Special needs education

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I'm curious about how other nations and or states handle special needs education.

The reason why I'm asking is that I'm fed up with the way my state (MA) and town are handling it. Here the school systems are responsible for the education and general well being of special needs students until they are 18 during normal school hours. This includes the hiring of special teachers, personal nurses, and transportation equipment.

In my town we have developed such a good reputation for special needs students that people are moving in to take advantage of it. Now I think it is starting to degrade the quality of the education of the "normal" students.

Why is it the responsibility of a school system to teach the unteachable? Now don't get me wrong. I do not feel that these kids should be put to death or thrown in a hole somewhere. My issue is that an evaluation needs to be done to figure out what can be done. Someone with dyslexia needs special programs, but with extra work can become a functional member of society. To be extreme an autistic, blind, and deaf child will probably never be a productive member of society. There is a vast difference between the situations, yet we treat them the same.

The examples I gave above are actual situations that are going on with two of my sons classmates. The kid with dyslexia spends time during the day with special teachers. He may be a little bit behind the other kids in second grade, but he is working hard at it and I'm positive he will master it. The other kid is theoretically in second grade. However, she spends all day in a special room with her own "caregivers." She can neither speak, read, write, or communicate in any other meaningfull way. It is a truly sad case. Her mother is a wonderfull person and is truly a saint. I'm not sure if I could survive what she is going through.

I just think that there has to be a better way. It shouldn't be the school system's responsibility. Isn't this more of a social security or a medicaid problem? Shouldn't this be the responsiblity of a social services department.

My wife and I used to fight about this all the time. She would claim that I was just plain mean. Now she is starting to be swayed. Recently, our son was selected to participate in a "Math Club" for advanced students in math. The club meets ever other Monday for an hour. Our son loves it. My wife asked the doctor teaching it why they don't have more programs for "advanced" students and why the don't meet more often. The response was as I expected "We don't have the money for it."

 

I hear your complaint, and I tend to agree with it. There are immense amounts of money spent on kids who never really will be able use what they might learn. It is mostly done for their self-esteem and to make them feel more normal, that is very noble goals but when the money spent on one kid with severe handicaps to help his self-esteem and sense of normalcy could have helped ten kids with dyslexia to overcome that obstacle and live perfectly normal lives. In a perfect world there would be money for both of those cases but sadly that isnt the case anywhere I know of.

I really feel for the handicapped but there has to be a better way to help them than to throw money and resources at them which could be used with better results somewhere else. No matter how good an education you give a blind and deaf child it will still be deaf and blind but you can treat somenoe with dyslexia or any number of disorders a person might have. And of course that the "normal" kids tend to be left alone, they will be fine no matter what seems to be the general opinion. They might have a better chance than those with problems but dont every child deserve attention and education which utilizes that childs potential?

This really is a tough question, you cant just ignore those with problems and the "normal" kids do tend to come out pretty decent either way but it just dont feel right that some kids devour more resources than any other 50 kids together.