I teach at the elementary level and I am concerned with the
severity of Autistic students in our school. While I fully
believe that every student should get a public education I don't
agree that mainstreaming "all" students is ideal. I personally
believe that this is where Virginia falls short. Either they
don't want to "hire" special teachers and or aides or they don't
want to put more money into the special programs to better serve
these children in an environment most suitable for them.

I have autistic children that work very well in the mainstream
setting and then I have students mainstreamed into my class that
will scream for 20 minutes nonstop or longer and the aide
doesn't know what to do with them. Sometimes these tantrums are
so bad that it is disruptive to the whole class and on occasion
I have had some of my mainstreamers hit or kick nearby students
just because they were in reach. I had one student with
an "experienced" aide who turned on me as a walked by his desk
to help a nearby student and he grabbed my hand and dug his
nails into my arm...he drew blood.

This is terrible and not only does it put the mainstreamers at
risk...it puts general ED students at risk as well as teachers.
I also know that it isn't just Virginia and personally I feel
that you can't blame an entire state, the amount of funding for
these programs are HUGE and pretty soon I am predicting that
schools housing mainstreamers within Autism, MR, and especially
ED are going to have to have liability coverage.

That’s my two cents.......love it, hate it, agree, or
disagree...or just rip and rant me apart! Thanks

P.S. I want to also know what the logic is for mainstreaming
students into classes who are WAY below ability level...this
will sound harsh on my part, but why are we mainstreaming
children who will never be able to be mainstreamed in society?
I get that it will help EVERYONE be more excepting of people
with disabilities, but why mainstream them in classes. If it is
solely for socialization do this at recess or lunch. Not during
classes or even specials unless the specials have a "special"
class just for the low functioning special ED programs.

I say this because I continually see students who function at a
pre-school level or lower being mainstreamed into first-fifth
grade art classes and music classes and I think the general
educational setting still sees those time periods as non-
instructional and not having a "real" curriculum, which is bull.
My best teacher friend is an exceptional art educator and her
curriculum isn't all "fluff" she actually has her students
reading and writing about art history and across the spectrum of
art education and the study of art even at the elementary level
has become more academic as well as creative.

My music teacher also has a curriculum that she must follow and
even textbooks they are required to work from. I have been in
there while she has been teaching to borrow a recorder and have
witnessed 5 mainstreamers, two ED and three severe autistic
students. The ED students had no aide, were poking other
students, making animal noises and shouting out while the
autistic kids were rolling on the floor making sounds and the
aide did nothing! What gives? How is this being fair to ALL
students?

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