I believe that teachers, parents, administration, and the community can and should promote the social integration of students with Exceptional Learning Disabilities (ELN). Social skills and social integration are not something that should be left to the school to teach. This is something that starts at home. Understandably, students with disabilities have a harder time with social integration.
When I was teaching t one of the area charter schools, I taught social skills to my class. When we had award celebrations, myself and my fellow teachers would obviously pass out awards for honor roll and attendance, however, we also had to pass out other awards to the rest of our students so they wouldn't be left out. In my five years of teaching I don't recall any of my students being shunned or ignored because of disabilities. All of my students hung out and played together regardless of whatever disability they may or may not have had. My client I work with as a TSS does show a little social awkwardness, especially during recess when he is trying to join a group playing. I work with him on how to interact with his peers throughout the day. He, even with his disability, is accepted into the group as a friend.
I think children are more used to other children with disabilities because of the legislation passed with the creation of Education of All Handicapped Students Act (P.L. 94-142) then with IDEA in 1990. These laws enabled parents to advocate for their children placements in regular education classrooms through inclusion and least restrictive environment. I think today's children are so used to other children with disabilities and they make friends with them easily because they are part of their class. Thinking back when I was in elementary school, I don't recall having any child with a disability in our class and I can guarantee my parents never did either.
I think the video of Jason is a perfect example of how students with disabilities are accepted by students without disabilities. The whole team as-well-as the entire gymnasium crowd started cheering for him when he was put in the game. I don't agree with the coach waiting until the last 4 minutes of the last game of his senior year to allow him to participate. The whole place went crazy when he made his first basket. They treated him like a teammate and a friend.
I think we all have to play a role in the social integration of our students whether it is teaching social skills or establishing a circle of friends. They will need our help to interact with their peers. I think classrooms have come a long way in accepting students with disabilities compared to when I was in elementary school in the 80's.
I was struck by the comment "we also had to pass out other awards so those students wouldn't be left out." I think sometimes that's the trap we have fallen into. We award because we know its right and we don't want anyone to feel left out. I am challenging us to really develop relationships with our students with special needs to find their strengths and reward that! I don't feel that it does students with disabilities any justice to get rewarded so they don't feel left out. I think what happened when special needs children got included into the gen. ed. classroom was people forgot that they really do have something to offer, but its our jobs as teachers to find out what that is;)
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