essay about special needs

Students With Disabilities Deserve Inclusion. It’s Also the Best Way to Teach

Students with disabilities face substantially increased rates of abuse and restraint in schools. As an education and disability advocate seeking to change that, I frequently encounter well-meaning arguments for separating higher-needs students from the general population.

Many parents and teachers express sympathy, yet also a desire to keep certain groups of students away from the general population for a variety of reasons.

“Is mainstreaming special needs kids a good idea if it prevents the other kids from learning?”

“And what were the 20-something other kids in the room doing when the teacher was spending most of her time attending to your special-needs child?”

“It’s too bad the other children are the ones who lose out when special-needs kids are mainstreamed. This story is all well and good, but it means that this woman’s child got way more than the other children did in terms of support and attention.”

These are the types of comments found in parent forums and in response to articles about autism and other disabilities in the classroom. And they are echoed by teachers who are facing poorly integrated classrooms with strong behavior challenges. Resistance to inclusion itself as a practice remains entrenched.

Many teachers and parents do not know the pedagogy behind inclusive instruction. Inclusion is not about throwing disabled children into general education classrooms without support or tools and leaving teachers to clean up the resultant chaos. Schools don’t meet anyone’s needs when they integrate thoughtlessly.

They also do not meet the legal requirements defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees all children the right to free appropriate public education. That includes education for disabled students in the least-restrictive environment possible—not segregated and sequestered away from their peers.

Inclusion works when educators collaborate, get the support they need, and believe in the value of all students.

It might be less convenient at first for teachers and students (and parents) to learn about and embrace the disabled student populations at their schools. But there is no inherent right to be free from inconvenience . Perhaps it’s time to look more closely at why we as educators and parents are demanding that to begin with.

Inclusion, by definition, involves carefully assessing a child’s needs and then implementing a strategic plan to support that child within the general classroom setting. This is done by a special education team, rather than one general education teacher. The team offers options such as teacher training, team-teaching, pushed-in special education instruction, classroom accommodations (a standing desk, computer workstation, etc.), an interpreter, or a classroom assistant added to the room for portions of the day.

My son is autistic, and he has an assistant in his mainstream classroom to support him and several other students as needed. The rest of my son’s accommodations rarely affect his classmates at all. He uses a keyboard to write, he meets with the school counselor when he’s overwhelmed, and he has social-skills mentoring. The staff at his school meets and works together, mainstreaming children of all abilities. Test scores and academic achievement remain strong, even with a push-in of students from a countywide behavioral program for students with significant emotional disabilities. The general education students are doing great!

Cost is frequently at the heart of arguments against inclusion. It does take money to adequately support special needs students in mainstream classrooms, of course. It costs significantly less to push an assistant in and offer training, however, than to create a separate classroom with a special education teacher or place a child in a specialized private school.

The cost of time is more significant. Inclusion requires teachers, schools, and entire school systems to commit to the model. It requires training and a general overhaul in perspective—about the role of education and the inherent value of each child and his or her learning experience—disabled or not.

However, inclusion is best practice for disabled and non-disabled students alike. Studies show that when inclusion is done well, the whole class benefits. It doesn’t take away from one group to focus on another—quite the opposite. It enhances the ability of non-disabled kids to cooperate, work together, understand and value different perspectives, think critically, and even test well.

Yes, research indicates that a majority of general education students test the same or better on standardized tests when they are educated in the same classroom environment as their disabled peers. Classrooms that have several unsupported students with severe behavioral disabilities are the exception. But diagnoses like this are rare, and added supports for those students seems to be key.

When supported and given adequate training and tools, teachers in inclusive classrooms understand and instruct a variety of learners, individualizing instruction to meet the needs of all learners better. Students have varied needs and strengths, whether disabled or not. Teachers in inclusion settings learn to address this and teach better because of it.

Empathy—which cannot be measured quantitatively—matters, too. How children view peers who look and learn differently from themselves is also a consideration as they grow to adulthood and become members of their communities, and as they live and work alongside a diverse array of citizens. It’s a critical factor in whether communities and workplaces are able to function and thrive.

Finally, and most importantly, disabled students can achieve . Their talents and gifts are varied, as are the talents and gifts of all students. They are legally entitled to an appropriate public education, but they also have so much to offer their non-disabled peers, teachers, and schools.

Inclusion works when educators collaborate, get the support they need, and believe in the value of all students. It’s time for schools and teachers to reevaluate their long-held biases, and it’s time to address the initial financial investment required for training and staffing. It’s also the law.

Inclusion is the least expensive, most effective method of teaching students. It starts from the top, with administrators making this a priority. When administrators model inclusivity and support teachers in its implementation, the entire school (and school system) culture changes. Test scores are rarely negatively impacted and often go up. More importantly, children become better citizens.

Inclusion is best practice. It is also, quite simply, the right way to teach.

A version of this article appeared in the May 08, 2019 edition of Education Week as What Students With Disabilities Deserve

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Young Children With Special Needs Essay

Possible family reactions on a developmental delay or disability, special education assessments.

Raising a child with disabilities and special needs is a daunting task for parents. Many families where sons or daughters have congenital or acquired disabilities are forced to face constant stress. In this case, the reaction of relatives to the diagnosis of a developmental delay or another serious disorder in their child may be different. According to Gargiulo and Kilgo, a number of factors can influence the perception of family members and their further adaptation to such unpleasant news (57).

In case parents are too impressionable, the information of their child’s illness can shock them, and the help of psychologists may be required. However, the authors also cite the examples of large families where all members support one another and try to cope with current life challenges (Gargiulo and Kilgo 57). Certainly, data about any disability of a child is a significant shock. Nonetheless, if parents are willing to fight for the recovery of their son or daughter, the period of adaptation to a new lifestyle will pass faster.

If I encountered the aforementioned problem, I would be very upset and would seek to find help from medical specialists. Moreover, I would certainly follow all the recommendations and advice from all the professionals without exception. Nevertheless, I would be aware of the responsibility that could be placed on me, and I would not be afraid of “routine but difficult caregiving tasks” that Gargiulo and Kilgo mention (58). This situation is certainly unpleasant, but I would feel a little better if I helped my child but not just regretted what had happened to him or her because of the circumstances that we could not change.

The assessment of the effectiveness of special education is an essential step in the analysis of general correctional work aimed at treating or rehabilitating a child with special needs. Several years ago, I participated in charity sessions dedicated to helping children with various forms of physical or mental disabilities. The entire course was free for families, and volunteers interacted with patients, helping those in need while honing their skills.

During those activities, I was able to understand that the emphasis on any child’s abilities had a more important role as compared with particular attention paid to this or that disorder. My colleagues and I resorted to formal testing described by Gargiulo and Kilgo as one of the most frequent mechanisms of educational evaluation (88). Due to special tasks offered to children, we were managed to obtain reliable and comprehensive data regarding the characteristics of the development of all the patients who contacted us.

The evaluation approach that implied using tests was not the only practice that we promoted to determine the quality and benefits of therapeutic procedures prescribed for young patients. Since most of the children who attended our courses were preschoolers, we utilized a play-based method. Gargiulo and Kilgo note that this evaluation principle provides essential information about the development of a child through a game situation when a patient is relaxed and does not feel discomfort or constraint (90).

This practice became another valuable tool that allowed us to obtain an accurate reflection of children’s abilities and their strengths. Therefore, I consider the methods that we introduced a useful and convenient means of assessing the quality of special interventions promoted during charitable sessions.

Gargiulo, Richard M., and Jennifer L. Kilgo. An Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs: Birth Through Age Eight . 4th ed., Cengage Learning, 2013.

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11 Things I Learned About Having a Child With Special Needs

By: amanda davis, guest writer.

Having a child with special needs is a life-changing experience in more ways than one. My daughter, Kaylee, was born with Down syndrome, underwent heart surgery, dealt with various complications and spent 5½ months in the NICU before coming home. Today, she is in kindergarten — succeeding, thriving and bringing joy to everyone she meets. I’d like to share some of the lessons I learned about having a child with special needs.

1. You Are Not Alone

When Kaylee came along, my first thought was how am I going to do this? I quickly discovered that I had unknowingly joined a club of the most supportive people I had ever met. Parents who have kids with special needs are quick to reach out and help others. There are many parent support groups to join and organizations that share information. You will also develop a team of nurses, doctors and therapists who will guide you along the way as your child develops.

For those who are just starting, you are not alone. Your sphere of influence is about to grow, and you are going to build many new, wonderful relationships with people you never knew existed.

2. It’s OK to Ask for Help

Before Kaylee, I tried to do everything by myself. Now I know the value of asking for help. I learned it takes strength and wisdom to recognize your limitations and to reach out for help. Allowing others to help gives them an opportunity to be a blessing to someone else and allows your relationship with them to strengthen as well.

3. There is No Need to Compare

It’s so easy to get sucked into the comparison game. However, when you play this game, no one wins. The most important thing you can do to help your child succeed is to recognize the unique individual they are and rest in the knowledge that they will get there at their own pace.

4. Celebrate Every Single Milestone

I can’t stress this enough. I learned to celebrate everything. We celebrated when Kaylee could wear clothes in the NICU, move to a crib, breathe on her own, etc. And we never stopped celebrating each milestone — big or small — because there is so much value in recognizing that progress, no matter how small, is still progress. It is in the step-by-step process that we grow. Small steps lead to big achievements over time.

5. Empathy Is a Superpower

I’m certain I didn’t fully understand the difference between sympathy and empathy until Kaylee was born. There are those who are quick to say, “I’m sorry,” and then go about their lives. Then, there are those who are willing to sit in the dark places with you. The ones who are willing to listen to your true emotions without choosing judgment or offering advice. These experiences taught me how to treat people and the value of reaching out to those in need. I have learned that sometimes in life there are no adequate words, but your presence and listening ear is invaluable.

6. Look for the Blessings in Life

I learned to recognize and acknowledge the many blessings that surrounded me daily — whether it was the expert care a nurse was providing for our baby, a successful surgery, a skilled therapist who helped Kaylee achieve a long-awaited milestone or even a kind note found in my mailbox. This experience taught me how to be a blessing to others. It’s motivated me to reach out to others and help them find the blessings in their own lives.

7. It’s Not As Scary As It Seems

Fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. If I could do this experience over again, I would quickly tell my scared self that it’s going to be OK. You will have support. The medical field is full of options. Your baby will grow and succeed. You will meet some of the most amazing people. You will never be the same, but in the best way possible.

8. The Storms Make the Sun Shine Brighter

If there was never any rain, the plants wouldn’t grow. Just as if we didn’t have trials, our character wouldn’t grow. It is through the storms that I have learned to appreciate everything. Having a child with special needs has made the colors around me brighter and my world bigger. It has changed my perspective on everything. I now know what is truly important in life, and I live each day focused on those things.

9. Presume Positive Intentions and Educate Others

People will make comments when you have a child with special needs. Sometimes those comments will unexpectedly hit a nerve and cause hurt feelings. I have found that instead of getting upset, it is best to presume that the person is trying to be nice or lacks experience when it comes to kids with special needs. I have learned to take the time to explain Kaylee’s diagnosis. If people don’t know better, they can’t have the opportunity to do better.

10. Slow Down and Enjoy Life

I used to live a pretty fast-paced life. I had my lists, and I checked them off. I made my plans, and I got things done. Then, Kaylee came into my world at a significantly different pace. She immediately taught me to slow down. I learned that the day can still be enjoyed, even if my list is not complete. In fact, in the big scheme of life, my list really wasn’t that important after all. I learned that living in the here and now is most important.

11. Give Yourself Grace

Mistakes will be made. Kaylee came home with a feeding tube, and I had a crash course in nursing. Honestly, I made every rookie mistake I could make, and Kaylee survived. I learned to give myself grace as I navigated these uncharted waters.

When I look back at myself as the terrified mother who just found out her child would have Down syndrome and need heart surgery to live, and then look now at the person I am today, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything. Not only has my child with special needs changed my life for the better, but she has improved the lives of every person who has come into contact with her. Kaylee leaves a positive impression on the heart of every person she meets. For those who are blessed to be a part of Team Kaylee , she has broadened their perspective and enriched their lives. Children with special needs make the world a better place.

Next Steps and Useful Resources

Want more? Read Kaylee’s story

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Working With a Special Need Child Impacted My Life by Taylor

Taylorof Ridgefield's entry into Varsity Tutor's December 2013 scholarship contest

Working With a Special Need Child Impacted My Life by Taylor - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

When I was a freshman in high school, I was in the leadership class as a class representative. About half way into the year, we were given the opportunity to be a lunch buddy for a peer in the special education class. I have always been fascinated with people with a special need, so I decided to tell my teacher that I was interested in being a lunch buddy. I was paired with a girl named Katera. The disability she was is so rare it has a string of numbers that no one can remember. All I know is that parts of her brain are not connected; making it so she cannot speak normally or function as a person without this disability could. Every other week, on Wednesday I would go into the special education classroom and help her blend her lunch and then help her eat it. I had to make sure she didn't get too much food on her spoon and watch her eat her yams to be sure that she did not eat more than one at once or choke.

The lunch buddy program started about half way through first semester and lasted up until a few weeks before school ended in June. Each week I was more and more excited to go and eat lunch with Katera. I had become fascinated with how she functioned and how her daily life was. I was constantly asking her aid questions. After a few months of working with Katera I decided I wanted to learn more about other special needs and I wanted to work with other kids with a disability. So, over the summer I volunteered at my dad’s work, a day camp through Vancouver-Clark parks and Recreation. I begged to shadow one of the inclusion mentors; luckily I was able to follow a few different people who aided two different types of special disability. One was a girl who has cerebral palsy and a boy who has autism. I soaked up information from internet searches and countless conversations with inclusion mentors. The following school years, my sophomore and junior years, I was not in the leadership class but was specifically asked to work with Katera again. I was allowed a little bit more freedom, considering my past experience with her. I no longer had to have an aid with me while I helped her eat. I continued to learn more about special disabilities and continuously looked for more ways to work with kids with special needs.

Toward the end of my junior year of high school I was thinking about what I wanted to do as a career. I came to the decision that I wanted to be a special education teacher. All of the hours I spent working with kids with a disability grew on my heart and made me love being there. I have always believed that someone should do something they love to do as a career. I have a passion for working with special needs kids. As a result of my career choice, as a senior, I decided to use one of my free periods at school to be a Teacher’s Assistant in the special education room. I am again working with Katera but I am now surrounded by seven other kids with a range of disabilities. Every day I am excited to go to fourth period to further gather experience to help me in my future career.

I owe my leadership teacher, Mrs. Allais, so much for being the one to give me my first opportunity to work with special needs students. Thanks to her and her extracurricular opportunity, I was able to find something that I am passionate about and was able to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The lunch buddy program impacted my life in a huge, positive way. I could not be more thankful for the impact that special needs kids has made on my life, and my heart.

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Growing Up Alongside a Sibling With a Disability

When children help with the education of a brother or sister with special needs, the outcomes are often good for both.

By Keren Landman

Not long after my mother learned that my brother, David, was autistic, she began what she called “little school”: sessions in which she taught him to draw faces, cut with scissors, read and cook. He was 4, I was 2. I recently asked her how she balanced David’s needs with mine. “You were the teacher’s assistant,” she said. “I was trying to make you feel important.”

It was the 1970s, and researchers considered siblings of children with disabilities as a sort of disadvantaged population. Since then, a body of research suggests that when children help with the education of a brother or sister with a disability, the outcomes are often good for both — and my mom was way ahead of the curve. She believed she could help David and lift me up, too. There wasn’t a lot of guidance at the time, so Mom hired an education specialist and talked to David’s teachers and school psychologist.

More recently, researchers have viewed families with special-needs children through a more positive, less stigmatizing lens , said Meghan Burke, Ph.D., an associate professor of special education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This modern framework acknowledges the strengths children may gain from having a sibling with a disability, including enhanced adaptability, empathy and tolerance, said Burke.

However, several studies have suggested these siblings also have higher rates of anxiety, depression and difficulty with peers. Low income families are especially vulnerable because they have less access to resources.

What is clear, Dr. Burke said, is that siblings of children with special needs have needs, too — and parents can do a lot to meet those needs with the help of a few strategies and resources.

Share information

“The first thing is to recognize that the sibling experience parallels the parents’ experience,” said Emily Holl, director of the Sibling Support Project, a national program that works with siblings of people with disabilities. Like adults, children desperately want information about their siblings’ health, but they’re often excluded from the conversations parents have with doctors, social workers and therapists.

“A child’s imagination is much wilder, often, than reality,” said Avidan Milevsky, Ph. D., a psychotherapist and associate professor of psychology at Ariel University in the occupied West Bank. In the absence of accurate information, “that child, in their mind, is creating these horrific explanations for why their brother’s in the hospital, or why Mom is crying when the doctor calls.” Children may also imagine disability to be contagious, Holl said. “If you can catch your brother’s strep throat, why wouldn’t you be able to catch spina bifida?”

Holl recommends a proactive approach to informing siblings about a diagnosis. Find age-appropriate books that explain the condition and include siblings in visits with health care providers.

Good examples and equal expectations

According to Dr. Milevsky, siblings of children with special needs often grow up quickly and feel a sense of responsibility for their siblings in a phenomenon often called parentification . This might seem like a positive outcome for parents — a good kid is one who takes some of the burden off her parents. But too much parentification can lead to behavioral problems and feelings of rejection.

As young adults, siblings may struggle to understand how much caretaking is normal in a relationship or a marriage after taking on so much caregiving as children. My own parentification most likely fostered my disinterest in having children. I’ll never forget cleaning up the bloody shards of glass my brother left after breaking a bathroom window with his face during a tantrum. Today my eyelid twitches when I imagine caring for anything with more needs than a goldfish.

Most experts agree you should encourage your kid to be a kid as long as possible. Some young children worry about where their siblings will live and who will care for them in adulthood. Parents should create opportunities to talk about the future and to assure their children that they are making plans.

In Holl’s practice, she’s noticed that some children experienced less resentment toward special-needs siblings. She said their families did two things. First, they set equal expectations of all siblings as best they can — with respect to behavior and chores, for example. And second, they have a family life that revolves around something other than the disability, whether it’s a shared activity like camping or music, or an organization or faith community in which the whole family can participate.

The single strongest factor affecting a sibling’s interpretation of the disability is the parent’s interpretation of the disability, Holl said. Approach your child’s disability with humor and grace, as something you’ll all work through together, and the other children at home will have a more positive outlook.

Make time for the sibling to connect with parents and peers

“Isolation is one of the major issues that siblings face,” Holl said. Studies of siblings of children with autism and intellectual disabilities have pointed to a pattern of loneliness, peer problems and depression in children as young as 5.

I don’t remember much of my 5th birthday party, but my mother says it was the first time I was aware of other kids noticing my brother’s disability. After that, she said, I didn’t have many friends over.

It’s important for siblings to know that they’re not alone, Holl said. Her organization administers Sibshops , peer support groups that use play-based activities to help siblings of children with disabilities. Participants tend to be between 8 and 13, although some are as young as 6. While Sibshops may be therapeutic, they’re not therapy: “We are unapologetically playful,” Holl said.

It can also be profoundly nourishing for siblings to have short intervals of one-on-one time with their parents. “Leave room to talk about anything or nothing,” Holl said, including the child’s questions about her sibling or her own concerns. Keep the communication style open and use active listening so children feel heard. Let the moment be casual and unplanned. A car ride to soccer practice is long enough for meaningful together time; my mother set aside a few minutes at bedtime for a back rub and chitchat.

This unscheduled time allowed me to express feelings that were hard for my mom to hear, but that actually signified and helped cement healthy emotional connections. And it provided a starting point for problem-solving. My mother remembers a school psychologist telling her she was lucky when she heard I was grumbling that David got more attention than me. Complaining was far better than keeping my feelings bottled up.

And those grumbles opened the door to a path forward. “I remember that it hurt me,” said my mom. But “I wanted to do something about it.”

I never really developed a close bond with David, and in some ways his existence felt like an intrusion into my young life. But my mom showed me what it meant to care for him. Today I’ve made a life that allows me to be there for him, and I’m prepared to make my own sacrifices for his well-being. If not for him, then for her.

Keren Landman is a physician, journalist and special-needs sibling based in Atlanta.

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Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability

You may be wondering, How do I support children with disabilities or developmental delays when I don’t have any training to do that? All children learn best in a developmentally appropriate program that offers them the supports they need to participate successfully alongside their classmates. Many children with disabilities benefit from simple accommodations and modifications, while other children may need more specialized, individualized supports provided by special education professionals. These professionals will work with you, the children, and their families to help the children learn and thrive.

To be an effective teacher, remember that regardless of individual needs, children are first and foremost children—and best practices for young children are best practices for all young children. Here are some ideas to help you set the stage for a great year for everyone.

Try basic modifications

Painting and drawing : Some children have a hard time painting or drawing on a tabletop because it involves using very small muscles in the hands and wrists, which may not be developed yet. Try also setting up easels, which allow children to stand and use bigger arm movements that originate from the shoulders, which often is easier.
Books : Make board books available, and add jumbo paper clips to regular book pages to make them easier for children to turn. These modifications help children with motor delays but are also fun for everyone.

See the child as a child first

Each child is unique, and every child can learn. Look beyond a child’s disability or label, and get to know her as a person. Observe children to discover what interests each one and to get ideas about what might motivate her. Talking and playing with children provides important opportunities for building trusting relationships. Set learning goals, choose strategies, and assess children’s progress. And just as you do for all children, have high—but realistic—expectations for children with disabilities or developmental delays.

Reexamine your beliefs and knowledge

To be an excellent educator for all the children in your classroom, stay in touch with your inner teacher. Review both your understanding of child development and your toolkit of practices. Honestly examine your beliefs about children and families. Then think deeply about your responsibility to make learning—and the physical environment—engaging, developmentally appropriate, and accessible for all children.

Tap into the expertise of special education professionals

If a child has an identified disability or developmental delay, he receives services specified in his Individualized Education Program (IEP). The child’s teacher should either be given a copy of the IEP or opportunities to review it. Don’t hesitate to ask the special education teacher, early intervention coordinator, or administrator to explain anything that is confusing. They can help you adapt and modify your curriculum, physical space, materials, and educational expectations so the child can participate as fully as possible in classroom routines and activities. These professionals can also support you in identifying the child’s strengths and interests, helping you find relevant ways to connect your teaching to each child.

Speech, physical, and occupational therapists who work directly with a child can also brainstorm adaptations and modifications with you. For example, for a child who has difficulty with balance and large motor control, a physical therapist could provide a special chair for the classroom and work with you to find other comfortable seating options that let the child be part of the group.

Make simple changes

Design the classroom space, routines, and activities so they are adaptable and can be used by the children in a variety of ways. This proactive approach supports children’s strengths and can be modified to address children’s needs. Plan activities that require more than one child’s participation to accomplish a task. Instead of an adult always working with a child with a disability, pair the child with a peer buddy. Provide dress-up items with multiple ways to fasten them. Find ways to absorb background noise to avoid distracting children.

Strategies to try

While there are many strategies to support children with disabilities, here are a few.

Environment : Arrange the classroom furnishings so all children—including children with visual or physical disabilities—can move and maneuver around the room and learning centers by themselves. Make sure materials are within reach. Watch for classroom clutter and unstable flooring (throw rugs that move easily) that make the classroom space inaccessible for some children.
Routines : The best routines have a predictable beginning, middle, and end. Use visual supports, such as pictures or props, to teach children routines, help them stay engaged, and aid them in transitioning between different activities.
Peers : Peers who do not have disabilities can model positive prosocial and communication skills and demonstrate everyday routines that young children with disabilities can imitate. Classmates can also help children develop social relationships and increase their motivation to be part of classroom activities.
Noise : Managing noise in the classroom plays an important role in both learning and behavior. Loud classrooms affect a child’s ability to understand increasingly complex language. Carpets and other sound-absorbing materials, like wall hangings, heavy drapes, felt, and chairs with tennis balls on the bottom of metal legs, all help reduce classroom noise.
Materials : Modifying materials in the classroom can have a big impact on independence. Add pencil grips to crayons and markers to make them easier for children with motor difficulties to hold. Gluing small knobs to puzzle pieces make them easier to pick up.Create opportunities for refugee parents to share their traditions.

Determine where individual children need more support

What do you expect children to do and learn during typical routines and activities? Consider this, then think about the supports you can provide to help a child with a disability be more independent and successful. Break down activities into smaller, more manageable tasks for her, and teach the tasks one by one. To help the child transition to a new activity, give her a picture or symbol of the area to show where to go next. If a child uses a nonverbal mode of communication (picture symbols, sign language), teach all of the children to use it.

Finally, trust your knowledge and instincts

Whatever the needs of the children in your classroom, learn to trust your instincts and rely on your professional expertise and judgment. Be willing to seek help from others who have valuable experience and knowledge to share with you. These are important things you can do not just for children with disabilities but for every child in your classroom!

COMMONLY USED SPECIAL EDUCATION TERMS

When there is a child with a disability or developmental delay in your class, you’re likely to hear a dizzying variety of terms from special education professionals. Here are a few helpful definitions.

Assistive technology (AT) : any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Assistive technology helps with speaking, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, and many other functions. Different disabilities require different assistive technologies (wheelchairs, walkers, braces, educational software, pencil holders, communication boards).

Developmental delay : a significant lag in a child’s achievement of developmental milestones in one or more areas of development (cognitive, language, motor, social–emotional)

Disability : a physical or mental condition—such as hearing loss, cerebral palsy, autism, or Down syndrome—that affects the way the body works or develops and that significantly limits a person’s abilities in one or more major life activities, including walking, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, and learning [Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-336)]

Inclusion : the practice of educating children with disabilities in the same classroom as their same-age peers who do not have disabilities. Inclusion is part of the philosophy that people are more alike than different, that differences make classrooms and experiences richer, and that everyone—children with and without disabilities, families, educators, and communities—benefits when children are educated together.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) : a written plan for a child between the ages of 3 and 21 that outlines the child’s learning goals and the services to be provided to meet his educational needs

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 (Public Law 108-446) : the law that governs how states and agencies provide early intervention and special education services to children and young adults

Interdisciplinary (or multidisciplinary) team : a team of professionals who evaluate a child to determine whether a delay or disability exists and whether she qualifies for services

Least restrictive environment (LRE) : the educational setting that allows a child—to the maximum extent possible—to be educated with his same-age peers who do not have disabilities

Referral : a formal request that is often made by families, physicians, or teachers to begin the special education evaluation process

Sensory processing issues : difficulty handling and responding to sensory input

Note: While you may occasionally hear the older term mainstreaming used to mean inclusion, the two are not interchangeable. Mainstreaming describes a child with a disability participating in a program with her peers for just part of the day or for specific activities where she can participate without the teacher making any changes to the activity. Inclusion is the philosophy that children can engage in activities with their peers even if those activities need to be adapted or modified in some way for children to be successful.

Author’s note: Different terms, such as challenged , differently abled , and s pecial needs , are used to refer to individuals with disabilities. While these terms appear to be inoffensive and seem to emphasize positive qualities, they are euphemisms and are not frequently used in the disability advocacy community (Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center). The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom (the book the information in this article is adapted from) uses “child with a disability,” and we do also.

Photos © NAEYC/iStock

Pamela Brillante, EdD, is professor in the Department of Special Education, Professional Counseling and Disability Studies, at William Paterson University. She has worked as an early childhood special educator, administrator, and New Jersey state specialist in early childhood special education. She is the author of the NAEYC book The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom. Dr. Brillante continues to work with schools to develop high-quality inclusive early childhood programs.

Vol. 10, No. 5

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Educational System — Students With Disabilities

Essays on Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities face unique challenges in their educational journey. As a result, there is a growing need to raise awareness and understanding of their experiences and needs. One way to do this is through essays that explore various aspects of disability and education. This long list of essay topics aims to provide a wide range of options for students to choose from, allowing them to delve into issues that are meaningful and relevant to their own experiences or interests.

The Importance of the Topic

Essays on students with disabilities are important for several reasons. Firstly, they help to shed light on the experiences and challenges faced by these students, which are often overlooked or misunderstood. By exploring topics related to disability and education, students can gain a deeper understanding of the barriers that exist and the ways in which they can be overcome. Additionally, these essays can also serve as a platform for advocacy and awareness-raising, helping to promote a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.

Advice on Choosing a Topic

When choosing a topic for an essay on students with disabilities, it is important to consider the following factors:

Personal relevance: Consider selecting a topic that is personally meaningful to you, whether it be based on your own experiences, observations, or interests.
Research potential: Look for topics that have a wealth of research and resources available. This will help you to build a strong, evidence-based argument in your essay.
Impact: Consider the potential impact of your chosen topic. Will it help to raise awareness, challenge assumptions, or promote positive change in the educational system?
Uniqueness: Try to select a topic that is original and offers a fresh perspective on the issues faced by students with disabilities.
Collaboration: Consider reaching out to individuals with disabilities, educators, or advocates to gain insights and perspectives that will enrich your understanding of the topic.

Essays on students with disabilities are an important tool for raising awareness, promoting understanding, and advocating for change in the educational system. By selecting a topic that is personally meaningful and relevant, students can contribute to a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students. This long list of essay topics provides a wide range of options for students to explore, allowing them to delve into issues that are meaningful and relevant to their own experiences or interests. By choosing a topic that resonates with them, students can create essays that make a real impact and contribute to positive change in the lives of students with disabilities.

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There Are No Other People’s Children

7 essays written for parents, by parents, published on: september 29, 2017.

October is a special month here at ParentMap. Every year, we publish what we call the Every Child issue in tandem with one of our biggest events: the Every Child Resource Fair at the University of Washington. Both the issue and the free resource fair celebrate and support families with children of all abilities.

This year, we decided to get the story straight from them.

What follows is a collection of personal essays written by parents. Some have children with autism . Others with dyslexia and Down syndrome . One mom has ADHD , diagnosed at age 34. All of them are dedicated to unconditionally loving and supporting their children.

By reading these essays, we hope you see some of yourself. What struggles are they facing that you can relate to? Which joys have they known that you too understand? These stories remind us that when it comes to parenting, there are no other people’s children. We’re all in this together.

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The Emotional Impact of being a Sibling to a Brother/Sister with a Disability

Career Day at an elementary school ignited my childhood feelings of growing up with my brother, Nick, who has a disability:

I recently spoke before 2nd-5th grade students during a career day event at Estes Elementary School. Whenever I speak about my career path before audiences I naturally share how having a brother with a disability provided me with my drive and purpose.

After my presentation, a little girl came up to me and stated in her little 2nd grade voice, “I have a brother with Autism”.

I said to her, “You do? Then welcome to my special club young lady, because we are the cool sisters that God picked to be their siblings”.

She responded in an unsteady and scared little voice, “Yes, but I feel sorry for my brother”.

I kneeled down to look directly in her brown eyes that were starting to fill with tears and said, “He doesn’t want you to feel sorry for him, he wants you to be his door”.

She looked at me strangely. I wasn’t sure if I could say the right things to this 2nd grader in the moment I had, because I could hear her teacher encouraging everyone to get in line to go to the next presenter in another classroom. I said, “Yes a door! During life be that one person who opens the door of possibilities, the door to love, the door to friendships, the door to something he needs, but when you open that door don’t be afraid to walk through it first and take him with you. But most importantly, don’t forget to be his sister.”

For obvious reasons , the content of this subject hits so close to home and my experiences and insights as they relate to siblings are sensitive to me. I want to highlight these emotions for my readers in a series of blogs, so I can dig deeper and explore those feelings. My hope in writing about this subject to validate and bring awareness to those siblings and their families that these emotions are normal and you are not alone. So, check back and continue to follow the series as I explore the emotions and thoughts siblings of individuals with a disability may experience.

The 5 Emotions a Sibling Experiences are highlighted below. Check back for a detailed Blog on each of these emotions…..

Guilt- because they have a disability and you do not.

Jealousy- fighting for parents’ attention is a child thing, but maybe a little more magnified when their sibling has a disability. Along with thinking that their sibling gets the “easy” way out of things such as chores, school work and other responsibilities and we the “typical” developing sibling will always be held to higher expectations.

Embarrassment- it’s not the disability itself that is embarrassing but situations that come along with it. We might always be scanning the room to see if others are watching or noticing that we do things “different”.

Hate- sometimes it’s just needing to hate the disability, not the person

The 3 P’s (Pride, Protective, Possession)

Pride- that God chose them to be their sibling and the realization that their sibling will teach them more about life than anything.

Protective – becoming the shield that blocks and pushes back the negativity in the world associated with disabilities.

Possession- the feeling that no one else can support or love their siblings like they can.

Updated December 8th, 2019: Due to the amount of people who have reached ou t asking for more insight since this post, I have started to write a children’s chapter book. It will be based on myself meeting a friend in 6th who also has a brother with a disability. We share with our readers the emotional stories and connections we share over having brothers with disabilities ! Please comment or sign up for email contact in order to be notified when the book is released! Thank you for thesupport

My Imprint:

Parent takeaway: when your child (who doesn’t have the disability) ask you “why” they can’t go on a trip to Disney or “why” does their brother/sister have to come along…don’t let your first response be: you know why, your brother/sister can’t because they have “insert in their disability”. Let your answer be different. Don’t put the blame on the disability because you are giving a reason to resent the disability itself. Allow your children without disabilities to have the feelings and don’t shame them during their “cycle” of acceptance. Remember that moment when the doctor first told you about the diagnosis and the emotions you felt? As a sibling we go through those same emotions, but in a gradual way because we are young when we start to notice the differences in our siblings, so the cycles of emotions are delayed and can re-surface at times throughout our development of life.

Teacher takeaway: recognize when your student who is a sibling to someone with a disability seems distant. There will be times of social isolation, whether it is from guilt or just needing their “me” time. Just notice and show some extra attention. Also recognize when behaviors or learning styles may mimic that of their sibling. For example: I had to have speech classes when I was in elementary school because I talked like my brother. He was my closest friend so I would mimic his speech and styles.

Community Member takeaway: don’t assume siblings know everything about the disability. Don’t overwhelm them with your questions to help you understand, because they may be cycling through the emotions above and trying to understand it themselves. There is timing for this, but allow them to just be a kid with you. Allow them the opportunity to have a break from home life, and being the understanding sibling. Provide them with a different outlet, mine was softball.

Did you know I had podcast? The intention of the podcast is to share “pieces of me” in the hopes it impacts others’ journeys. Everything from growing up with a brother with a disability, teaching individuals with disabilities, empowering women, learning to lead, coaching, being a mom (especially a boy mom), to fighting through the thoughts of self-doubt. Each will be a piece of me intended to create a better piece within you.

Follow me on Instagram to connect and come along on this journey with me!

Take a listen! Links are below for all your favorite podcast platforms!

Pieces of Me Podcast – for Apple

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44 thoughts on “ The Emotional Impact of being a Sibling to a Brother/Sister with a Disability ”

Wow, its so great to have someone else that can relate! I’m excited about this blog! Thank you for sharing!

If you are interested in a book by a sibling of a person with autism, try “Precisely John A Journey of Love, Laughter, and Faith by Catherine Miller on Amazon

Preach it sister!! This is so easy to relate too!!

Thanks for sharing this. Growing up with a sibling with a disability I didn’t always feel like anyone could understand the complex and mixed emotions I felt.

I do. The emotions have run the gamut. My brother died many many yrs ago and I am still dealing with all the hurt and pain. I try not to think about my brother too much. I think kids need therapy, to understand their own the emotions.

This is an amazing article and story. I will be sharing this with my older daughter who has a younger sibling with a disability. She is the best big sister ever and is so proud and protective of her little sister. We always try to understand her needs and emotions as well and make special time for her to help with the necessary attention her sister receives.

Thank you. This topic is so important These siblings so easily get cought up in feeling like the other child.

My daughter has PTSD and anxiety from her sister’s violent behaviors, which are a direct result of her disability. As a result, my daughter has significant control issues and doesn’t like people in her personal space. She does not do well surprises or kids who don’t follow rules. I wish her teachers would understand this. They have done more damage by failing to understand and support her. Your blog is so refreshing. It should be mandatory reading to all educators and administrators.

This sounds a lot like my daughter. Specifically the control issues, personal space, and other kids not following rules. We are currently looking for a counselor or therapist to talk to because she just seems like a very unhappy child and we don’t know how to help her. Has your child been to therapy and if so has it helped?

My daughter wrote a comic book about this: http://Www.adventuresfrommyworld.com

The effect on a younger twin, and 4 other siblings, i have been doing things so wrong, thank you for the insight, i never actually thought that their siblings feel this way, but it adds up now, 10 years. i’m blown away with this information.

This is comment alone is the exact reason I wanted to share my blog. Thank you for this. It helps me to know my purpose as I move forward, because starting this was hard but it was the intention to help others. You have motivated me more than you could realize to keep going . Follow the blog there are more articles in this series that do in detail about each emotion. The guilt article is already out, next week another one will be release . Thank you

Degrees of disability and caregiving along with parent’s ability to manage stress influence outcomes for sibs/family

I know my younger son feels these things. I have seen them. My issue is how to address them. He is the sweetest kid, and he and his brother seem to have a pretty typical relationship; except my 13 year old is the big brother to my 15 year old. My younger son, shutters his more complicated feelings and doesn’t like to talk about any of them. He has a great poker face to everyone but me, however he won’t talk to me either. I’m worried that there will be lasting negative effects to him bottling everything up.

I feel the same. My younger son 14 yr old has a big brother 19 yrs old with a disability. He has become a very responsible boy since he had to share my responsibilities. He too doesn’t talk about his emotions. I too feel he has it all bottled up inside of him. Though they share a very good relationship but he has become very sensitive . I just want him to feel free and convey the same to him but it doesn’t work

I am an elementary school counselor and a grandmother of a Downs Syndrome grandson. Your article sparked an idea that I would like to have a focus group for these students who have a sibling with a disability. I will be following your blog for ideas!! Thanks!

There is a lot on Sibshops , it’s a national thing as well so you can find activities associated with forming a group. When I was a school teacher I would host Sibshops for those siblings who had a brother/sister with a disability. Let me know how I can help support or give ideas. Love the follow and share!

Sibshop for your school district can help so many students and families in your area. Highly recommended it. It has helped with normalization for all of us.

We have a”Well Sibling Squad” in our area. I am still looking for resources for that sibling who has burdened these emotions for so long then loses her sibling, if someone has resources…

I am not sure what resources are out there but if I could be of some help please let me know .

This is something that is constantly on my mind as a parent to two special needs children and one healthy child. My daughter has two younger brothers on oxygen due to a rare lung disease. I always try to be cautious of what I say regarding why we can’t do things and why things are different for us. I pray every day that I’m doing the right thing for all my children. Being a parent is hard and being a special needs parent is even harder.

Your daughter will be amazing!! I am 46 years old and grew up the sibling of two severely disabled twins, 11 months younger than me. I have such a greater tolerance, compassion, sense of empathy, and strength for having grown up with two very special guys!

I always look at my older neurotypical daughter and wonder what her thoughts are about her brother. She is starting to get expressive about it and ask more about him. I will be reading this article to her today. Thank you for your perspective.

Every last word of this article is true. My sibling, my oldest sister, had typhoid fever at the age of 23 months, and was left partially paralyzed and stopped growing mentally at the age of about two years. This was in 1929, before the advent of so much help for such children. My parents took special care and she lived to be nearly 67 years old, all but 12 years at home! I and my other three siblings, all brothers, learned the greatest lessons of life from our June – the biggest one being unconditional love. I saw unselfish parents, older brothers who tenderly cared, and we all learned the value the important things and not the things the world loves. Beautifully written! Thank you.

I am 4yrs older than my brother Francis who was born with Cerebal Palsy , and I can remember as we were growing up, we were close because of our ages so we always doing something together, and I can honestly say, I never in my mind saw him any different than me, sure he could not do some of the things I did, but he sure the hell tried to do them and sometimes even did them, his perseverance to overcome his disability made him the man he is today , he is a Doctor who treats children with pulmonary diseases , he made me the person I am yesterday and today and forever, I am a advocate against all discrimination against persons with disabilities,

My disabled younger sibling sent me this link. Here is my story….I too have a sibling with a disability. Growing up was a little difficult. Not because of my sister, but because of how I felt my parents treated me. I have a brother (not disabled) and a sister with epilepsy and a scar on her brain which has her congnitive and reasoning skills at a much younger age than what she actually is. My father would always do things with my brother because it was the boy he always wanted, and quite honestly I think he is afraid of her condition, and my mother would focus her time on my sister because of the extra help she needed. I always felt like I was in the way. I unfortunately wasnt given the opportunity to express my feelings of neglect to my parents without being told I was wrong to feel that way, or that I was selfish for not understanding my sisters needs. I am now 30 and have just started to open up to my mother about my feeling of feeling like the 5th wheel. I love my little sister with all of my heart and would do anything for her. None of this is her fault, nor my parents (to an extent). There needs to be more education to families on the emotional roller coaster siblings can go through. When children are diagnosed with a disability, I wish there was some sort of support offered by a therapist or counselor for the rest of the family. And if there is I am not aware. Because of this disability, my parents and I are not as close as I would like. As I have stated earlier, I have expressed my felings recently to my parents and I, again, have been told I am being ridiculous. I have taken a step back from them to allow them to see just how much effort I myself put in to trying to form a relationship with them. Needless to say, we dont talk much. It is heartbreaking what we siblings can go through and feel we have to hide all these emotions. I feel, to this day, I suffer when it comes to expressing my feelings to others. I keep everything bottled up inside.

Thank you everyone for listening to my story. I have never shared this much with anyone before. .

I am crying, I am a triplet and when my brothers and I where one the doctor diagnosed them with Autism. This is exactly how I feel and felt. I’m sure my older two sister would agree. Thank you!!

I am the sister of a Developmentally Delayed brother, whom I now care for since my parents passed away. We are now both in our 50’s with a year difference in our age. I do agree with the descriptions above, but I would like to say that in my own experience growing up there is another experience that I hardly hear anyone talk about. The one that happens when parents are in denial. My brother was passive and did not behave in a way that caused attention as he was growing up. This allowed something to happen in our family dynamic that I haven’t heard to many people talk about. I am not sure if there is a name for it. What happened as I grew up was that my normal abilities where down played. In a sense there was a type of avoidance of my normal abilities and I feel I wasn’t appropriately supported through out my childhood. I could say that maybe my abilities where down played so he is disabilities wouldn’t seem as bad. This was not done intentionally, and I believe that my parents loved me with all their heart. But, they never could come to grips with the fact that my brother was never going to be independent. This lead to a very difficult situation for me emotionally. I guess you could say there was a type of emotional neglect that happened. It was and is very difficult for me to deal with the fallout of growing up in this way. Now that I have to take care of my brother, I have to fight resentment. My parents and I never once discussed my brother’s future or my part in it. Now, it’s like a full time job that I have on top of my full time job. I love him, but he has taken over my life. I did experience all the things written about in this article. But the part that says that the “normal” sibling is held to a “higher expectation” is where I stumbled. I, in a sense, was held to a lower expectation. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience growing up.

My situation was not quite the same, but I always felt being smart or competitive were definitely downplayed at our house. My older brother is developmentally disabled and he wouldn’t have cared about grades, if he even knew what they were (he didn’t). Another thing unmentioned in this article is fear of your sibling. Depending on the disability, this can be very real. I hate all the sugar-coating.

Thank you for the share!

I Love your blog. I have a disabled sister who is 15 months older than me. Our mother dressed us as twins during childhood, as we were the same size. My husband and I moved her into our home after the passing of my parents. She lived with us many years until I felt I could no longer take care of her properly. She lived in a home and went to a day care for the disabled during the day. Her medical records stated that her food was to be cut up and she was to be watched while eating. Last December, the day care was having a Christmas Party. No one watched her as she ate whatever treat or food she stuffed into her mouth. She choked to death that day. Not only do I have the emotions stated in this article, now I deal with the guilt of trusting others to take better care of her than I provided for her. Thank you for this site.

Holy moly I couldn’t imagine. This is why I too opened an adult day care facility, residential housing, employment opportunities, and community access in my hometown because I wanted to have services I could be in control of. My clients are now all my brothers and sisters. I am so sorry for you loss and thank you for sharing.

My older brother and I have a younger brother with mild cerebral palsy and many birth defects. We are all in our 60s. My younger brother has a speech defect, poor hearing, eye problems, one foot larger than the other for which he has had surgery, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. Yet he has a low-normal IQ, an amazing vocabulary, can drive on his own anywhere, knows an amazing amount of facts about sports, and has always held a job, although they are the low-paying, low-hours types of jobs like dishwasher, grocery sacker, etc. He suffered awful bullying through school, was put in classes with severely mentally challenged children who were nothing like him, has never had a girlfriend (he would love one), and has had one close friend who, we discovered, was trying to get money from him constantly. My parents and I have always over-protected and over-bossed him. I remember feeling so loving towards him as a child, but also embarrassed because of him, which led to much guilt. Our brother has become much more withdrawn in the last few years, angry and resentful, and very overweight. I think this is because of how unfair his life has been, and how he has been treated. It’s directed at my older brother and me, too. I understand how that could be, and I’m very sad and guilty about it. My mother, 87, has always blamed herself for his disabilities. She is hellbent now on making sure he is well-provided for when she is gone. They live together, and they help each other when one is sick or the other needs anything. She is worried sick about him, too, and always has been. I wonder now why my brother and I have remained so immature and dependent on our mom. We rely on her to help us out of $ issues, we rely on her wisdom, and we have remained scattered, rather irresponsible people. Is it obvious to everyone but US why that would be? Is the big factor here our little brother’s life-long struggles with his disabilities? Did we remain “children” too long because we had to grow up too fast? Obviously we need therapy. And what can we do to help our little brother now? We remain a close, loving family, but the underlying problems are not letting themselves be buried any longer.

I really enjoyed reading your post. I appreciate what you have said and have felt everything you wrote about. I too write about what it is like being a sibling to a brother with disabilities. My brother is 15 months older than me and 6 years older than my sister. We definitely have a different perspective on life because of his disabilities. Thank you again for sharing!

Where could I read some of your writings?

This is a great article. I grew up with an older autistic brother and went through a lot of those feelings. I share them in my middle grade novel No One Needed to Know.

“Be a door”. My brother has been gone for over 30 years, yet this article brought out so many emotions. I hope that I was a door for him.

Thank you. I am the youngest of four and am the one with the “disability.” It was good for me to read this. Im sure they went through all of these feelings but also tried to be the door for me and still do.

I can relate to so much of what you wrote in this blog. I have a special needs brother who I am now and have been legal guardian for since our mother passed away 13 years ago. There has been many ups and downs but I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to grow up with my brother. He has taught me so much.💙 Thank you!! Carrie

Thank you. I had a younger brother with learning disabilities and in the 1970’s most people didn’t get why it was so hard. Fortunately for him, my mom was a teacher who KNEW something was wrong and worked hard to get him the help he needed to be a success. But I took the brunt of his anxiety, anger, and issues because I was safe and would love him. Of my three children, two have special needs. One is autistic and one has apraxia. My oldest is the “normal” one. I found it interesting that his college essay was along similar lines as this blog. That his life challenge was being the normal one in a family with special needs siblings. All the things he gave up (a room of his own). All the social anxiety of everyone knowing he was “T’s” brother. I shared this with him and hope it helps him continue to move forward.

Thank you for sharing this! I can relate to a lot of these feelings, especially when I was much younger and my sibling was in and out of hospital a lot (child jealousy is a funny thing). Really insight post and I will be following 🙂

– James Peacock

Excellent and thank you. My brother n law has MS and we have been dealing with mobility issues for some time. We have learned a lot over the last 20 years. Thanks for posting this.

I can relate it very much. As I also had a brother with disability. You explained it very well I am gonna second that. I will be following to read more related content like this.

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Home / Essay Samples / Education / Special Education / Inclusive Education: Empowering Students with Special Needs

Inclusive Education: Empowering Students with Special Needs

Category: Education
Topic: Education System , Importance of Education , Special Education

Pages: 3 (1568 words)

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The Concept of Inclusive Education

Background of the inclusive education programme, need and importance of inclusive education, conclusions.

Creating an Inclusive School A Reflection Tool for Administrators, Educators and Other School Staff New Brunswick Association for Community Living L’Association du Nouveau-Brunwick pour l’intégration communautaire First Edition, January 2011
Inclusive Education Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspectives Edited by Felicity Armstrong, Derrick Armstrong and Len Barton Routledge Taylor & Francis Group LONDONAND NEW YORK ROUTLEDGE
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