Re: How a school in Florida got mainstreaming right

[Guest guest]

The following quote gives me a good idea where they direct children with DS:

<Okaloosa has occasionally come under fire from supporters of even fuller inclusion. Among them: , chief executive of Horizons of Okaloosa County, an advocacy groups that represents children with disabilities. Mr. says he has sometimes argued with Okaloosa to keep students out of the separate school the district maintains for about 130 children with severe learning disabilities and low IQs. He says he doesn't think the education they receive in such a segregated facility "does them justice in the long run." But, he adds, "for the most part they have done a good job of trying to include" special-education students in the mainstream>

We have just such a school in County, FL. Although all children with DS are no longer sent there routinely, it is still in existence. Children with DS are routinely segregated into self contained classes, which we have rejected as "too restrictive an environment". The other children Faith is pulled out of gen ed with to go to "resource" are all kids with LD of some sort. At least the Okaloosa school district seems to have stopped that, but I wonder where that puts a child with DS who wants to be included.

ette

mom to Faith (10)

-------------- Original message from "Kathy Ratkiewicz" <Kathy_R@...>: --------------

http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2007/12/30/how-a-school-in-florida-got-mainstreaming-right

click on the highlighted links at the page above to read the complete stories in the Wall Street Journal (4 part series on inclusion)