Cindy C Curtis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I was very fortunate, when I began 8th grade I had the
> opportunity to go to both and SP ED school and a regular
> school.  I'm firmly against full inclusion.  Some of the more
> severally disabled (ie autistic, mentally retarded, etc.) could
> never make it.  Plus the teachers aren't educated concerning
> those disabilities.  If a kid with CP goes to a regular school
> do you think he/she would be able to participate in the extra
> ciricular activiities?  No!  Some of them don't even get out of
> that darn resource room because they're too disabled and the
> "regular" teachers haven't been educating on how to work with
> them!
>
> When I was in school I want a cheerleader, I was the Student
> Body President, I was on the yearbook staff, and I was on the
> newspaper staff.

>  This was at the SP ED school.  Do you think disabled kids will
> get those same opportunities at a regular school?  It would be
> easy to paint a beautiful picture, as they often do, but the
> sad reality of it is they wouldn't.
>
> I believe that kids with disabilities and without need to
> socialize together.  There must be other ways of doing that.
>
> There, I've said my peace.
>
> Cindy
>
And what a wonderful piece it was, Bang On Cindy.

I hope you agree that all those great things you achieved at the
Special Ed School gave you that inner confidence to try to
achieve similar great things after you left school.

You also mention a very important point of socialization (which
is often used as an argument against any form of segregation),
and you are right - there ARE other ways of doing this. At my
school everyone over 14 was encouraged to participate in the VSU
(Voluntary Service Unit). This was a scheme where 16 local
schools "volunteered" to do various activities such as visiting
Old People, Disco's at Mental Hospitals, blind school ice skating
etc. This gave the able-bodied volunteers a very positive
attitude to the CP volunteers (and also looks great on your CV!).


> On Mon, 12 Jun 2000 00:11:25 +0100 Deri James
> <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> >                   Betty Alfred <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > I am intensely curious.  I have formed the opinion that
> > > more seriously disabled children who are mainstreamed often
> > > get thrown in regular classrooms and forgotten, so to
> > > speak.  Am I on target in my assumption?
> > >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 06/08/2000 8:27:34 PM Eastern Daylight
> > > Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
> > >
> > > > Sometimes, I think it is better to go to SP Ed school
> > > > that has excellent
> > > >  teachers, than to one of our many real bad regular
> > > > schools.
> > > >
> > >

--
Deri James