What Can We Do to Promote the Social Integration of Students with Exceptional Learning Needs? Trisha Amato

As I watched the video I know that parents want and desire social integration. As professionals, we know that is what the parents want more than anything else is for their children to be included with their peers. Parents want for their children to be included in the school and in their community. In a perfect world, there would be no need for social integration and being lifted onto the shoulders of the classmates like the kid in the video.

            In my opinion, collaboration is the best way to achieve social integration. According to Jimenez and Graf (2008), many parents were not satisfied with their role in their child’s education. They were more worried about the social integration and the school seemed to dismiss the opinions of the families. One mother stated there was open lunch for high school disabilities and the special education class stood in line for the restroom. If the school officials and the parents work together they are more likely to be able to resolve the social integration issues. An example of parent-teacher collaboration could be the idea of peer groups or as Turnbull suggested in Exceptional Lives (2016) a circle of friends. The parent can bring information on the child as to the interests and personality and the teacher can find children willing to spend time with the child, sharing their interests and themselves.  Each party brings information to the table that will be helpful to achieve the specific social goals. The parent has known the child all of their lives and know his or her strengths and weaknesses, whereas the school specialists bring specific knowledge to the situation.

                        There are other ways besides a school environment to get younger children involved in the community and educate the younger population. Children can be involved in dance classes, boy/girl scouts, and 4-H, just a few examples. If the parents work with the leaders of these groups there are ways that things can be adjusted to accommodate these special children. If these parents and leaders can show the children in the class how special and loving the individuals are the social integration will be ingrained in these children. If there is no exposure to children with special needs there is a fear, which should not be there.  If parents would expose their children to someone that is different than themselves, they would be fostering a relationship and allowing for someone who is different to have a friend.  

Children need to feel useful, needed and loved in any situation. As discussed in Dove’s handout Principles of Normalization, the sheltered workshop model, is a long term placement option. The supported competitive employment model depending on the person’s disability and the capability is the better option to integrate them socially into the community. When the time arrives to transition from school into the work force. At the age of sixteen, according to the Rehabilitation Act, individuals that have a severe disability but are able to hold a job are afforded two different types of vocational rehabilitation services. First, they may receive a work evaluation, financial aid to pursue job training and job locator services. If the individual has severe disabilities, they may enroll in a supported employment program during the program, students will work with the assistance of a job coach. The job coach will teach the individual to do the job and then help them to do it independently. Students must make at least minimum wage and after eighteen months must be able to the job on their own (Turnbull, 26). The sheltered workshop model is just that; sheltered. Those individuals are not able to get out in the community as easily as others and when these individuals are out in the community, many times they receive stares and glances. The looks of pity are one that many of us cannot even begin to understand. As an advocate for these individuals, we must be able to stand up for them and speak on their behalf. Sometimes, it is enough to just introduce the individual, depending on the situation.