Students with disabilities
I agree with this, disabled students do not like to be singled out, They sometimes need an accomodation just to make it an even playing field. I have found that in most cases these students try a little harder because they have the disability. The result is that in a lot of cases they become some of the better students we have.
Joseph,
Part of the key to full inclusion is to get folks to understand what you seem to understand -- that they are STUDENTS, first and foremost, who just happen to have disabilities!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I have had many students that had accommodations and it is always important to treat them like everyone else. After all, they are like the rest of the students, everyone has learning styles or preferred methods of learning that help them be successful. Sometimes theirs are just different to implement.
Steve,
I think that is a great philosophy, and very "do-able." When you are used to recognizing and enhancing the individual learning styles of all students, the idea of providing accommodations for students with disabilities is less intimidating.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I totally agree with this statement as I have had wheel chair bound students that actually get mad if you try to help them without thier asking. Some actually apologize each time a training aide has to be modified to accomodate thier situation. and in closing one student who was hearing impaired turned out to be the better noise diagnostic student I've had simply by feeling the engine for unusual vibrations while it was running. Truitt Gaines
Truitt,
Those are the kind of stories we like to hear. One suggestion -- see if you can substitute the term "wheelchair user" for "wheelchair bound". Wheelchair bound makes emphasizes the negative -- the individual CAN'T walk. Wheelchair user emphasizes the positive. If focuses on something that the individual DOES do. Sometimes, the terminology we use can make a subconscious difference in perspectives.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I have had several students with various disabilities over the years. What I have learned is that you should always treat these students as individuals. What works for one student may not work for another even though they have the same diagnosis.
That's an important observation, Kevin. People always try to be careful about stereotyping people on the basis of their disability label, but we forget that recommending the same accommodations for everyone with that label is a form of stereotyping as well.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
