Home Home Home About Us Home About Us About Us About Us /links/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html About Us About Us /archives/index.html About Us /archives/index.html About Us /archives/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html
Home About Us About Us /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html
About Us /archives/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html

Cover Story
Spotlight On Schools
Featured Columnists
Letters
Books
Business of Education
Careers
Children's Corner
Colleges & Grad Schools
Commentary
Continuing Education
Editorials
Languages
Law & Education
MEDICAL UPDATE
MetroBEAT
Movies & Theater
Museums
Music, Art & Dance
Politics In Education
Special Education
Sports & Camps
Technology in Education
Travel
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
1997-2000
 
New York City
July 2002

Special Ed Student Benefits from Inclusion
By Mike Cohen

Alex’s eyes were darting side to side looking for a student on the other team to challenge with a fast throw. Then with an explosive forward arm motion, Alex let loose a dart of a toss that was headed right to a girl on the other team. With lightening quick reflexes, she quickly raised her hands and caught the spongy ball, firmly in her hand. “Yea,” screamed the jubilant girl. “Ohh,” said Alex, his smile still beaming brightly. A teammate quickly tapped Alex on the shoulder, and in this cooperative brand of dodge ball, where no one sits out, Alex never had to leave the game he was having so much fun playing.

For Alex, age 10, this was more then just the ordinary gym class. As a student at The Jewish Guild for the Blind’s Guild School, Alex was participating in his first mainstream physical education class at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School.

“It’s an opportunity for him to participate with other kids that are close to his level of athletic ability,” says Debbie Workman, Alex’s teacher for the past two years. “The way he performs on a basketball court allows him to have social interactions with typically developing kids.”

Alex, who has vision and hearing impairments, has a talent and love for sports. The ultra fast and agile Alex, can shoot a basketball, throw a football, and hit a baseball despite his apparent disabilities. Thus, taking a physical education class with kids close to his sports ability, plays to his strengths and speaks to the principles behind the inclusion of students with special education needs into regular education (The Regular Education Initiative).

The Regular Education Initiative (REI) began to gather momentum in 1975 when congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. In 1990 a reauthorization of this law, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), brought focused attention to where children with disabilities should be educated. Today, even with the legislative mandate the question remains: Should students’ with special learning needs be taught in regular education?

“I think it’s great,” says Mark Alter, Steinhardt School of Education professor at NYU when asked about Alex attending gym class at Columbia Grammar. “We live in an integrated culture and no one should be denied access to and participation in any environment because of a physical barrier, a disability, or a label.”

At Columbia Grammar, Alex’s first physical education experience was, indeed, great—and, not just for him. The children at Columbia Grammar quickly accepted Alex into their class and supported him during the group’s activities. As we often see, kids can become overly competitive, so to accept Alex into their class required the other children to adapt their way of playing.

“Our kids learned a lot about themselves,” says the physical education teacher Jeanne Levin. “They saw how well they were able to interact with Alex and the game took on a more significant meaning.”

Alex also did his part. “He adjusted very well,” says Levin. “He seemed so comfortable. He watched me and followed directions closely. He was respectful of my lesson.”

In fact, Alex proved to Levin and to me that all kids are basically the same. While receiving the pre-game instructions, Alex was no more fidgety then any of the other students in the class. “He was excited like the rest of the kids,” says Ms. Levin. “He was basically looking at me and saying ‘let’s play teacher,’ no more talking.” His classmates for the day were no different.

While this experience was a new one for Alex and the Columbia Grammar third graders, they played together like “old” friends. Their differences seemed to disappear as they played. The students from Columbia Grammar were impressed with Alex’s ability and attitude, and Alex was made to feel like a member of the class. Guild School principal, Dr. Carole Gothelf, couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm; “We are strengthened by the fact that once again, our kids can make it in the mainstream.”#

Mike Cohen is the Adaptive Physical Education teacher at the Jewish Guild for the Blind, Guild School.

Name:
E-mail:
Comments:

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001.
Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919.Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2002.


SPECIAL EDUCATION
july_2002
DIRECTORIES