Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome (reflection)

By: Christopher Kliewer

       

            These reading made me thing a lot about my high school and their special ed program. In my high school we have a group of students who are special needs, and they are always together doing everything together. Every class they have together, every lunch and every activity. They don't have options to take other classes with all the other students in the school. I believe that they should be given the opportunity to try other classes because not all of them are the same level and many of them could take the classes they want to take and do well! But they have a specific schedule given to them because they are treated all the same as if they all have the same level of special needs but that is just not the case. They all are different and many can function on their own. 

            Our school however does a good job of giving them options to interact with other students through activities. They have this program called Peer Partner, which allows the special ed students to join a gym class and get a partner to work with. All the special ed kids are in the same gym class together but they had other students who help them through all the activities which is really nice. We also have a program called Best Buddies where some students plan activities for the special ed students to attend to after school. It gives them a space to interact with other people outside of their normal group and home. We also have a unified basketball team which I believe is a great program. One special ed student on that team was a great basketball player and during the varsity basketball senior night he was able to play on the team and compete at the varsity level for he was a senior to. He graduated in my class and he now goes to college and competes at a college level in basketball! He is an inspiration for everyone.

This video is so powerful and I think everyone should watch it. It shows a girl with Down Syndrome asking to not be limited  because she is the same and has the same needs as everyone else in the schools.