The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Ring
A recent poll by the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University found that only 28 percent of respondents supported educating students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities in regular classrooms. Although programs vary state by state (and student by student), the trend in recent years has been to educate students with behavioral problems in classes with typically developing students. Advocates for mainstreaming such students into regular classrooms, for either part or all of the school day, argue that it benefits all students to interact with one another. It's also more cost effective than creating separate special-needs classes, let alone separate schools. But opponents argue that mainstreaming can lead to ostracism of students who frequently act out, and it is taxing on teachers, who must accommodate the needs of all. What do you think is the best way to educate students with behavioral problems? We want to know!
I have been an EBD teacher
Submitted by Danika Fulcher (not verified) on November 25, 2008 - 16:49.
I have been an EBD teacher for 10 years at the elementary level. Students with sever behavior needs should be taught in a special ed self-contained classroom. I am able to address the behavior needs and teach the socail skills the students are missing. In a general education classroom there isn't time to focus on the behavioral needs. Once students have gained the skill to behave appropriately they should be introduced to the mainstream classes a little at a time.
Most of my experience as
Submitted by Jackie (not verified) on November 15, 2008 - 20:39.
Most of my experience as someone with Asperger's Syndrome in Special Ed, with behavior problems was being bullied by them. Someone said putting behavior problem children in Special Ed with students who may have emotional sensitivities, is putting the bullies in with the perfect victims.
They should be taught in another classroom, so they are not able to abuse or manipulate other students in Special Ed. I'm sorry if that upsets any parents here of behavior problem children, but as far as I've known behavior problem to me has been just a PC way to say bully.
Diversity
Submitted by Molly Wilson (not verified) on October 21, 2008 - 13:59.
Students with behavior issues are a diverse population. Some of them will thrive in a regular classroom with appropriate role models. Others will not. It's the job of the smart special ed. teacher to know what works for which students. That's what special ed. is all about. I think one of the most challenging groups of students are those returning from residential treatment or juvenile jail. In many cases, they are not already determined eligible for special ed. and are challenging because the supports are not in place to help them be successful.
Many of the comments are
Submitted by Bob Rodenbaugh (not verified) on October 20, 2008 - 04:39.
Many of the comments are right on target, but the issue really is that Special Education is not really understood by those who view it from outside, and often by those with limited experience within the field. The breadth and depth of the challenges faced range from perceptual impairemant to psychosis, and at times a combination of minor difficulties which are identified as multiply handicapped. There is a place for inclusion, but as mentioned, there is no one single approach, and often, the arguement for grouped services such as classes and schools, in-district or out of district, lend to specialization which can work to better provide for the student. While there are many more issues to support either side, like nature vs. nurture, there is no clear cut winner. In my opionion, there is room for both, hence the "least restrictive environment" restriction and when applied correctly, the student ends up in a fair setting where his or her individual needs can be met, as opposed to one where he is treated as equally as his peers, and his needs are not appropriately addressed.
Where do kids with EBD belong?
Submitted by Sheryl REdman (not verified) on October 13, 2008 - 06:10.
I am a Special Education teacher, and while I support inclusion for all students in principle, I have been doing it long enough now to know that for many students, it is not working in actual practice.
A lot depends on the school/school system. I teach in a high school with drug/gang/violence issues. I have students with EBD (and MID) who have trouble moderating their behavior. When they spend their day with these junior hoodlums and gangsta wannabes, they get into real trouble (and they get injured). At least when they were self-contained with us, we could keep them safe during the school day.
The educational side of this is that I have watched the reading and math levels of my older students drop every year they have been in high school. We test them every year, and their scores are lower every year. They do not pass the state graduation tests, their basic skills level are dropping, so how can they be benefitting, from an educational standpoint, from inclusion.
I believe that there are some students with disabilities who are benefitting from inclusion. However, when I am in the genereal education classroom, I find that the Special Education students are not the ones who will ask for help. The students with EBD act out and are called "retarded" and other mean names. Special Education students often don't even want me to speak to them, but General Ed. kids will speak to me every day.
The other big problem that someone who replied to on this message board mentioned was "cookie cutter" kids. As educators, we know that all children are different, with specific needs, abilities, and learning styles. But NCLB, and standards-based classrooms have taken away most of the flexibility we used to have in working with our students. Because we are required to teach specific concepts on a specific schedule, we have to move on to the next concept, whether or not the students have mastered the current concept.
As a teacher, I feel trapped and anxious because I feel that all students are being cheated by NCLB, and many students are being cheated by inclusion. Teachers are so focused on meeting guidelines and standards that they don't get to enjoy just teaching as they once did. Inclusion caused educators and parents to throw all students into one big bowl without actually looking at who would truly benefit and who might suffer. And when we do annual reviews, we continue to leave students in inclusion, even though they are failing.
I don't know how to fix the education system, but I do know that it is broken, for many reasons. I agree that Special Education teachers need more instruction in teaching content, and the Gen. Ed. teachers need more instruction in working with Special Needs students (many teachers don't even know how to modify assignments until we teach them). As one person on this board mentioned, the "us & them" mentality has to change in order for inclusion to work well at all. Time to collaborate is essential for this to happen.
Students Behavior Problems
Submitted by Betty A. Hallenbeck (not verified) on October 10, 2008 - 04:29.
A meta-analysis of studies looking at the effectiveness of inclusion for behavior disordered students shows that it is an ill-advised practice. These students do not imitate the desirable behaviors of their typical peeers. In fact, lower functioning typical kids will imitate the behavior of the problem students. Appropriate behavior must be taught, reinforced, and practiced across of a variety of settings before any discussion of inclusion should be undertaken. Further, children with behavioral difficulties are often faced with a situation in which they receive no positives in a general ed. classroom. They will only continue, and likely worsen their problem behaviors until they are put in a structured setting designed to teach, maintain, and generalize their desirable behaviors. Ignoring this population's unique instructional needs is much like saying, "Cardiac patients need no specialized care. If we put them in rooms with healthy people, they would develop healthy cardiovascular systems." Pure nonsense that none of us would accept. Yet we swallow that line whole when applied to kids' unique learning differences.
Reply to Betty Hallenbeck
Submitted by JK (not verified) on October 12, 2008 - 18:27.
This makes some sense. Can you give me information on that meta-analysis you mentioned?
Students with Behavior Problems
Submitted by jess (not verified) on October 10, 2008 - 04:15.
Many of these students NEED to be taught in a place where they can be successful. A lot of the behavior problems come from a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. Children act out to get attention. But when other children start calling them "bad" or "stupid", self-esteem plummets and more problems ensue.
Sliding Scale
Submitted by Sara Wagenmaker (not verified) on October 9, 2008 - 17:09.
The idea that all students fit one mold or another is not taking into account the individuality of each person. There are as many different scenarios as there are children. We do have to look at what is best for all children. Preserving the rights of one group over another has habitually caused the other group to suffer. Placement should be made based on each students presenting needs. There should also be a little more room for non-traditional approaches to education for both special and general education students. In this day of limited resources, it is important to look at the talent from within and reshape the box to meet the needs of all students. The general education student should not have to suffer a loss in instruction due to outbursts of another. Nor should a student be segregrated from his/her peers on the basis of a label which can sometimes be made as a lesser of two evils.
As a general education teacher, I could have used some of the assistance of the special educator for my bubble students who clearly needed help in one area yet did not meet the "requirements" of special education. By the same token, I work also work as a special educator and I need to have the ability to transition my students into the general education environment as the student is able to tolerate and still have a reasonable expectation of success.
The main barrier to implementation of this sliding scale currently falls to the halls of higher learning. As a teacher trained for the general education population, my exposure to special education included one introductionary class. As a teacher who received additional instruction for special education, my exposure to the general education curriculum included one reading methods class. If all I am taught is to teach core curriculum under one hat and how to teach using differentiated instruction while wearing a special education hat, I can see how the student becomes the one to lose. Both groups need to receive the transdisciplinary instruction so that the needs of all students are met. We would then be able to tear down the "us and them" mentality that so pervades education these days.
Sara Wagenmaker, M.Ed
Elementary Language Arts
Special Education
Speech Therapist
The Best Way
Submitted by Charlie (not verified) on October 9, 2008 - 06:10.
What is the "BEST WAY"...If a great percentage of the teachers time is spent "working" with special needs students then of course the "regular" students teaching time will be lessened... Is this really the best way now? Here we go again with the same old story. Each situation is different and there needs to be careful assessment... no cookie cutter model should be acceptable. Educational decisions /placements need to be different for each student.
In the past it was called mainstreaming and teachers usually had an one aid per student. MORE $$$
Maybe parents need to be responsible in someway for the extra costs... I don't know how... let the Harvard Brains make some brilliant recommendations. If we need glasses does the school pay for them? Inclusion has been bantered around for years... just like Head Start... It failed miserably. Many children are misplaced or dumped into classrooms with teachers who are not equipped to "teach" students with special needs. A free, public education for all... how far do we go with it? It's not really free. If it is then let's buy computers for all students since it might help with research skills/learning for eveyone...Who pays for it???? Public Education is in the tank and needs a major revision this century. The Best Way seems to challenge our Harvard educators... what do they propose the best way is... with all their research what are their findings? Cost effective??? That is putting the students with special needs in places where their education isn't the "best". What if this compromises what is best for them? Yeah, as usually it all comes down to the $. Everyone wants the Best but there is a cost.
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