Answer 7

There has to be a good reason why they are recommending your child for special education.  In the state I live in, the child has to be watched for 6-8 weeks before they can be referred to special education services.  The teacher should have test scores, anecdotal records (NOT the best recording device), or other records that she has been collecting over the past few weeks.  I would go to her and ask to see the information she has collected.  There should be a discrepancy between her scores and the scores of her peers.

  Don't look at Special Education as a bad thing.  Special Education is where your child will be taught one on one or they may receive extra teaching.  She will be getting specialized teaching more geared to her learning style.  

  Remember, you are his/her parent and have a lot of say-so about what happens.  You have rigths and so does your daughter.  Don't be railroaded into anything.  There should be agencies in your area that can advise you of your rights.  I would also advise talking to the head of the Special Education department of your daughter's school district.  You need to be proactive in this case and not reactive.  She is your child.

Answer 8

Never too worry,there should be no cause for alarm, because putting her in a special class would really go a long way exhibiting her special inbuilt special character.Which indeed i believe you are not going to regret at the end of the day,due to personal experience ,i have encounter.Believe me no doubt,her future would certainly be so bright,with no cause to regret.Ones more you are welcome.

Answer 9

if you feel like there decision is wrong look into it.but never say slow around her not from her mother its going to bring her down even more.she might hear this so what if she learning in a special class that's good forget everybody else that's something she needs to understand that .to no matter how rude people be she be the bigger person and walk away from harsh words its going to be hard trust me but if she having a hard time in school with work then this is the place she need to be.it can help her not hurt her.

Answer 10

You don't say why they want to do this or the age of your daugher,  but often these decisions are made by a panel that includes teacher, principal, psychologist, nurse, etc.  For the most part, these are experienced folks who want only the best for the student.

Have a talk with the principal and voice your concerns.  Ask if the placement can be done on a "trial" basis for a given period of time.

You may discover that the good things that daughter derives from special class ( more individual attention, work paced for her, etc.) far outway any negatives, including a perceived stigma.

Answer 11

May I ask you a question first?  Is it considered a negative thing in your community for your child to be labled special ed?  I know that there are some communities where this is an issue.  However, sit down with the teachers and see what they are talking about.  Special education teachers and classes cost the state much more to run than gen. ed. classes and teachers in general do not put children in these classes unless it is needed.  Now, this is not calling your child mentally retarded or anything like this, special education can mean a number of things.  Firstly, if he/she is not on grade level a little extra help on the amount of time they have for a test can be helpful.  Sitting with a teacher to explain the information in a different way than the traditional way also can help a student pick up the materials.  Putting a student in these classes by no means is not setting them up for failure, rather it is the schools way of trying to help your kid learn to the best of their ability so that they have the basic foundations to continue on to higher education and make something of themselves.  I myself had trouble in English when I was younger and was put into a reading/writing lab.  Yes, being pulled from the class to go to this special class was agrivateing and yes I was teased for it.  But, you know what?  I learned a lot, I have succeeded and have moved on to higher education.  By the time I reached High School, I had NO special help and was in all advanced classes.  The reason was because my teachers saw that I was not learning up to my potential at an early age and was able to help me before it got to the point where I would not continue school.  Talk to this school about your son/daughters IEP and what sort of class they are trying to put your child in.  I know my parents did not want to admit that I had a problem, but in the end, they signed the papers and I have done well since then.  If you have any other questions or would like to talk to an adult who has been through the program already please feel free to email me.  Although I know this may not be something you want to do, dont turn your back on the school just yet, hear them out.  If you dont understand what they are saying... then ask them to clarify.  Good luck hun, to you and your child.

Answer 12

I have seen that in almost all accounts they do underestimate the abilities of a child who is special ed. and even those who are not the average of average students.  You just need to stay on them.  Try to get the services without the label.  Full-inclusion (serviced in regular class) would be the LRE (least restrictive environment) not a self-contained classroom (one that only has spec. ed students).  A 504 offers support without being labled spec. ed.  Recently my son had his tri-annual review and was so underestimated.  It was ugly but you don't have to agree, don't sign I didn't.  For my son he previously has tested in the average range cognitively and last week his pschoeducational eval put him within the extremely low range and basically wanted to labeled him educable mental disability (mental retardation).  That will not be happening.  Even if they tested her and worst case scenario decided she was BIF (borderline intellectual functioning)  They do not need to classify her on the axis II diagnosis.  They could say other/health.  For my son I am getting further testing at their expense and am pushing for a label of LD (learning disability)

Answer 13

In order for the school to put her in a special ed class, they have to do a full educational evaluation to determine she really NEEDS this class. Did they do the evaluation?

If not, they can't put her in there.

If they are going to do this eval, all you have to do is write a letter to district sped director stating you do NOT give them permission to do this eval, and you do NOT give permission for her to be in special ed, end of story.

THis is YOUR decision, and NOT the SCHOOLS decision. Don't let them push you around. They must need money.

I do have to say that the ONLY way a school is legally liable to help a child with learning problems is that the child HAS to be in special ed. If they are not, the school does not have to help them.

Answer 14

Is that really what you're concerned about - her being labeled as a slow kid? Is that more important than her progress or welfare, what other people think of her? Or what they think of you, as the case may be?

Now, with that said, there are many reasons why a child may be placed in a special education classroom. Sometimes it's only for part of the time or for certain subjects (a dyslexic child may be put in a special reading class and such), sometimes it's all the time.

What kind of special education class is this? This is important to consider no matter what issues your daughter may be facing. Sometimes transferring schools may be required (especially in the type of school in which all disabled/slow children are put in a catch-all class and not taught individually).

Why do they want to put her in an SE class? Does she have trouble reading? With arithmetic? Social skills? Certain situations will require a specialized class for at least part of the time, others will require only certain modifications to a mainstream program. Without any details, it's impossible to say what route you should take or even what options you may have.

Answer 15

Legally, all you have to do is say no at this point.  The school could take you through a mediation and later to court, but, um, that really, never, ever happens.  (Doing so would be a huge risk for them.)  Do request that she receives accommodations in the classroom.

Do go the classroom and see how struggles.  Ask the teacher to call on her while you are in there.  I bet it is obvious if they are wanting to remove her to a separate classroom.  She may even be picked on by her classmates.  I'm not sure how old she is but you could be really hurting her social life if she is being picked on.  

Legally, all you have to do is say is no to the separate classroom or even special education all together.  It's your right as a parent.  However, as a teacher I would beg you to reconsider.  In the very least, allow special education services and accommodations (extra time on tests, etc) to happen in the regular classroom.  It's best for your daughter.

Ask how you can help her over the summer so that next year is easier.

Answer 16

They aren't giving up.  They are trying to help her.  Don't push her so hard and work with her at alot so won't need their help anymore.

Answer 17

As a parent of a former Special Education student, the first thing I want to remember is that YOU are the biggest and strongest advocate your child can have. Don't be intimidated by jargon or the experts. You know your child. Ask questions. Do your own research. Talk to other parents with children in Special Education (at that school and other schools, if possible).

What is the reason that bought them to this decision? Is it academics or behavioral? They tested her, have you had your own independent testing done? Does she have any physical disabilities? It could be something as simple as needing to be closer to the board or getting her vision and hearing checked because she can't see (astigmatism?) or hear (maybe blocked ear canal) properly.

Is the program they are suggesting a good program for her? How long would she need to be in the program. My son was in Special Education from 2nd grade through 9th grade. I was tired and frustrated. It wasn't until I moved to another school district, that he was finally taken out of the program (his new school says he does not fit the criteria for Special Education services any longer). Not all Special Education programs are created the same. Children with behavioral (bipolar, emotional disturbed, etc.) and learning (ADD, ADHD, etc.) can sometimes be thrown together in the same class because there is a shortage of Special Education teachers/staff (I believe countrywide).

Get all of your questions answered before making a decision. The school should have books, pamphlets and even Parent/Student Advocates to help answer your questions.

Best regards to you and your daughter.

Answer 18

If your daughter is struggling in school, allowing her to receive special education services might be the best idea.  If she receives a special ed. label then that school and the state are required to offer her special services that could possibly help her and bring her back up to speed with her peers.  Intervention is the best way to help children, but if the school and her teachers suspect that she isn't getting enough help without services then go for it!

Answer 19

you don't have to agree-

but special ed doesn't necessarily mean slow-it may mean differently abled-

like very good understanding what is heard-but getting mixed up when reading

if your child is unsuccessful in regular ed-she will suffer-fall further behind and get more frustrated

if special ed is appropriate she can reach her full potential