Why We're Not Afraid of Special Education

When we first told some of our family members that we decided to seek support and services for our child through the school district’s special education program (and later, after he actually qualified for the special education program), they were shocked. Shocked that Noah — sweet, smart, sociable little Noah with all his invisible labels — qualified in the first place, and that we would actually willingly send our child to public school special ed.

There was a lot of concern over the “labels” in his “permanent files” and teachers “judging” him down the road and pegging him out beforehand as a “problem.” Concerns over the “sorts of kids” he’d be calling his peers or if he’d actually be expected to learn anything or “catch up” to the typical students. Who might tease or shun or tell short-bus jokes. My mother-in-law was convinced that having an IEP meant the school district could one day “force” us to put him on Ritalin or other medications because that “totally” happened to a friend of a friend of a friend who homeschools now. It was really kind of sad.

Read more here: Why We’re Not Afraid of Special Education | The Stir.