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Dwayne Parham, a former special education student, doesn’t mince words when asked about his life since graduating from Springfield High School with a modified diploma in 2005. The 21-year-old, who suffers from ADHD and a learning disability, describes his existence today as
kind of lame.... It's really hard for me to learn stuff, and nobody wants to take the time to work with me.
Adrift, he says he spends his days sitting at home.
Parham is hardly alone. This year when the state released its annual special education report card, a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, it found that more than a quarter of special education students had not held a minimum wage job or attended post-secondary education a year after leaving high school.
State educators say the survey, the first in which the state has attempted to track the post-school outcomes of special education students, will later be broken down into further detail, allowing school districts specific information on each surveyed former student’s situation in hopes that the information will help schools improve future graduates’ lives. (Similar data is not kept for non-special ed students.)
Special education includes a broad swath of students — Oregon’s more than 72,000 special ed students fall into 13 categories of disabilities ranging from learning disorders to mental retardation — making the diversity of outcomes immense. Nevertheless, the report card's findings do raise a series of important questions applicable to the system as a whole: What is life like after special education? What opportunities exist for meaningful work and engagement after graduation? What programs and resources are helping improve the transition from high student to adulthood?
Are you a graduate of a special education program or the parent of an adult child who attended special ed? Do you teach in a high school special ed or transition program? What has your experience been? What proved most successful in preparing you, your child or students for life after special ed? What should be improved?
- Erik Coleman: 2007 graduate of Thurston High School and part-time student at Lane Community College
- Jackie Burr: Secondary transition specialist at the Oregon Department of Education
- Arlene Jones: Administrative coordinator for Family and Community Together and the mother of a 22-year-old woman with a cognitive disability
- Christopher Murray: Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Oregon
- Sharon Swan: Mother of a 24-year-old woman with cerebral palsy
Tagged as: chool · high school · school · special education
Photo credit: Benrybobenry / Flickr / Creative Commons
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Somebody tell me why a modified diploma is worth anything. Isn't the only good it does is that the schools don't have to have another dropout in their records which looks bad for them?
We told my son's high school that we could teach him academically all he needs to know. What he needed was to learn how to successfully navigate through places like school to learn about common sense things. We didn't care about grades and weren't impressed with modified diplomas. So the teachers helped him succeed at what he needed. The teachers enjoyed him. He had almost all A's, but just not enough credits for a diploma. He didn't care. He was happy about the valuable life lessons the school gave him. The school held an "ungraduation party" for him where other special ed kids and teachers attended. They said my son's success gave them hope. Too bad we all had to break the conventional rules to give anyone hope.
He's in college still learning about himself. He's still getting A's and the teachers are comfortable letting him get his good grades as an aside to getting the degree he really needs, a degree about how to understand life.
He's still unable to do a lot of things because of his delicate temperament but he uses his meltdowns to step outside of himself and think about what triggered the meltdown and what steps will it take to move on. This is his hardest job but he's making baby steps toward success everyday.
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I am listening to the radio on this discussion, and I am appalled that the radio host did not read this entire comment. Instead he read only the last paragraph, which completely changed the tone of this person's story. Shame on the host for doing what school's, and society in general, does to people with disabilties. You focused on the person's weaknesses, not the strengths. You missed the point!
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cuhlman1, thank you for pointing that out. I couldn't listen to the whole show. The schools are failing a lot of people because of old policies. If we had followed their recommendations, my son would have given up. We can't blame the teachers. They became teachers because the love teaching. It's all those hoops they have to jump through that go against common sense.
My son's high school teachers enjoyed teaching him because he loves learning on his own terms and they were free to follow their hearts and see what could work best with him.
One day he had a strong feeling of panic shoot through him in class. He abruptly got up and went to the door. The teacher, knowing his temperament, asked where he was going. He looked pale and just said "out." She said, "okay!" He ran on the track, called me on the phone, did whatever it took to calm down. Nobody made him feel awkward. They let him work on understanding what he needed to do.
If he had been forced to stay a prisoner in that class while those panic chemicals were demanding that his body should fight or flight, he would have developed a phobia for that class which would have blossomed to a phobia for school, in general.
Phobias ruin the enjoyment of learning. If the policies in school don't work we need to stop being so passive. A drug for every learning problem don't fix the bigger problem.
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The Beaverton School District is slowly shrinking it's sped programs. Fewer elementary students are being admitted although teachers continue to ask for more help for many of them.
High school sped classes are being cut completely. Middle school sped teachers have been told to "get kids ready" for mainstreaming in high school because there will be no sped programs for them.
These kids will not be able to make it through high school and we will see an increase in the number of drop outs. Society will have to support these individuals because most will not be able to find or hold on to a job, certainly not in the current economy.
However, has the sped program actually helped these kids? They make it through school but with lots of individual support, curriculum modification and lower standards. Teachers often wonder how these kids will survive as adults after years of being allowed to slide through school with missed assignments and poor behavior. Parents often want special treatment not special learning techniques and strategies.
To be blunt, it is the parents that need the special classes. A large percent of sped kids are there due to poor parenting passed down from generation to generation. Teachers often shake their heads when a kid gets a consequence for behavior learned and accepted from lax, absent parents.
I hope that the Beaverton School District is planning to replace it's sped program with something that truly works to help these students learn to learn and cope with the society they are entering.
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After reading rezina's comment, I wondered what connection he/she has to the special ed world. I'm a community college educator and a parent of a young adult who graduated from PPS with a regular diploma. While rezina raises important questions about funding and ensuring that our kids are able to succeed at the highest level possible, I took a great deal of offense at the insensitive comments about parents and the comments about kid's behavior in Sp. ed. that assumes these kids just need more discipline. Give me a break! I'm sure there are a few parents with kids in Sp. ed. who fit this description, but there are always a few parents like that in any demographic. Parents are not the problem; there is not just one simple solution to this huge issue.
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That's an interesting choice of words. My son, who is a special-ed student tells me that using the term "sped" is like using the "n" word; something highly offensive if used by outsiders.
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I would like to comment on special ed from my point of view. I am an occupational therapist working in EI/ECSE with 3-5 year olds. I realize that this does not meet the perameters of a high school teacher, but believe my work supports what will go on throughout special education (birth to 21 years).
I have recently begun working with premature, high risk, developmentally delayed twins. They are hispanic boys, born at 27 weeks of gestation with respiratory complications and gastro-intestinal anomalies. Recently, I was at a home visit with my co-worker, a spanish speaking early childhood teacher. One of the twins was very ill. The mother tried to get a doctors appointmet, but to no avail. The spanish speaking community health nurse has retired and she will not have a replacement. In all likelyhood this child would have "crashed" on the day of the visit, had we not encouraged the mom to take him into OHSU emergency. He was so ill that he stayed in ICU for a period and was hospitalized for weeks.
With special education funding at risk, what is the worth of a human life?
My second point is this. In early special education, the child must fall in the bottom five percent to receive services. Children functioning this low are unlikely to be productive in future academic or work settings. Yet, we see some children who by the time they are five years, no longer qualify for special education services and have made substantial improvements!
If I could see all of the children that my training has taught me to help (kids scoring in the bottom third on standardized tests), who knows what the outcome could be!
What a difference special education could make if we were only funded to adequate levels!!
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My daughter has Down Syndrome and is visually impaired, and I am so grateful for what Special Education in the Lake Oswego school district and the Clackamas ESD transition program did for her. She is now 24 years old and has been employed for almost 3 years doing simple office work at Central Catholic High School, 3 half days a week. She earns more than minimum wage, and she loves her job. The other two days a week she does volunteer office work at our adult community center and at an office for a non profit in Beaverton. She rides the TriMet lift bus everyday to and from work by herself. If it weren't for this door to door service and cell phones to keep in touch with family, I don't think she would be able to work in these locations. During her years at Lake Oswego High School and the transition program she learned how to be a responsible employee. She has limited basic skills in reading, writing and math, but her ability to stick with a job and follow directions are the keys to keeping the job. Many special ed. students have difficulty staying on task which makes employment very challenging. Finding jobs can be difficult, but we were lucky to have personal contacts with some of her employers who were willing to give her a chance. Parent advocacy is important, because often the voc rehab agencies are not able to place the graduating students, due to case overload. Some of her friends are employed, and others are waiting for help. The work ethic and appropriate behavior instilled in special education are vital to success in the work place. Small classloads with lots of individual attention are vital to teaching these students to be independent and successful. I fear that upcoming budget cuts may weaken special education effectiveness. My daughter would rather work than take vacation days, and her employers appreciate her loyalty and teamwork. She seldom misses a day on the job because it's where she loves to be.
Besides her work, my daughter has an active social life including Special Olympics, Phame Academy for fine arts for people with disabilities, and other activities with friends. A good and caring support network have made her high quality of life and self esteem possible. Opportunties are out there, but, sadly, many do not have the skills to access them.
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I have a child in a Social Communication Classroom in the Beaverton School District. This is a program for high functioning autistic kids (such as those with Asperger Syndrome) who need some extra behavioral or emotional support in order to succeed in school. My child (who is also TAG) is learning to control their impulses, to work in a small group, and to handle the overstimulation of a busy classroom. I am very much involved with their progress and speak to their teacher regularly. I feel very strongly that parents need to have an attitude of being a partner with the teacher in order for the child to succeed. I also continue to provide academic support and challenge at home, because I know the school can't do everything.
I am confident that my child will be able to be in a regular classroom full time in a year or two, exactly because they have been given support and encouragement in the SCC class. This is an excellent program.
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My son was diagnosed with a learning disability and placed in special ed, while in the Portland Public school system.
I hired a tutor for him and he worked really hard. In middle school, he felt like he was a target of ridicule by other students. By that time, he had nearly caught up with his class mates.
After middle school, I enrolled him at Central Catholic H.S.. He did very well there and graduated last year. He now is attending the University of Oregon and this last term had straight A's and is loving college.
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My 24 year old stepson is Autistic and a marvel. He completed a regular high school diploma at Pacific Academy -- A day treatment center & high school in Beaverton. The last two years as a member of National Honor Soceity. At the end of this quarter at PCC, he'll have all his prerequisites for university enrollment.
Pacific Academy provided my stepson a highly structured environment in which he thrived. He progressed intellectually and socially at a normal rate, graduating at 18. The services were all there during high school. It has taken seven years to complete his prerequisites because of the lack of support within the system. There are no services after high school, and here in the US there is no social agency to serve citizens with special needs. They are cut adrift and it is left to the family to insure the individual progresses. Needlesstosay, most families are not up to this task. My son is most fortunate.
My son has two, college educated parents, with his mother at home. She has tirelessly worked with him enabling him to stay on target to become a productive member of soceity.
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Hi, my brother has autism and mental retardation and was in special ed for all of his schooling. He's 29 now and it's really hard to find something for him to do during the day. His high school (Westview, 2001 grad) worked hard to help him be more independent and he was employed at a couple different places while in school but is not currently. We just found him a day program a couple days a week which he loves. He does participate in Special Olympics and has friends but it's pretty lonely a lot of the time. Even though he lives at home and work hard to engage him in everything we do it's hard for him to get his own life. He's a great person and social but jobs are hard to find. He does have difficulties with communication and social skills as well as transitions due to his disabilities. He does use a cell phone but is not able to ride the regular bus and only recently is able to reliably call and answer the phone. He's not the only one in his group of friends who isn't employed right now and many people are working for less than minimun wage. Frankly there just isn't much out there and families work really hard to make sure we give our family members the best possible support. We really want to make more options for people. Not everyone wants to work in a workshop type setting for less than minimum wage. So that's something we really want to work on. I'm in school for Occupational Therapy right now; my goal is to help reform transitions from both family and professional levels.
Elisabeth
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The needs of students with disabilities and their families are not always understood or served by the broader school communities. Everyone knows that family involvement is key to a student's success, and that is especially true for students with disabilities. Parents need to get educated, network with other families and start getting involved in not just their own child's education, but decision making that's happening at the school, district, state and federal level.
For PPS parents there is a newly formed PTA focussed on students receiving special education services in K-8. Check out the blog: http://www.septap.org
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While it is great to hear about the successes your previous guests have shared about their experience with school, I am not sure it is the norm across the state or that most parents would agree.
I am the parent of a child with a disability, I work in the field of developmental disabilities and my husband is a Psychologist who has dedicated his career to working with people who have developmental disabilites. We live in a small community, and I find that most parents have the feeling that they have to fight for every service the school district provided to their child, and eventually by the time their child is ready to graduate, the parents have just given up fighting and want their child out of school.
While there may be good programs in the bigger cities, I think people need to take a closer look at the small communities and school districts, because they are NOT getting it done! Transition services need to be standardized across the state, so all children needing these service are treated equal.
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My daughter with Down Syndrome graduated from Wilsonville High School and now lives in California mainly because the services for adults is so much better. They have Regional Centers that coordinate services in one place. Here in Oregon it is up to luck what the parents can find by who they know or by chance meet to find services.
Peggy
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i am a 17 year girl in the portland area who is in the Special Ed in north clackamas no. 12. i have a.d.d and a have a learm proble. i take normal class each day. with one Special Ed class . it is hard for me with my famliy members on of my ulen think am sick and a couse who think not smart at all. the couse dont think i will get fare in life think i will woke at goodwill . i know much smart then that. right now i have a 3.25 gpa in school. i know want i will be doing after high school i am plan to a loacl colleg to be in the arts. if you saw me outside you will not think of mind probles in life. i think peolpe who see Special people in life think dont know any at all. one of my best friend is in my Special Ed class. she is my cheer when i am sad. an she love music a lot . but sometime i think Special Ed are mean to each thier is want i think. i get mad somethings at my Special Ed thacher about want leave he put me in read and selling leave that seen easy to me. i do have helper in one of my main class. sometimes dont think any one get me at all. cause want i have in life.
thank you
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I would love to see schools help families find the resources that are available in their area. The school district does not do a good job of giving families the information that they need. I am a parent of a student who has left special education with a cognative disability. Many parents do not know the possibilities.
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One of the "backbones" of Special Education is the Individual Education Plan (or Program), aka the "IEP". In that plan, specially designed instruction (SDI: instruction that is unique to that child so they learn a skill, concept, etc.) needs to be evident. One thing that happens so often, especially from about middle school on is that the meetings in which these plans are designed do not include the child nor do they address where the child is heading after they LEAVE high school. The idea of teaching transition knowledge and skill is often left to the END of the meeting (and often when there are only a few minutes left). Transition and creating a vision for the future should be the topic that BEGINS the meeting. Not only that, the student's VOICE needs to be heard by including the student in the discussion and planning.
As the Oregon Diploma raises the academic bar making academic skill and performance more and more rigorous, focusing on building bridges between high school and life after high school becomes all the more important. Especially for those students who may be unable to, regardless of supports provided, earn their Oregon Diploma.
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I am the director of Tucker-Maxon Oral School, a private school in Portland, that serves children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our students who are deaf do not use sign language. Instead, with the help of digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, early diagnosis, and early intervention, our students who are deaf learn to speak and listen very well! We educate children with typical hearing and children with hearing loss together in small, collaborative classes.
While the average annual academic progress for students with hearing loss nationwide is a 0.5 grade level in reading. Tucker-Maxon students with hearing loss scored 1.0 grade levels in reading.
While only 8 percent of deaf adults graduate from college, 95% of Tucker-Maxon alumni since 1990 have graduated or are attending college.
The same results could be attained in public education if special educators were receptive to cutting-edge pedagogical strategies and if they were given adequate resources.
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I am a psychologist who works for a small school district. I perform assessments with students as part of the process of determining eligibility for sped services. The post-high school experiences of sped students, just like non-sped students, depends on a myriad of factors. The future of a child aging out of foster care is much different than that of one with a family who can provide emotional, financial, and social support indefinitely. No matter how hard/well the sped system works, it cannot overcome the effects of poverty, social prejudice towards the disabled, lack of resources and support for disabled adults, lack of available employment, and severity of an individual's disability. If any of us - the state included - wants disabled youth to be employed or in post-secondary education after high school, society is going to have to increase the resources available to these kids. Considering the unwillingness of Oregon taxpayers to pay for such services, it's hard to imagine anything changing.
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I have a son with both a physical and a learning disability and we've found working with the school system an uphill battle almost every step of the way.
The teachers themselves, and the special-ed advisors in the schools have generally been wonderful (albeit with a lot of missed handoffs). But the district (Tigard-Tualatin) is unresponsive. We were told that they get over $10,000 dollars in funding for each special-ed student. (I think it's triggered by having an IEP) But they derail it to other programs and the funds don't go to help those specific students. In our case, it was clear that alternate placement was the right approach and we had doctors and psychologists all agreeing but we never got the district to approve it, even though it was substantially less costly than the incremental funding he brought in. We had to spend about $20K in attorney's fees just to get their attention and we still ended up with an unsatisfactory solution.
My point is: There is already a huge problem with integrity, accountability and transparency, *before* we start talking about cuts in funding. These administrators are doing these students a disservice that will impact their entire lives and in my opinion, they should be held personally accountable.
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We can see he is trying his best to do things. His spirit is great. Wish students like him make a wonderful life.
walk in tubs -
I hope they can run through the project again and distribute more reasons to use it. It is almost perfect. air hockey table -
This forum have a good idea about information card, but spreading information in many ways is important too.
free web advertising -
Comments are now closed.
I was in and out of special ed during my time in school. I am very high functioning but am still disabled. I was married twice and had two kids of my own who have their own disabilities. While my kids and I are very smart, we find funtioning in the world hard because of the emotional dysfuntion we have. My life is a wild rollercoaster. Recently I went to a book signing. There were about 100 people there. I had a massive anxiety attack that lasted two days. When I told this to a friend she asked, would you do it again?, and I answered with a resounding YES!
I think that the most empowering thing for me was the words that I could do anything and be anything worked to my advantage. Having continuing support is the most important thing. Tracking their lives would help too.
I made it into the Army because I am so smart. But during my second enlistment my disability came to a head. I discovered that I cannot work or go to school among groups of people.