The truth about special education | Suzanne Carrington | TEDxYouth@GrahamSt

TEDx Talks10 minutes read

The speaker recounts experiences teaching children with disabilities at various schools, highlighting the negative impact of labeling and segregation on students' lives. They advocate for inclusive education to provide a supportive and normalizing environment for all students, emphasizing the importance of social interaction and role models for children with disabilities.

Insights

  • Children with disabilities in special schools faced labeling, ostracization, and dehumanizing conditions, impacting their cognitive and emotional development significantly.
  • The speaker emphasizes the necessity of inclusive education, advocating for a more supportive and integrated educational system to address the social and behavioral challenges faced by children with disabilities.

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Recent questions

  • How did the speaker impact students' lives?

    The speaker impacted students' lives by creating stimulating classroom environments, organizing excursions, and home visits to provide a more normal experience for the students. This helped counteract the negative effects of labeling, ostracization, and dehumanizing conditions, promoting cognitive and emotional development.

  • What challenges did children with disabilities face in London?

    Children with disabilities in London faced social and behavioral challenges due to lack of interaction with others and role models. This segregation led to difficulties in socialization and behavior, highlighting the importance of inclusive education for all students.

  • What were the conditions like in the institution where the speaker taught?

    The institution where the speaker taught had dehumanizing conditions, with children living in cages and displaying self-stimulatory behaviors due to anxiety and boredom. These conditions negatively impacted the cognitive and emotional development of the students.

  • How were students selected for the special school in the rural town?

    Students at the special school in the rural town were selected by local authorities and removed from their regular schools. This led to labeling, ostracization, and negative impacts on their lives, as they came from poor backgrounds and had disabilities, learning difficulties, or behavioral issues.

  • What did the speaker advocate for in terms of education?

    The speaker advocated for inclusive education, questioning the segregation of children with disabilities. They emphasized the importance of creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students, promoting interaction and socialization among children with and without disabilities.

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Summary

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Championing Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities

  • In 1983, the speaker became a teacher at a special school in a rural town with 25 children aged 5 to 17, some with disabilities, learning difficulties, or behavioral issues, all from poor backgrounds.
  • Students were selected by local authorities and removed from their regular schools, leading to labeling and ostracization, impacting their lives negatively.
  • In 1985, the speaker taught at a school for people with severe disabilities, many wards of the state, with limited family contact, living in an institution with dehumanizing conditions.
  • Children displayed self-stimulatory behaviors due to anxiety and boredom, with some locked in cages, impacting their cognitive and emotional development.
  • The speaker worked to create stimulating classroom environments, organizing excursions and home visits to provide a more normal experience for the students.
  • In 1989, the speaker taught in London, where children with disabilities rarely interacted with others, leading to social and behavioral challenges due to lack of role models.
  • The speaker highlights the importance of inclusive education, questioning the segregation of children with disabilities, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.
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