Mainstreaming Children With Angelman’s Syndrome Essay Example

general, a teacher's aide or assistant is necessary to integrate the child into their classroom. Speech and communication therapy is considered a must, and physical therapy may provide some benefits. As these children have poor communication skills, appropriately using augmentative communication aids such as picture cards or communication boards is important.

(Facts 2005) notes that despite a strong desire among mental retardation educators to integrate as many special needs students as possible into regular schools, only about 8 percent of mentally retarded students attend such schools. The majority attend special education schools, while a minority are educated at home. However, according to (Mental 2005), mainstreaming special needs children can be highly beneficial as it allows them to interact with non-disabled peers and develop better socialization skills.

According to Mental (2005), even though public schools are not recognized as a part of community-based treatments under the 1966 act, case managers for mentally retarded students act as the bridge between the family and school and ensure that the child's specific requirements are met in a public school environment. Joshua, who has Angelman's Syndrome, was fortunate to have a family that put in extraordinary effort to ensure that he had a fulfilling life. They withdrew him from a state-funded institution and placed him in a public school setting. Although they faced difficulties, Joshua now lives independently in his family's home and considers it a success story.

Joshua, who has Angelman Syndrome, values order and consistency. Those who care for him are aware of his need for them. Spending a lot of time at the hospital due to his medical needs, Joshua's family believes that being integrated into public school helped

him acquire many self-care skills that he may not have learned in a mental institution for the mentally challenged (Beach 2005). If the educators and parents involved understand the issue, public school can be an essential aid for children with Angelman Syndrome.

There is a wide variation in the curricula offered by US school districts to meet the specific needs of children with Angelman Syndrome. Adequate staffing in schools is also crucial for the provision of necessary services. Generally, public school employees provide educational interventions that aid these children by providing structure, direction, and organization. Technical reports from 2001 indicate that each child with AS must undergo individual evaluation for assessing their strengths and weaknesses.

One effective system for children with AS is the Picture Exchange Communication System. This involves teaching the child to exchange a picture of what they want with their teacher, who then honors the request. According to Technical (2001), communication in this way can be highly motivating if a powerful reinforcement is identified. When considering mainstreaming an AS child into public school, the focus has mostly been on how it affects the special needs child. However, it's important to also address the challenges that educators and other students may face. Having an AS child in a regular classroom can be disruptive.

Due to limited communication skills and hyperactivity causing uncontrollable laughing throughout the day, children with Angelman Syndrome disrupt the learning process of other students. Public school teachers may lack specific training for special needs children, and although AS students may receive therapy, they spend significant time with unqualified teachers and classmates frustrated with the disruptions. The education of other students may take priority,

leaving AS parents requesting due process hearings when their child's needs are not met.

The child, who is eight years old and has Angelman Syndrome and epilepsy, cannot speak and is non-ambulatory. During the opening speech of the parents' lawyer, it was noted that there are no Safe Feeding Plan or Seizure Plan in place for the child. To address the child's physical deficits, communication difficulties, fragility, and specific feeding needs, a registered nurse should be present in the classroom to administer medication and ensure safety. The importance of highly trained caregivers who can implement proper feeding procedures was emphasized by the lawyer. Furthermore, transportation after eating poses a potential risk of aspiration so at least 30 to 45 minutes should be allocated between feeding and transportation to mitigate this risk.

The teacher of the child testified during the hearing, displaying well-educated and experienced qualities. The teacher reported the child's positive attitude towards school and significant educational progress, but also as the most challenged student in their class. The result of the hearing ordered the school to provide necessary resources, medical attention and education for the autistic child to achieve thriving results. Although the parents were content with the outcome, it raises questions on accommodating a severely –handicapped child, requiring full-time support for their physical needs and abilities. We wonder if mainstreaming outweighs negative consequences on both school personnel and fellow students.

In my view, mainstreaming children with Angelman Syndrome is a challenging and possibly impossible task, despite the advantages it may provide for the child.