Special Needs Workshop

Changes the community wants to see…

  • Better document and evaluating of IEP goals

  • Promote success

  • Be proactive

  • Teachers who are qualified to teach special needs - even the mainstream teacher

  • Value what the parents have to say

  • Treat them like a person - not a problem and cost

  • The way the school and teacher define special needs

  • How school and teacher let their students get involved with special needs

  • No suspensions, understanding and have them work through

  • See kids differently, won't store, they understand why they are that way

  • Teacher education on special needs

  • Allow for discovery - wait time for responses

  • Not rote teaching

  • Full inclusion teaching all children to understand the needs of others.

  • Building a better community

  • Flexible teachers

  • Trained aides

  • Teams of teachers who are properly trained on the needs of their students

  • Want it to be really a team

  • No rote learning

  • Full disclosure

  • Full transparency

What excites you?

  • How the kids see the world

  • Teach kids to become a better person

  • New way of learning, not just write and regurgitate

  • Integrated subjects

  • Accepting students' differences

  • Embracing different thinking - not changing their personality/style to "fit in"

  • Staff open to listening

  • No preset program already

  • The technology based is exciting

What don’t you want to see…

  • Documenting everything the child does wrong - focus on success

  • Only negative communication with teachers

  • Overcrowded classroom

  • Special needs be handle in special ways

  • Kids in one class part time, another class part time

  • Too many transitions that maybe hard for special needs students

New Opportunities you would like to see…

  • Typical kids read to special education preschool

  • Access to more opportunities

  • I hope my son will be able to be in a fully inclusive classroom with his peers - even at preschool level

  • Classrooms that are not too stimulating for any students including noise, lighting, class size, etc

  • Exposure to mentors - successful people with special needs

  • I hop kids can get involved with special needs students

  • Flexible programs to suit the child

  • Full inclusionary

  • Personalization based on child

  • School with local peers

  • All at one school - preschool, K-2, 3-5, and 6-8

Deal Breakers

  • Same old ways of learning - rote learning

  • Class size, especially for sensory kids

  • Nothing changes

  • Lack of support systems

  • Less than sincere administration

  • No special needs

  • Special education preschool