Yes, it’s been almost a year since I wrote “The SPECIAL … Series” where each blog explored a different element of Special Education. Yet, after much observation, insights from teachers, and conversations with parents and students, I feel the need to add one more segment to this series of blogs.

Part 5: The SPECIAL Treatment

When I was in school, yes… decades ago, the term “Special Education” meant that students with physical or mental conditions that created challenges to learning in a typical classroom environment could receive assistance with their educational needs. Blind students could receive Braille books and a Braille typewriter to complete their work. Deaf students could have interpreters with them as they attended regular classes. Wheelchair bound students could have an assistant or even a peer volunteer to help them navigate the campus. Students with mental or emotional learning disabilities that caused them to read, write, or process information more slowly had opportunities to meet with Special Ed teachers at specific times during the school day to receive assistance and guidance.

My goal as I made my way through school was to eventually go to college, get a job, and become a part of the “normal” work force. There were times in grade school, high school, and even college that I needed assistance. Our Special Education system provided me with tools, resources, staff, and most importantly opportunities to learn and thrive in a normal classroom environment. After all, if I expected to get a job, I’d need to adapt to my environment, not the other way around.

We moved from keeping the special needs kids in separate classrooms and schools (which I actually experienced in kindergarten and first grade) to helping them succeed in the main stream (which describes the rest of my elementary, high school, and college experience). However, this pendulum has now moved even further so that the “normal” kids are the ones struggling to receive a meaningful education because there seems to be a special needs epidemic. Unfortunately, there are so many physical, mental, and emotional conditions that may hinder a student’s ability to learn at an average pace, and it is those students for whom Special Education is intended. However, it seems that now even students who exhibit defiant behavior are considered special needs students.

This shift has caused teachers to focus on redirecting students who choose to act out, and the students who truly want to learn are being ignored in the classroom. My own son asked my why the kids who get in trouble are often rewarded for doing one thing right, while the kids working hard to consistently succeed are treated as if their success doesn’t even matter. Sadly, it seems we’ve moved from Special Education to Special Treatment. This is a cultural norm that will not sustain itself beyond the classroom.

Let’s say you go to work, and your boss asks you to complete a project. Instead of working on the project, you yell at your boss, or start throwing office furniture, or you just decide to ignore the request and walk away, the only redirection you’ll probably receive is to HR for your exit interview. That kind of behavior won’t receive special treatment in “the real world”, so why does it in our schools?

The most common answer I hear is that we need to accommodate the special needs of each student. Notice how that statement has changed from the original intent of Special Education? Professionally speaking, there are laws in place to assist workers with “special needs” by providing “reasonable accommodations”. For example, with my limited vision, the training company I work for has supplied me with a larger monitor and an awesome large print back lit keyboard to help me navigate the virtual classroom more easily. That’s reasonable.

In the workplace, and in the schools, I realize there are some less obvious “special needs” situations. For example, emotional disorders and the wide range of the autism spectrum have introduced some new challenges with regard to Special Education. In addition to physical challenges, there are new social challenges to navigate. If a student is less comfortable speaking in front of a group, maybe a written report is better suited for them. Considering most people have a fear of public speaking anyway, why force it upon those who may be more comfortable and more talented in other areas?

Since we seem to be moving from Special Education to Special Treatment, maybe if we “treated” education more like training, things would be different. In training we provide opportunities for learners to choose different activities, scenarios, seating arrangements, and so many other options to customize their learning. This creates a greater level of buy in as well as a higher level of engagement. If a student is disruptive, we handle the situation with something called low level intervention. Barely noticeable to the other students, it will resolve most behavioral disruptions during training without derailing the entire group.

However, there are times when we need to use high level intervention which involves a conversation and the outlining of consequences for choosing to continue being disruptive. The end result is either changed behavior or the removal of the student from that learning environment. The reality is that every student… child or adult… special needs or not… is capable of success, but they’ve got to put in the effort too. Instead of pushing so hard to widen the definition of special education, what if we made a stronger effort to make education special for every child? Parents, teachers, administrators, and yes even students, what will you do to help make education special?