Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Age-Old Problem, Perpetually Absent Solution: Fitting Special Education to Students' Needs

As we gear up for the start of the school year, here is an interesting piece from Jay Mathews, an education reporter for The Washington Post. His assessment of the entire special education experience seems totally on target. Why do schools insist that a child fits into their program? Shouldn't the program be altered to fit the child's unique needs?

Miguel Landeros is a lanky, well-spoken 12-year-old about to begin seventh grade in Stafford County. He is severely learning disabled, with reading, writing and math skill levels at least two years below his peers, and needs special teaching, according to a licensed clinical psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and other specialists.
Last February, Stafford officials refused to accept that evaluation and left him in regular classes. He performed poorly, failing all core subjects. Recently, they promised to give him more specialized services, but not the ones the experts who examined him say he needs.

No comments:

Post a Comment