Schooling Children with Down Syndrome- Kliewer (Quotes)

"Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of community. Though many of us have a certain level of control over who we meet and interact with, none of us can come close to claiming complete control. So we must learn to work with others."

            I think this is a great quote because everything that is said in it is true. You can’t pick your classmates or the students you will teach. They are just given to you and you have to do the best that you can so that they can learn. It may be hard at the beginning but with time you could form a great bond with these students and would wonder why you ever thought differently.

“If you came into the room and were told there was a retarded child in the class, a child with special needs, I don’t think you would pick Lee out. The kids really agree he’s as capable as they are. Intellectually the same.

            This quote shows that whatever someone may label you as disability or not kids don’t see it. They don’t see how someone looks on the outside but the inside. They like who plays with at recess or who sits with them at lunch. Also if you don’t draw attention to it they kids won’t either and they think that student is just like any other in the class.  

“Lee is in a way he’s branded. People see him. They see Down syndrome. They see mental challenge, retardation, whatever you want to call it. That’s what they see, but wouldn’t be seeing him.”  

            I feel like the word branded is such a harsh word in this quote but I feel like it fits in perfectly. If you always talk about how a student is incapable or what he or she lacks that’s what everyone is going to talk and know about. But instead we should talk about what the student is good at or what he/she is doing well in, instead of only focusing on the incapability of the student.

*In class I would like to discuss some ways we can bring both children with disability and able children together.*

This is an article that helps prepare children for school if they have a disablity