The Burden and the Goal
Said NBC’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, during a recent Today show segment on Missouri families seeking insurance coverage for autism treatments:
“The burden right now is on the parents and I think most Americans would say that’s not fair because the goal has to be intensive treatment early and get these kids into mainstream school.”
Certainly many families struggle (and then some) to pay for therapies for their children (though thinking about autistic children solely in terms of the “cost to society” emphasizes that they are “burdens” and overlooks all they can contribute, if given the chance). But while integrating and including autistic and special needs kids in classes and schools are essential, mainstreaming is not necessarily a goal in and of itself for every child all the time. I wish my son could attend classes with the middle school students his age: He’s currently in a self-contained autism classroom located in our town’s middle school. His academic skills are not at the same “level” as his same-aged peers and, at this point, his time in school seems best spent teaching him in the individualized and highly structured ways that he best learns with.
But Charlie and his classmates’ presence in a local public school and efforts to make sure they are fully part of the community—-that’s more than a goal. That’s the way it needs to be.
Tags: asd, asperger's, autism, costs, Education, Insurance, mainstreaming, public school, schools, special education, today show
11 opinions for The Burden and the Goal
Bonnie
Jun 20, 2008 at 10:23 pm
In a way, I suppose it’s good that she a least even mentioned the concept of mainstreaming as an option. So many seem not to support that option for our children, but I agree that it shouldn’t be a priority in their educational lives. My son is in a self contained room about 65% and regular ed 45%. For us, all we hope to get from such a situation is some social stuff, exposure to “typical” behaviour, and hopefully, something might strike his fancy from an education stand point. But I don’t feel he’ll ever be a regular ed student full time. I don’t think it would benefit him in the long run, and I’m ok with it.
Regan
Jun 20, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Nancy Silverman might have meant inclusion, not mainstreaming.
Mainstreaming is where the student is in a specialized setting, within the neighborhood school and spends part of the day or week in classes/activities with typical peers (sometimes, but not always, the classes/activities are those not considered academic, such as art, PE, lunch and recess. This depends on student IEP).The primary teacher is a Special Educator or other specialist.
Inclusion is where the student is primarily or solely instructed in the general Ed classroom with typical peers and can receive specialized services, accommodation and modifications via push-in model. The general education teacher, probably in consultation with an Inclusion Specialist is the primary teacher of the student.
Some people use the term integration synonymously with mainstreaming with an eye to a potential goal of inclusion.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 21, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thanks for those definitions, Regan. I was thinking about how the terms are different yet intertwined and overlapping as I reflected on Silverman’s statement.
AnneC
Jun 21, 2008 at 1:49 am
In my opinion, there’s a lot wrong with “regular” education in general, and with the way things are managed in schools (both public and private). Not because any particular group of people (teachers, administrators, etc.) is somehow primarily made up of “bad people” — I am not saying that at all — but rather, because there’s a lot of structural inertia and budgetary strife and disorganization and such. Not to mention the fact that hardly anyone takes bullying as seriously as they ought to.
I guess what I’m saying is that when you have a school that is actually “good”, it will practically by definition be good for all different kinds of students and learning styles — not just for one specific narrow range of such, which is how a lot of schools presently operate, and probably why even a lot of kids not diagnosed with anything in particular have problems and don’t end up learning as much as they could.
Cliff
Jun 21, 2008 at 2:12 am
I wonder how aware people are of those definitions when using those terms? I see a lot of misuse in that regard.
Cliff
Regan
Jun 21, 2008 at 2:49 am
Of course I goof it up by substituting Silverman for Snyderman. Egad.
The rest stands :-).
Cliff
Jun 21, 2008 at 3:55 am
Yeah, I didn’t nitpick on that little detail.
Cliff
farmwifetwo
Jun 21, 2008 at 5:28 pm
“Inclusion is where the student is primarily or solely instructed in the general Ed classroom with typical peers and can receive specialized services, accommodation and modifications via push-in model. The general education teacher, probably in consultation with an Inclusion Specialist is the primary teacher of the student.”
My severe non-verbal 6yr old was in a Gr 1 regular ed class this past year, and will be in a regular Gr 2 class next year. He receives the same education, same topics that they do… with a twist. He receives OT, Speech and PDD support all in the classroom, and they will be requesting computer funding and he will have his own computer from now until he graduates h/s.
He’s fully supported and fully integrated. Next years teacher’s comment on Fri’s IEP mtg “I am firm, fair and fun… I’ve worked with him before and truly view it as a challenge”.. I requested her. They have a mini-competition going at school to see who can get him to “chat” with them the most. The Gr 6’s help with recesses and lunch…. he’s the school pet.
It can be done… and done properly… just takes a little effort.
S.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 21, 2008 at 11:07 pm
AnneC noted “structural inertia and budgetary strife and disorganization and such” as problems in schools in general—-I’m not saying that our current school district, or any school district, is entirely free of these. But the “structural inertia” seems to be much less than in other places we’ve been in—-while budget is always a concern, often what’s seemed the biggest mountain to climb is to persuade and convince school administrators and boards of ed for needed services and training; for thinking in different ways about education.
Andrea
Jun 22, 2008 at 2:26 pm
My son’s in a school with ‘mainstreaming opportunities,’ which basically means that he goes into regular ed classes like music a few times a week. It was made to sound like such a grand thing when I was talked into transferring him there, but after this year, with all the constant focus on what he wasn’t doing, instead of how he was progressing, I’m kind of fed up with the whole deal. I feel like there’s a great rush to ‘mainstream’ with not adequate attention to whether or not the child is truly ready for it.
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