Mental disabilities in schools
Imagine not being able to concentrate in class. Having every noise and movement distract you from your work, and, on top of all that, having to fight to be able to have the same education as everybody else. That is what life is like for students who have learning disabilities. Having an education is very important when trying to be part of society. Students who have learning disabilities should have the same opportunity to be a part of society as other students do, and to be in public schools with other students.
It is issued by the law, specifically in section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, also known as Free and Appropriate Public Education for Students with Disabilities requirement states:
“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 705 (20) of this title, shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service.” This means that people cannot be denied anything by the government because they have a disability.While federal law ensures that all students with disabilities are supported.
There was a recent problem with the percentage of special needs children in schools in Texas. Texas had the lowest percentage of students, which was 8.5% in 2015 when, in the past, the state was once at 11-12 percent. Mike Moses, a person who ran the Texas Education Agency, said, “The number of low-weight babies, teen pregnancy, kids in poverty, and the student population as a whole has gone up. So how can the percentage of special education student drop so dramatically?” The Texas Education Agency believes that the schools are refusing to help special needs students to save money.
One argument made against having students with disabilities in general classrooms is that they will not get the attention that they need to learn. The president of the Florida Education Association said, “ The disabled children are not getting appropriate, specialized attention and care, and the regular students' education is disrupted constantly.”Although this may be true in some cases but still the LDA states,“ Many students with learning disabilities benefit from being served in the regular education classroom.”.
Having these students in general classrooms will help them learn how to adapt to their surroundings. It’ll help them with their social skills and learning abilities. It can also help those students who don’t have a learning disability by exposing them to those who do. “Many advocates of full inclusion believe that special needs children who attend regular classes will be better equipped to handle the world in their teen and adult years due to their exposure to children without special needs”
Students with disabilities are students first and foremost. They deserve an education so that they can thrive the world that they have to live in. Having student with learning disabilities in the classroom will not only benefit them but the other students as well. They benefit mentally and socially.
