The Class For Exceptional Learners

Empathy towards people with disabilities is a quality that I consider has been deep-seated in me since an early age. For example, when I was ten years old, while watching the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) telethon, I was moved to do a fundraiser in my community. All the money raised was sent to the MDA. This made me aware that we can all contribute in some way or another to the good of others. Later on, after completing my high school, I decided to pursue a degree in Physical Education and recreation for children with disabilities. Working as an Adeptive Physical Educator gave me the opportunity to change the lives of many students. The years invested in this occupation brought me great personal and professional satisfactions that still follow me to this

Over the course of this semester, I have come to the realization that above all, students with disabilities need to be treated with the respect and dignity that one would give any other child. This is why it is important to talk to and about people that have disabilities with “people first” language (Evans, Civil Rights Final Day, 9.17.16). This stems from the idea that a perceived disability is just one of a person’s many attributes. Students with disabilities are people that have individual abilities, interests, and needs. By using “people first” language, one emphasizes the importance of the individual over their diagnosed disability. According to The Arc, an organization that advocates for people with disabilities, “the language in a society used to refer to persons with disabilities shapes its beliefs and ideas about them” (The Arc, 2016). Using “people first” language not only ensures the person in question knows that they are valued, but it also helps set a precedent for the perception of people with disabilities in one’s environment. It also gives the student the opportunity to define his/herself, instead of being identified solely with their disability (The Arc, 2016).

I never put too much thought into the reaction I give if someone tells me their child has a disability therefore, never noticed if they showed distaste to any apology or sympathy I offered. I’m sure that I am not the only one who has not meant any harm by these things, but the article helps see the situation from the opposing parent’s point of view which offers enlightenment on how to handle future encounters to ensure everyone is comfortable and the language isn’t ignominious. I intend to utilize the wisdom I’ve learned from Ms. Snow’s article in my own classroom one day. Along with her words I now feel inclined to do further research on how to better create lessons, organize my classroom, and provide the proper tools as well as become a support system for any student with any kind of disability both learning and

On Monday, September 25th, I was invited to sit in as the general education teacher in an IEP team meeting. The meeting was held for a student with down syndrome, identified at birth, who qualified for services under the category of intellectually disabled. This student is in a self-contained classroom, therefore, his current teacher, served as the special education teacher for the purposes of this meeting. Meeting participants included: Mrs. Fields (ARC Advocate), Dr. Neiman (Main speech therapist, participated over the phone), Mrs. Bennett (LEA representative), Mrs. Diggs (ACS EC Director, as a precaution because the parents expressed concerns for the education of their child), Mrs. Sikes (General Education Teacher), Mrs. Bernard

I believe that people’s perception does play a role in the success of students with disabilities. It is human nature to stare, fear or ridicule people who appear or act different from what we consider to be normal. For students with physical handicaps or limitations, their self-image is very important to them. They get upset and sometimes depress because they can’t do certain things as other children can because

I spent the days leading up to the first day studying each student, reading case notes, and profiles to better understand identification number they were given. Ironically, five of my students were learning disabled and I knew exactly how they felt. I took my own learning experiences and developed lesson plans based around sports, music, and entertainment, creating an empowering curriculum relevant to their knowledge. The day quickly approached and before I knew it I was signed over the responsibility of over 80 students, each with a different personality, and each with different obstacles and barriers. Ironically, five of my students were learning disabled and I knew exactly how they felt. I took my own learning experiences and developed lesson plans based around sports, music, and entertainment, creating an empowering curriculum relevant to their

When some people think of someone with a learning disability they often think of someone who is not able to contribute to society. It is often assumed people with learning disabilities are people who have low intelligence, work the school systems, and are socially awkward. As someone who has a learning disability these misconceptions have made it difficult for me to be open about it and prove these stereotypes wrong. Most of these misconceptions stem from people not understanding what alearning disabilities are, a learning disability “results from a difference in the way a person's brain is wired. Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways” (idonline.org).

As I was sitting in English once again, a man with a nice black suit and black tie came into the room and asked to speak to me. I went out into the hall with him. He introduced himself to me, “Hi Emily! I am Mr. B, it is nice to meet you”. I just nodded and smiled while feeling clueless as to why he wanted to speak to me. “A few of your teachers have come to me and said that they feel you might need some help with your classes and understanding the work. How are your classes so far?”. Because it was only the second day of school, I had to think. “They are alright so far. But, yeah I do have some trouble understanding what I’m reading”. We talked for a few more minutes about my learning abilities until he asked me to grab my backpack and took me to an office where a woman sat at a desk. I did not have to introduce myself; She already knew who I was. “Hi Emily, I’m Ms. Smith, it is nice to meet you!”. I sat down on a chair in her office while Mr. B sat in the other one next to me. They asked me if it would be alright if they gave me an IEP test. “What’s an IEP test?” I asked. “An IEP is an Individualized Educational Plan that helps a student with a disability. Those with an IEP get special instructions and services” Ms. Smith answered my question. They said they think I needed to be tested for it. I told them I would take the test, and a few days later the results came in. I needed an IEP and was put into a resource class right

Despite many crucial developments surrounding acceptance of others there is still a long and arduous path ahead of our society. People with disabilities, whatever a given disability may be and mean for the individual, are frequently stigmatized. They are not always offered equal opportunities, nor are they always offered the proper support to fortify their capabilities so that the individual may be the best they can be. Because of this there are many people who never go or return to college, are unemployed, or are isolated from the community.

The amount of information that I have acquired throughout AHRS Disability course has only caused my awareness of disability-related issues to increase, I am more knowledgeable on how disability has a negative stigma on an individual from society. Disability to me means that one part of your body function does not respond correctly. I started to notice that many people are not hurting in fact they are living their life perfectly just differently. For an example people see a paraplegic trying to get in his/her car, they feel sorry for them and try to help them, not realizing that they did not need help when he got in the car back at home.

When I was asked to reflect on my experiences in EDSE 316 and the fieldwork, I had to think long and hard on how I would sum up four months of classes and fieldwork into four pages. I have learned so much about the various disabilities and how it has change the world of special education. I think a better term would be the “endless possibilities of education”. It wasn’t too long ago when children with disabilities would be stuck in a room in the back of school only to be seen in the beginning and end of the school day. They were the ones who rode the other buses and no one really talked about. This class has allowed me to speak of my own family and how special education impacted my life. I have a brother whose whole life was spent in the special education class, and my own sons with speech and learning disabilities who are now receiving special education services. It also allowed me to reflect on my own participation in the special education program in my early elementary years when I was struggling with my own speech disability. This class gave me the chance to see the timeline of special education, from its earliest beginnings to what it is now.

Thank you for allowing me to observe your classroom and read your planning notes. I am writing this letter to commend your instructional practices concerning exceptional learners. As a first year teacher of ESL students, you have successfully incorporated scaffolding and it is evident that you are sensitive to the needs of a diverse classroom. I noticed that you differentiated your instruction for both your beginner and advanced students. You have established highly effective reading and comprehension strategies. For example, I noticed an exceptional learner named Suer that is struggling with reading and writing. You permit Suer to use a Smart Board to match words with sentence starter supports and visual pictures. You

When people have a disability it is life changing for them. They cannot just flip a switch and turn it off; most times it is a permanent ordeal. Participating in this experience opened my eyes even more to specifically what disabled people go through on a daily basis.

Every person deserves an education. It is what shapes us, allows us to grow. As future and current educators or parents, understanding the perspective of persons with disabilities in the classroom is important. Being confident in your own abilities and not being afraid to use the resources available to you.