Should disabled children go to special schools?

huanglian, Your friend is going through what everyone goes through when they become disabled. He knows what it is like to hear, but now that he has lost his hearing, he thinks that he won't be acepted back into the normal, hearing community. The sad thing is that he will have more trouble being accepted into the deaf community because he was a hearing individual at one time. A majority of the deaf community were born deaf and they have a solid community. The other thing is that more and more around the world in education they are blending all students together. Special Ed kids are intregrated into the regular schools because there isn't enough money to fund seperate schools. Now, this is primarily for the lower levels of schools, but that's just the way things are. Even if he went to a school that was for the deaf he would find that there are programs that are made to blend the deaf community and the hearing community together. Sign language is not a hard language to learn and in some cases, if you are looking for a job, listing sign language on the resume is a point to the good. I would say that he really needs to accept the fact the being deaf is not making him any different than any other person in the world. All he has to do is learn how to use his disabilty; to find how to work with it and not against it. DCMerkle

It really does depend on the child, the extent of the disability, and where he or she can get the best education. If the disability is severe, or the public school system cannot provide the best education for the child, then a special school might be necessary. But, realistically, the child should have every opportunity to be around the non-disabled, and have non-disabled friends in addition to disabled ones. Once the child is an adult and no longer in school, he or she will have to deal with the world as a whole, he will no longer be able to be segregated. So he or she will need to be able to relate to the non-disabled. I hope that made sense.

I suppose it depends on to what degree of a disabliity the student has. There are some students who aren't able to learn at a regular school, so they need that extra help. However, there are some students who can learn just as well at a regular school because they don't need to go to a special school. My brother was born mildly austic, and he didn't go to a special school for a time. Eventually, he got to a point where they weren't able to help anymore, so he was mainstream into a regular school, where he had a couple classes that were for special needs students. He was able to gradute when he was able to.

i have a son who has adhd and asperges and for as long as posible i want to keep him in a main stream school he is only 8 at the moment but his social difficulties are already starting to become more obvious, i think for his sake it is important as much as possible to prepaire him for the outside world but when it comes time for him to go to seniour school i will have to evaluate what will be better for him because he may not cope with the amount of people or the changing class rooms for each lesson or the changes to rutine but that is a desision that i will have to make when the time comes, i think that everyone knows there own child best so they are the best person to make a decision on what there own child can handel

The way it is looked upon in special education is "What is the least restrictive environment for the child?" If the answer is a regular public school then that is what we as a team recommend. I think that where the deaf community is concerned, a student can truly benefit from a deaf school because of the nature of being deaf. Your friend is right on one hand that he needs to be around people who are living in the same world. The deaf community is opening up, but it is still for the most part a very closed society. Your friend needs to adjust to being deaf, learn the language, and learn how to live in society as a deaf person. These are all very scary things for someone who is young. (Scary for adults as well). He was taken out of an element he knew and was comfortable in, and his new friends are helping to adjust. I'm sure if you give him time he'll come around. He just needs time. I'm not sure how old your friend is or how old you are, but I'm sure with time all fences will be mended. Namaste-Anora

They should attend normal schools to live a normal life. If you are disabled, this is not a liability, this is something out of the ordinary and it does have its purpose. So it's upto this person to find what he/she can do, and this should start by living a normal life.

There are advantages to both ways. At a regular school, disabled children are more part of a normal society instead of a specialized one. However, there will be very few students in a normal school who will socialize with the disabled students which will make them feel more like outcasts. This isn't a problem at a special school. In addition, they can have more freedom at their own school, and they can have more special equipment and things geared to their capabilities instead of being stuck in one room in the basement like so many are. I've worked with disabled students for a lot of years, and I personally feel they are better off in their own schools where they can get more attention and be accepted. For example, we had one mother who insisted that her severely disabled son be in LD classes so that he could socialize. No one in there ever had anything to do with him, mostly because they were also learning disabled and didn't have a clue of how to deal with someone with his verbal and physical limitations. He, on the other hand, made a lot of noises and disrupted the classes by screaming and crying which was bad for the other students who were very distractible. I never could see that it was doing him any good, but it was definitely hurting the learning of the others in the class. When I had special needs kids in my regular classroom, I found that I was unable to give much instruction or attention to the higher-functioning kids, because the special needs ones needed everything I had to give and wouldn't work without one on one guidance. I also had a foster son who was aged 15-18 while he lived with us. He continued in school and graduated, but he would have been much better off if he'd gone to a technical school, because he was very good with his hands and could have learned a high-paying trade that way. You'll find that most special needs teachers don't believe in inclusion, but no one asks them what they think.

Some children might need more attention than the others be they abled or physically challenged...so, I think it would depend on the individual. What's important is that they should get the most out of what they really deserve, especially in academics and practical life. Since not all educators in ordinary schools are equiped with knowledge in helping these special children; unlike in special shools, which are more equipped with knowledge and skills.

Strangely I have heard of that sentiment from the deaf community more than once. They think they are different than the rest of society. They have deaf friends and consider deaf schools beneficial. They also sometimes resent the cochlear implants that restore hearing ability to deaf individuals because I guess it takes away one of their numbers and makes one of "us" into one of "them". Does your friend use sign language? If so I would learn to become fluent and I am sure he would be more comfortable with you so he does not have to be accomodating all the time. As far as physically and mentally disabled children attending regular school I am too far removed from the situation to comment.

Yes i do agree is depends on the child if he fell comfortable with normal child then is ok. But some children don't fell comfortable with the normal children and that's why they need a special school. But not everybody suppose to be like that is depends on the child, if he is optimistic, he can manage, he can do anything he can act like a normal child or do a great job

hmm I think it would be better for the disabled children to go to special school first so to avoid any inconvenience in the normal school and to avoid they might suffer from some hard time...

I think it depends on the individual child and how much special help they need because of their disability. No, I do not think that just because they are disabled they should go to a special school, so I agree with you there. However, if they need more special assistance than a regular school is able to provide, it might be to their benefit to attend a special school that could better fit their needs. I think it ultimately depends on the needs of the child, the way the parents feel, and the resources that the school/school system has.

Depends on the disability. Schools for the deaf are modified for the best possible level of learning. Instead of bells they have flashing lights. The teachers are trained to deal with their weakness and strengths. A physical disability (here anyway) can be fit into a regular school program. They modify things to make life easier... all the classes on main floor if there is no elevator. It depends on what the issue is and how well the child can adapt to the schooling. I think it is important for people to see the child around the school because those other kids will learn that someone with a disability should be treated like any other child.... with respect.

Should disabled people go to special schools- depends on the disability. Blind and deaf people should go to special schools but I also think they should go to normal schools. These people need to learn to live in the real world and the only way they ae going to do that is being in the real world. A speciality school lets these kids draw into themselves and block out the world but they don't gain anything by that. Half days at both types of schools sounds like a good idea to me...

I think so because I am sure the educational resource of the special schools are better for the disabled children.the children could learn more through the school I guess.but to the individual it depends on a lot.I think you shouldn't listen to your friend and leave him.he is optimistic but still he need friends like you