Should Special Education Students Be Retained

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Karen Mauldin

Touro University

Intro to Special Education SPED 603

Introduction

Special education students are students with special needs and challenges and therefore require individual attention. Special education students require interventions, equipment and materials to help them learn and thrive in the educational setting. It is important for special education students to learn in the company of a teacher. This way the teacher can monitor their progress. This paper will evaluate whether special education children should be retained.

Under what circumstances (if any) should grade retention be employed? Explain and justify your position. 

Grade retention is refereed to repeating a class (Lee, 2005).As a school counselor I would not advocate for special education students to be retained. Retaining a child should only be advocated if the child has potential to do better but is not willing to do so. This can also happen because of different reasons for example, the child was not able to attend school and is therefore not in a position to cope with the rest or if the child feels they are in a position to do better and is therefore his own choice to repeat the class.

A special education student may have a physical disability, learning disability, or both. If the child has been very sick or traumatized that has interfered with his capacity to concentrate in class. If the family is relocating and the child is attending a new school providing a different learning curriculum. Only under these circumstances would I advocate for a child with special needs to be retained.

Retaining a child with special disabilities in school has its pros and cons.

Retaining a child does not necessarily translate to a child’s good performance in school. A parent should sit down together with teacher, counselor, and the student to explore the challenges faced by the child. Sometimes children may be having a difficult time in school or catching up because of other underlying factors. If it is necessary for the child to be retained then it should be done early enough to avoid affecting his self-esteem. Children retained in lower primary grades can adapt well as compared to those retained in upper primary grades. It is also important for the parent to avoid retaining children repeatedly. Learning disability refers to a situation where the child is constantly underachieving in class as a result obtaining poor grades. Symptoms of a learning disability appear in childhood where the child experiences problems with development.

Other symptoms include:

Always shouting incorrect answers

They always find themselves attracted towards others with the same problem

Aggressive behavior

Always in problem with the authority

It is important for parents to keep close attention to their children progress in school as well as at home. Parents should join forces with school counselors and teachers to help address this problem. As a parent, it may not be easy to help your child alone. It is also essential for the parent to accept if their children are experiencing problems in school. Avoid the blame game. Most parents do not like to be told their children have a learning disability when it is a fact and or, may end up throwing the blame to the teacher this worsens situation making the child the victim.

Sometimes parents force children to repeat classes because they want them to perform better. Every child is unique with different abilities. It is therefore the responsibility of parents, together with teachers and counselors to find out what the child’s strengths are and encourage them. Retaining a child could make them perform poorly or on the contrary, better this also depends on the child’s efforts. Retaining could subsequently lower their self-esteem.

Retention may sometimes demoralize them and affect their self-esteem. It is not that special education children cannot understand they have feelings and can understand. They should therefore be listened to and given care, because they need this to build up the trust in parents and teachers. The reason they are referred to as special is that most of them have a learning challenge, physical disability or sometimes their behaviors for example, children with autism. In this situation, it is the responsibility of the government or the society to come up with programs that can make them comfortable this can also be done by modifying their tests.

The law also protects disabled children. The American Rehabilitation Act does not allow anyone to discriminate others based on their ability whether it is in giving jobs or education. Individuals with Disability have the right to attend public schools as normal children. Education Act requires that all public schools will make it comfortable for students with learning abilities just as the rest of the others. The law prohibits discrimination. This act also requires the school to come up with an IEP for children based on their levels and abilities that has been written by a group of experts. The United States government also ensures they conduct investigations to ensure schools are adhering to this law. If a school is found discriminating children on the basis of their ability that school can be reported and charged in the court of law.

Most times special education children are neglected and often left to stay back in the home. In other cases, they are often abused because others take advantage of them. Disabled people are human beings too no one chooses to be disabled that is why the government and most learning institutions offer courses to educate and employ people to be able to attend to people with special needs. Disability is not inability, every child was born with a talent it is important for teachers and counselors to equally help these children to explore their talents.

What would you suggest to the school's leadership as a policy about social promotion versus grade retention?

Policy that should be used for social promotion should focus on the child’s progress by selecting a team that can evaluate the child’s performance. The team will look at how the child is progressing in school as well as evaluate the special areas that may require more attention. The school can as well invite people who have worked with the child for example vocational educators. This is because they have a better understanding of the child. Children with special needs find it more comfortable to express themselves around these people, as they know them well.

Some children are fast learners while others are not, as long as the child is able to make progress in class the child should be rewarded by being promoted. Children with special needs should not be segregated to special classes whenever possible. Instead they should be mainstreamed to general education classes. If the child is making good progress they should not be retained it is the duty of the parent to encourage their children to perform better in school by playing an activating role in their class work (Thompson, 2003). As well as showing interest in their school activities by letting the child know they are appreciated this equally translates to a desire to perform better.

Many people were born with special needs but with care and attention these children live to become responsible and equally hardworking. To be disabled does not necessarily mean one should look down upon himself. As much as people with disability require special attention, it is the duty of parents and teachers not to neglect them. The counselor plays an equally important role in helping the parents understand their children and helping them to cope with the society’s reaction. Children with disabilities sometimes perform better than normal students do especially if they find someone who believes in them and encourages them. It is important to value children equally (Dare, A., & O'Donovan, M. 2002).

Conclusion

Disability is only a condition that does not have to be looked down upon. Nobody chooses to be born disabled it is therefore the duty of the society to accept and love them. Encourage them to participate in activities and even sports by letting them mingle with the rest.