Special education

With regard to the article, “Individualizing education to students’ needs” (Jan. 19 Journal):

I became alarmed when I read, according to Brian Wallace, that special-educations students tend to arrive at the high school three or more years behind academically. Wallace is quoted as saying, “It’s not their fault or their prior schools’. It is just the chemical makeup of their brains.”

Now, it doesn’t take a neuroscientist to know that this is an untrue statement, and I wonder what study Wallace may be citing to reach this outrageous conclusion.

First of all, to lump all special education students as three years behind is incorrect. Special education serves students with developmental, learning, psychological, and physical disabilities. To state that students with Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Disorder and mood disorders are all at the same place intellectually is unfair to the students who struggle with any of these disorders. Comments such as Wallace’s perpetuate the stigma many special-education students experience on a daily basis.

Perhaps more enlightening is the rationale that since these students come to the high school already three years behind, this naturally explains poor achievement outcomes. Rather than dismissing fault, maybe accountability needs to be strengthened.

What are the statistics for students denied or accepted for special education services? How are the schools’ resources being used and how well trained are the teachers, so that students do not arrive at the high school three years behind? Students with dyslexia can learn to read if given the right program. Additionally, Resource Specialist support can provide appropriate accommodations for a student with poor processing speed or attention deficit disorder. Studies show that it is imperative that regular education teachers partner with special education teachers for improved student outcomes; however, this can only occur with strong and consistent administrative support as well support from mentor teachers.

To casually infer that arriving at high school three years behind is acceptable shows me that there is something broken in this system and important questions need to be asked.

Sheri Noble

Los Olivos