Education of People with Disabilities | A Life Cycle
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Education of People with Disabilities | A Life Cycle
The educational process for people with disabilities has
three main steps. First, parents of children with disabilities must recognize
that their children are disabled. Second, they must recognize what their
children can do. Third, they must figure out what their children can do not yet
do, and plan how to help them get there.
The first step often comes first, because parents of
children with disabilities are often the first to recognize it. Their children
are not like other children. The parents have a sense that something is
different -- but what is it?
That question can be hard for parents of children with
autism. Autism is a set of symptoms. Some children develop repetitive
behaviors, others cannot speak, others can't follow rules, and so on. Some
children can do things like speak or read; others can't. It is striking that parents
often recognize these different behaviors in their children while most of us do
not and that this difference often persists long after parents stop looking
for it.
The parents' recognition that something is different can be
surprising because autism is diagnosed much more frequently than it was 20
years ago. In 1980, when autism was rare, most parents assumed that their
children were different, but most of them didn't know what was different. Today
almost all the parents know, but they don't know what is different.
Parents who recognize children with autism usually recognize
that something is different, but they don't know what it is. Parents of
children with autism often start by finding other people who recognize that
something is different, and by talking with those people about what is
different. But most parents find that talking to other people about autism is
disappointing.
Education is about more than preparing young people for the
job market. It is also about forming citizens, and one of the most fundamental
requirements for citizenship is a full and equal participation in society.
And so it is especially disappointing that people with
disabilities are systematically excluded from the education system.
Today, children with disabilities makeup about 15 percent
of the school-age population, but represent up to 40 percent of the special
education population. Once they get to school, they are more likely than their
non-disabled peers to drop out of and to be retained in special education
classes. Once they are retained, they are more likely than their non-disabled
peers to repeat a grade, graduate high school, and go to college.
These effects are not simply about children with physical
disabilities. They may have learning problems, but they also have emotional and
behavioral challenges.
Children with disabilities are twice as likely as their
non-disabled peers to be suspended and expelled. They are also more likely to be
arrested, and twice as likely to be incarcerated. They are also more likely to
have health problems, including psychiatric disorders, and more likely to
experience homelessness.
The gap between the performance of children with
disabilities and their non-disabled peers is large and persistent.
What would it require to close that gap?
First, students with disabilities need to receive an
education just as other children do. Second, they need access to the same
curriculum and to the same opportunities as non-disabled students.
This is not rocket science. Most students with disabilities
have learning differences that can be addressed through appropriate
instruction. But teachers at all levels need training and support to help these
children stay on track.
An Individual Education Plan, or IEP, is a document setting
out the learning support your child will receive in school. It's designed to
help teachers support your child's learning.
If your child needs extra help at school, he or she must
have an IEP.
The IEP must be reviewed at least once a year and amended if
necessary.
The IEP must include:
- the learning support your child will receive;
- any other support your child needs;
- the targets to be achieved by your child; and
- the timetable for achieving those targets.
If your child needs extra time or support to achieve his or
her targets, the IEP should say so. This includes things like extra time for
tests or a computer or language laboratory.
The IEP should include the learning support your child will
receive. The support your child needs will depend on your child's needs, which
could include things like:
- reading, writing, or arithmetic support;
- help with social skills;
- help with physical development;
- help with eating, drinking, or toileting;
- help with making choices;
- help with getting on and off public transport; and
- help with the transition from one activity to another.
If your child needs support with any of the above, he or she
must have an IEP. The support your child must have depends on your child's
needs and must suit your child.
The IEP should include a list of any support your child
needs. The support your child needs will vary, depending on your child's needs.
The IEP should include the targets to be achieved by your
child. The targets must be challenging but not impossible.
The next step would be college. When the person with the
disability enters college, they should register with the Disability Student
Services Department.
Disabled Student Programs and
Services (DSPS) is all about equity and making sure any student can reach his
or her full potential. DSPS assists students with disabilities so they have equal access
to all educational programs and activities on campus. How does this work?
First, the student brings a problem to the director of the
disability services department. The director can ask the student questions,
then try to find the source of the problem. The director may then ask other
people for help. If the director can't help, he or she may refer the student to
another department, or to the campus counseling center.
The help a student gets depends on the nature of the
problem.
If the student needs a special class or exam, the director
or an assistant will help to arrange this.
Other problems may require the help of disability support
specialists. These are students who are experts in adjusting college programs
to students with disabilities.
If a student needs special arrangements in one other area of
college life, he or she will be referred to the appropriate people.
Students with disabilities often need help adjusting to
college life. They may also need help outside the college, such as finding a
job, or dealing with housing problems. The disability services department can
also help with these problems.
Of course, someone who is worried about disabilities may
want help no matter what. The disability services department can help people
learn how to cope with their disabilities, and to deal with problems that
arise.
A disability services department is, in essence, a help desk
staffed by people with disabilities. The service it provides is information. It
can answer questions about college life, help you figure out accommodations,
and so on.