Alright – so, remember it was not that long ago even in this country when children and adults with disabilities were separated from society and secluded in institutions and hospitals. Now many states including Minnesota especially after the Jensen Settlement have moved towards inclusion and integration which I think are good.
So, then why are some school districts in Minnesota secluding majority of autistic kids by putting them in the basement corner of a building. Some school districts decided without input from parents or the public to put students from kinder-garden to eight grade in corners of a buildings. Children with disability should be schooled near their typical peers, and not secluded or segregated in any area.
The IDEA policy clearly state children must have access to education in the least restrictive environment. In other words, kids with disabilities including ASD must have access to mainstream classes and neuro-typical kids. In this setting or as I like to call it “hell hole” does not provide LRE, generalization or appropriate education. Instead it provides seclusion, segregation and separation.
In the long run, this type of setting will set us back to the old days of institutions and hospitalizations. We should instead move our kids with ASD into more inclusion and integration. Plus, if we hide the neuro-typical kids from our ASD kids – how can they possibly grow to have compassion and understanding later on for our ASD kids. Neuro-typical kids should be exposed to kids with disabilities in schools so that later on in life our kids are not bullied or intimidated.
The bigger question is why is MDE (Minnesota Department of Education) allowing this clear exclusion and segregation. Side note, MDE’s compliance division has zero person of color. How is that for irony – the division in charge of compliance and quality does not have one single person of color. Yet, they are suppose to be fair and objective which is pretty hard when you have nothing in common with the students and families who depend on your decisions.
I hope the state legislatures and/or federal guidelines prevent any school district that want to take us back to the old days when we would hide and shame people with disabilities by putting them in corners and out of sight.
As a mom to an autistic child, this kind of behavior from any educational district really breaks my heart.
As usual, above words do not reflect any agency, candidate or committee
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate