Common Misconceptions About Students with Disabilities

Common Misconceptions about Students with Disabilities

        To stereotype, to label, to group together according to traits or characteristics; can this be done for good or is this always a bad decision. According to Merriam-Webster, a stereotype is to believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same. Even if the characteristic isn’t bad, it is never fair to unjustly group someone without knowing all the details of the situation. One particular group that is stereotyped and judged unfairly, in particular, is students with disabilities and exceptionalities. Any time that a student is labeled as having a disability or exceptionality, it is automatically assumed that the student is “stupid” or “slow”. This is rarely the case and because of this way of thinking for so long, there is little opposition to those who continue to think that this is the truth. This stereotype is caused by years of exclusion and misinterpretation by the public school system and misinformation that has never been opposed, many are simply unaware that having a disability or exceptionality does not mean that you are unable to learn.

        In the past, especially in the public school system, those who were unable to learn like everyone else were sent to a different classroom and isolated from the other students. They were put in what was then called “special education” classes or SPED. This was not something that a student would want to be labeled as, most would even get made fun of or bullied for getting this extra help. Although not all the students needed as much help as others, there was no other option for those who were struggling, and they were forced out of the regular education classrooms where they would receive one-on-one attention from another teacher. This trend continued for many, many years and even though more and more students were getting this “extra help”, most would still get ridiculed or bullied because of their disability. These years of seclusion and isolation placed a label on these students that has yet to be lifted. Even if the learning problem didn’t cause you to fall behind or need that much extra help, most of these students were still stereotyped as “slow” or “stupid”.

        These labels that have been placed on students and their learning needs have ultimately been caused by a lack of discrepancy by the school system and a lack of knowledge by the general population. During my years in school, it was a never a questions as to which students got the extra help. They were pulled out of class and taken to a different room during core subjects, there were even some students who didn’t come to core classes. Nonetheless, some of these students were my friends and didn’t seem to be “slow” or didn’t have a noticeable disability. However, after finding out that they went to “special” classes, I always seemed to look at them differently. It isn’t right to judge and you should never place criticism based on things like that, but in our society we are never given an explanation as to why this happens; we only know that they have to have extra help. So, do we place blame on a judgmental society or a lack of discrepancy by the school or a lack of knowledge by the general public. It is more than likely a mixture of all three.  

        The causes of this stereotype are not easy to pinpoint, because it has been going on for so long. The problem begins with the school system, those are the ones who ultimately seek out the problem (which isn’t a bad thing) and then do their best to rectify and help the student involved. Although, in their efforts to help they sometimes so more harm than good. Pointing out the disability, most of which are not noticeable, to other students and peers. By isolating students and removing them from the general population classrooms, they leave the students in a position to be bullied or ridiculed for being different and seeking the help that they need. Another cause, is one that is fought by so many other minority groups, and that is the ever beaming eyes of our judgmental society. Anytime someone is different from us, most people automatically judge them. This is something that is seen in the media and seems to be, basically, instilled in us from the time that we are children. Is it right? No, but for the majority of our society they just really can’t seem to help themselves. Judging a fellow classmate because he or she struggles with a particular skill; or placing a label on them because they need extra help, only worsens the stereotype that is already placed on them. The final cause of this stereotype is the lack of knowledge by the general public. There are still some adults who do not know that there are different types or levels of learning disabilities. They do not know that just because you have trouble reading, does not mean that you cannot be outstanding in math. Most of the time, unless they have had a disability or had a child with a disability or work in the public education sector, adults also label all students with disabilities as “slow learners”. Some would argue that the schools are only doing what’s best for the students and that there is no way to stop teenagers from labeling or judging each other. Although this is true, there are ways to break down some of those barriers that these students face.

        Although the road for students with disabilities has brought them very far, they still have a long way to go. The lack of inclusion in the classroom, misuse and lack of education on the subject, and judgement of society is pushing back against every step that is trying to go forward. The ridicule that these students face is unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs. The stereotype that is placed on them because of their learning disability, even the most minor, can sometimes cause long-term effects. Just because a student needs extra help with his or her reading does not mean that they are unable to be a productive member of society. Nor does it make them any different from the student who doesn’t require extra help. A solution to this issue will not be an easy one to conduct, it will have to begin in the school system and end in the home. The school system will have to develop a way to allow these students to get the help that they need, without excluding them from the general population. If this can be done and be successful, the majority of labels could be lifted off these students and they could begin to be more comfortable accepting the help that they deserve.

        Handling students with disabilities in the public school system is not a problem that just surfaced or is something that is little known, “Diversity and difference in classrooms are a reality. There can be no doubt that today’s classrooms have to accommodate students with a range of diverse needs and learning difficulties whether teachers have any skills in the area or not.” (Jobling, Moni) This has been a constant struggle for many generations, how to include special needs students in the general education system while still allowing them to gain the knowledge that they need. Possible solutions for this problem include, but are not limited to: including students in general education classrooms, allowing students to have differentiated instruction in the classroom, educating other students about the needs of students with disabilities, educating teachers on how to properly handle special education students, providing students with disabilities a standard based report card, and allowing students with special needs to maximize on their current abilities. Many of these solutions have already been tried, but not followed through with or completed to its full potential. Although it does not seem like much, this problem will not easily be solved nor will it be solved quickly. It will have to start small and develop step by step. The steps should begin by educating the teachers at local and state levels, then implementing the steps in the schools, “This requires pre-service teacher education programs to take some responsibility for preventing the development of negative attitudes towards students with special needs as well as challenging non-inclusive practices. To achieve this goal, reforms of programs and field-based experiences are needed, but few studies have examined these aspects and the question arises for teacher educators about how this may be achieved effectively.” (Jobling, Moni) Programs are being developed to prepare teachers for the inclusion of these students in their classrooms and begin these steps.