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Educating Special Populations

Educating Special Populations UP FRONT Meeting the educational College administrators and prepared to provide adequate individual regardless of his or her needs of adults with disabilities housing or the training, counsel- inclination or willingness to administrators of other post- ing, and education necessary to work? And if the individual raises several complex and often secondary education programs are controversial issues, some of enable these individuals to make chooses not to fit in, aren’t we also raising questions: which are discussed or referred “How can society require my satisfactory adjustments to the actually violating the spirit of normalization if we force these to in the three articles by Doris program to fund what are often overwhelming demands of inde- Johnson, Sylvester Pues, and Chip extremely expensive accommoda- pendent and self-supporting types of choices on an individual? Beziat. In order to understand lifestyles. Related to all of these questions tions such as installing ramps or fully what’s a! stake-for elevators, widening doorways, and The principles of normalization are the costlbenefit considerations: programs, for employers, for adding special toilet facilities in mentioned in Beziat’s article have To what extent should society be teachers, and most importantly, order to serve a small handful of been the operating standards expected to pay for training, for the individuals themselves- people with disabilities?” driving the facilities and agencies housing, and medical care? If policy makers and individuals “How am I going to educate charged with attempting to fad- extensive (and expensive) training working with people with disabii- my staff to recognize the var- rate these mainstreaming efforts. and supports provided early in adulthood enable an individual to ities need to examine these issues ious disabilities and adjust their Among the community-based become self-supporting except for in depth. Without regard to any instruction accordingly? How organizations responsible for medical care, then isn’t society particular order or priority, several realistic is it to think that instruc- preparing individuals to lead better off in the long run paying of the major issues are explored tors are going to participate in independent and productive lives below. “special education training” when are vocational rehabilitation facil- for those services? ities and sheltered workshops. And finally, yet to be resolved More and more adults with few of them are willing to partake disabilities are finding their way of any regular education courses?” A highly controversial issue is the issue of exactly what are into adult basic education Businessmen are asking similar concerning the training provided learning disabilities? Do they exist or does the fault lie with teachers? programs after graduating from types of questions: by these agencies concerns sup- Are teachers, perhaps, teaching special education programs in “What are ‘reasonable’ ported employment, a training the public schools. Adult basic accommodations? To what extent approach that requires one-onme disabled? If we accept that learning education teachers are asking am I required to modfy my training at the job site. Proponents disabilities are actual disabilities several legitimate questions: faclllty and my equipment when claim that this approach has a and if the estimates-which “I’m not certified in special hiring someone?” much higher placement record range from as low as 2 percent to as high as 20 percent-are education. How can I be expected “What will hiring someone than the more traditional accurate, then learning disabilities to meet the needs of my students with a disability do to my approaches of providing training with disabiities when the insurance costs?” and employment at the rehabili- must affect a significant number teachers who are trained in Business managers, placement tation facilities themselves. of people. Indeed, the impact on sped education didn’t meet their Opponents claim that the our nation’s productivity, to say counselors, and the parents of needs in the first place?” individuals with disabiities are approach is extremely expensive, nothing of the impact on the happiness and well-being of a “I’m qualified to teach literacy. also concerned about whether an particularly in the short-run, and My special education students individual with a disabiity such that the turnover for the trained large proportion of our popula- obviously need help in daily as mental retardation or mental worker is quite high. tion, must be tremendous. living skills, job skills, and social illness will be treated decently by Bemuse this approach forces To date, there is no simple defi- skills. What should I be teaching the other employees on the job. individuals to work “on the open nition of learning disabilities that them? Which is more important? They wonder if he or she will be market,” questions that need to be is easily understood and accepted by everyone Nor is there a defini- Learning how to read or learning accepted and if the other considered are, Should workers-in- tive test for learning disabilities. how to survive?” employees will help him or her training be given their choice of Related questions that adminis- make a satisfactory adjustment. working environments? What if Yet, teachers frequently complain “Fitting in” raises another host they prefer the relatively protected of students who fail to progress in trators are asking include the following: of troubling questions. In the environment of the facility where their classrooms. Because of its “Adult basic education early sixties, numerous institu- many of their friends work? potential impact on training, edu- programs operate on a very tions for the mentally ill and the Should they be forced to work in cation, and employment, learning limited budget. Why should adult mentally retarded were closed and the competitive market where disabilities is another area in need basic education be responsible for individuals were returned to the other employees may or may not of serious study. adult special education when community with the expectation accept them? there are several agencies such as that they be “mainstrea~~ed” into Job miners and other service -By Rebecca Motah vocational rehabilitation and society. Wile the intent was providers must also wrestle with Rkbardson and Nancy departments of mental health and the possibility of the individual laudatory, the actual practice was Van VdiCerburgl, mental retardatSon already set up with a disability not wanting to and is devastating to the people to serve these Individuals?” involved. Communities were not work. Should society support this Tbeme Editors October 1990 A 13 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Adult Learning SAGE

Educating Special Populations

Adult Learning , Volume 2 (2): 1 – Oct 1, 1990
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1990 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
ISSN
1045-1595
eISSN
2162-4070
DOI
10.1177/104515959000200206
Publisher site
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Abstract

UP FRONT Meeting the educational College administrators and prepared to provide adequate individual regardless of his or her needs of adults with disabilities housing or the training, counsel- inclination or willingness to administrators of other post- ing, and education necessary to work? And if the individual raises several complex and often secondary education programs are controversial issues, some of enable these individuals to make chooses not to fit in, aren’t we also raising questions: which are discussed or referred “How can society require my satisfactory adjustments to the actually violating the spirit of normalization if we force these to in the three articles by Doris program to fund what are often overwhelming demands of inde- Johnson, Sylvester Pues, and Chip extremely expensive accommoda- pendent and self-supporting types of choices on an individual? Beziat. In order to understand lifestyles. Related to all of these questions tions such as installing ramps or fully what’s a! stake-for elevators, widening doorways, and The principles of normalization are the costlbenefit considerations: programs, for employers, for adding special toilet facilities in mentioned in Beziat’s article have To what extent should society be teachers, and most importantly, order to serve a small handful of been the operating standards expected to pay for training, for the individuals themselves- people with disabilities?” driving the facilities and agencies housing, and medical care? If policy makers and individuals “How am I going to educate charged with attempting to fad- extensive (and expensive) training working with people with disabii- my staff to recognize the var- rate these mainstreaming efforts. and supports provided early in adulthood enable an individual to ities need to examine these issues ious disabilities and adjust their Among the community-based become self-supporting except for in depth. Without regard to any instruction accordingly? How organizations responsible for medical care, then isn’t society particular order or priority, several realistic is it to think that instruc- preparing individuals to lead better off in the long run paying of the major issues are explored tors are going to participate in independent and productive lives below. “special education training” when are vocational rehabilitation facil- for those services? ities and sheltered workshops. And finally, yet to be resolved More and more adults with few of them are willing to partake disabilities are finding their way of any regular education courses?” A highly controversial issue is the issue of exactly what are into adult basic education Businessmen are asking similar concerning the training provided learning disabilities? Do they exist or does the fault lie with teachers? programs after graduating from types of questions: by these agencies concerns sup- Are teachers, perhaps, teaching special education programs in “What are ‘reasonable’ ported employment, a training the public schools. Adult basic accommodations? To what extent approach that requires one-onme disabled? If we accept that learning education teachers are asking am I required to modfy my training at the job site. Proponents disabilities are actual disabilities several legitimate questions: faclllty and my equipment when claim that this approach has a and if the estimates-which “I’m not certified in special hiring someone?” much higher placement record range from as low as 2 percent to as high as 20 percent-are education. How can I be expected “What will hiring someone than the more traditional accurate, then learning disabilities to meet the needs of my students with a disability do to my approaches of providing training with disabiities when the insurance costs?” and employment at the rehabili- must affect a significant number teachers who are trained in Business managers, placement tation facilities themselves. of people. Indeed, the impact on sped education didn’t meet their Opponents claim that the our nation’s productivity, to say counselors, and the parents of needs in the first place?” individuals with disabiities are approach is extremely expensive, nothing of the impact on the happiness and well-being of a “I’m qualified to teach literacy. also concerned about whether an particularly in the short-run, and My special education students individual with a disabiity such that the turnover for the trained large proportion of our popula- obviously need help in daily as mental retardation or mental worker is quite high. tion, must be tremendous. living skills, job skills, and social illness will be treated decently by Bemuse this approach forces To date, there is no simple defi- skills. What should I be teaching the other employees on the job. individuals to work “on the open nition of learning disabilities that them? Which is more important? They wonder if he or she will be market,” questions that need to be is easily understood and accepted by everyone Nor is there a defini- Learning how to read or learning accepted and if the other considered are, Should workers-in- tive test for learning disabilities. how to survive?” employees will help him or her training be given their choice of Related questions that adminis- make a satisfactory adjustment. working environments? What if Yet, teachers frequently complain “Fitting in” raises another host they prefer the relatively protected of students who fail to progress in trators are asking include the following: of troubling questions. In the environment of the facility where their classrooms. Because of its “Adult basic education early sixties, numerous institu- many of their friends work? potential impact on training, edu- programs operate on a very tions for the mentally ill and the Should they be forced to work in cation, and employment, learning limited budget. Why should adult mentally retarded were closed and the competitive market where disabilities is another area in need basic education be responsible for individuals were returned to the other employees may or may not of serious study. adult special education when community with the expectation accept them? there are several agencies such as that they be “mainstrea~~ed” into Job miners and other service -By Rebecca Motah vocational rehabilitation and society. Wile the intent was providers must also wrestle with Rkbardson and Nancy departments of mental health and the possibility of the individual laudatory, the actual practice was Van VdiCerburgl, mental retardatSon already set up with a disability not wanting to and is devastating to the people to serve these Individuals?” involved. Communities were not work. Should society support this Tbeme Editors October 1990 A 13

Journal

Adult Learning – SAGE

Published: Oct 1, 1990

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