Looks at how mentoring programs could be beneficial to children in special education streams.
This paper outlines the importance of mentoring programs in special education issues and asserts that while all students require mentoring, it is the students with learning disabilities who need the most support. The paper discusses how programs promoting the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms must be based on collaborative relationships between special and general educators. The paper further discusses how mentoring programs must ensure that teachers have the requisite knowledge to locate information, assess the impact of disabilities on student performance, monitor referral-to-placement procedures, manage records and confidentiality issues, employ assistive technology, and facilitate parent involvement.
“The much-debated issue at the moment is inclusion for the students with learning disabilities. This concern stems from the educational conditions that existed prior to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-142). Under those conditions, many students with learning disabilities were provided little or no academic and social support. Thus, although students with learning disabilities were often present in general education classrooms, they were not full participants. Recent arguments have suggested that place–where the student is educated–is the issue (Mclnerney, et al 1988), and that the general education setting is a more desirable placement than special education, whether it meets the needs of students with disabilities or not (Mayer, 1982).
“The belief is that students with disabilities should be educated in an environment that is most like the norm yet still meets their special educational needs. Unfortunately, for many school districts this has meant fairly restrictive service delivery models, often limited to self-contained special classrooms or, more frequently, special education resource rooms. The result has been that the special education resource room teacher has been asked to assume Herculean tasks that involve large caseloads (ranging from 25 to 60 students) and include assessment responsibilities, consultations with parents and general education teachers, and professional development for the school. Is it any wonder that the special education resource room has fallen into ill repute?”
“The belief is that students with disabilities should be educated in an environment that is most like the norm yet still meets their special educational needs. Unfortunately, for many school districts this has meant fairly restrictive service delivery models, often limited to self-contained special classrooms or, more frequently, special education resource rooms. The result has been that the special education resource room teacher has been asked to assume Herculean tasks that involve large caseloads (ranging from 25 to 60 students) and include assessment responsibilities, consultations with parents and general education teachers, and professional development for the school. Is it any wonder that the special education resource room has fallen into ill repute?”