DRINKING THE G-SCHOOL KOOL-AID
These parents have so bought into the g-school myths, that they are willing to subect their autistic daughter to this:
In order to attend school, Chelsie requires a para educator, an adult who can be with her at all times. The person needs a strong personality, must be able to interact positively with Chelsie and know how to use her communication system, Kim Jay said.
At the beginning of last school year, there was a para educator at Shoemaker that the Jays liked. She was a friend of theirs outside of school and they felt she handled Chelsie well. When the para educator was fired, Chelsie was devastated and, although the school provided another person immediately, the trust Chelsie had developed with the previous para educator was gone, Kim Jay said.
She testified she’d been able to observe the new para educator working with Chelsie and was unhappy with the lack of interaction she witnessed.
Eventually, the second para educator was fired.
Chelsie missed several days of school last school year as well as this fall because of the family’s dissatisfaction with the para educators. Kim Jay said they worked with the school over the summer on an education plan that included hiring another para educator and easing Chelsie back into school by having her attend for a few hours a day. Kim Jay also went to school with her daughter for awhile to help train the newest para educator on how to work with Chelsie, who has a tendency to run away.
After two more para educators failed to work out and the partial day schedule also failed, the Jays [temporarily] pulled Chelsie out of school completely.
They didn’t want to homeschool her because she has socialization problems. Geez! The parents were found innocent of the truancy charge against them. In the court of public opinion? Guilty of stupidity!
3 Responses to “DRINKING THE G-SCHOOL KOOL-AID”
 Comment by DeeJay May 8th, 2004 at 8:46 pm |
I have an autistic child that I homeschool. Socialization problems are true for most autistic people. He was in public school for two years, before I started homeschooling him. We’ve been schooling at home for two years. He didn’t have one friend in public school, now he has many from young to old. I wish I had been smarter and never put him in public school. He has come along ways with social and educational learning at home. |
 Comment by Lauri May 9th, 2004 at 12:38 am |
Daryl, I’m not entirely certain why these parents are guilty of “stupidity” in your opinion. (by the way, you can’t really say “public” opinion, since it really is based on your own beliefs) There are studies that have been done out of the Autism Institute at UCSB that not only point to the success rate of a child in a school setting, but in a “full inclusion” setting. You may disagree based on your own personal experience, however, the parents in the article that you outlined were certainly not out of bounds to want their autistic child in a school setting with a competent aide. Apparently the court agrees. Homeschooling has its benefits, certainly. I decided against homeschooling my own autistic child due to his socialization needs. He has done so well in a public school setting that he has recently lost his diagnosis of autism. Just thought you would like to know that parents who feel public schooling is beneficial are not “stupid”. Thanks. |
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Comment by Lauri May 9th, 2004 at 12:39 am |
Daryl, I’m not entirely certain why these parents are guilty of “stupidity” in your opinion. (by the way, you can’t really say “public” opinion, since it really is based on your own beliefs) There are studies that have been done out of the Autism Institute at UCSB that not only point to the success rate of a child in a school setting, but in a “full inclusion” setting. You may disagree based on your own personal experience, however, the parents in the article that you outlined were certainly not out of bounds to want their autistic child in a school setting with a competent aide. Apparently the court agrees. Homeschooling has its benefits, certainly. I decided against homeschooling my own autistic child due to his socialization needs. He has done so well in a public school setting that he has recently lost his diagnosis of autism. Just thought you would like to know that parents who feel public schooling is beneficial are not “stupid”. Thanks. |