Youth Special Education Program Requests Students without Disabilities
Determining whether a child has a disability and whether a child is eligible for special education are both processes that require much attention and time to ensure a child’s well-being in receiving the appropriate assistance that he or she needs. In some situations, even if a child is determined to have a specific disability, he or she may not be placed in a special education program. So, what are the grounds for early childhood special education programs seeking students with, and without disabilities?
A News-Leader article discusses the growth of an Integrated Classroom program in Missouri that seeks young children who do not have disabilities to enroll in youth special education classes with other non-disabled students as well as disabled students. Based on the article, the program has experienced an increase in involvement from 45 children during the 2006-07 school year to 85 children this year. They anticipate 100 participants next year. According to the assistant director of the program, non-disabled students are referred to as “typically developing peers” and about three or four of these students are present in each of Springfield, MO district’s 17 classrooms.
With the debut of a new Early Childhood Special Education Center on the horizon, several parents object to the center because they believe it would segregate disabled children from non-disabled children. In order to maintain and increase the interaction of students with and without disabilities, the district hopes to expand the Integrated Classroom program so that all students can continue to profit from receiving an education and playing together as they interact.
The Integrated Classroom program offers educational services for 3-5 year old kids who have been determined to have development delays. Each child has an individualized education plan (IEP) that details in writing particular goals laid out and derived from educator, family and assessment contributions. Kids within this age group in Springfield who do not have disabilities usually receive references from local Parents As Teachers educators, and if a child is accepted, he or she will exhibit proper speech and language skills as well as suitable play and social interaction abilities.
