Should Special Education Students Be in a Regular Classroom?

I have recently spoken to many parents who feel that any child who is in need of some type of special education should be placed in separate classes than the other students. But there are the parents of the children who are in special education who feel that their child has the right to be in a regular class. So what is the problem with having them in a regular class! Below are some of the reasons why parents feel that special education children should be separated from other children.

1. In some cases they are a distraction from the rest of the class. Some children who are in need of special education also have problems being overly hyper, which means that they have some difficulty sitting and listening.

2. It slows down the rest of the class. Some parents feel that having children who are in need of special education in a regular class can take away from the time the teacher has to spend with the other children.

3. The children who are in need of special education may not be getting the attention they need. The most important concern that many parents have is whether or not the students who need the special attention are getting what they need from school.

While the reasons why some parents do not want their children in classes with children in need of special education are not many, they still deserved to be addressed. Believe it or not it is a very controversial issue in some school districts. Both parents have their own opinions and viewpoints and both have some very valid points. Following are some of the reasons why parents of children in need of special education feel that they should still be allowed in a normal classroom environment.

1. They will not fell any different than the other children. One thing that many parents want is for their child to be treated like any other child and for them to feel the same as others. By being in a normal classroom environment they can still be a part of the class.

2. Isolating them is not the answer. In some school districts they tend to take children who are in need of special education and place them by themselves for the entire school day, so that they do not interfere with the other children. But this does not allow them the socialization that all children need.

3. Parents feel that it will help them to learn to work in a group environment. Just because a child is in need of help in order to learn, does not mean that they are not smart. In fact these children are very bright; it’s just that they learn differently from others.

The bottom line is that what has worked best in most schools is having several teachers who only work with the children who need special education help. This teacher usually comes to take the child out of class for about an hour a day to give them one on one instruction. They then return to class and continue to interact with the other children. Many teachers feel that this helps everyone learn, and that it helps to avoid any type of distraction from the rest of the class. It really is up to not only the parent, and the school, but also the community to work together so that all children can learn.