This week we learned more about the laws governing special education. I was impressed by the level of detail and amount of revisions that some of the laws have undergone over the years. To me, it seemed that the more understanding we become as a society, the more we work to reflect that in these laws. It was hard to believe that as recently as the early 70's, disabled people were still institutionalized for something like cerebral palsy. I was fascinated as I was able to learn about some of the laws and cases that have affected the treatment of disabled persons.
We also learned more specifics and responsibilities of the teams that work to support students with special needs. That was extremely helpful, and I will need to continue to study and learn about those roles because I know that I will be interacting with this team and these professionals in my career as a general educator. The better I can understand what their goals and plans are to support my students, the better.
One thing that I would like to remember was mentioned in the law lecture video - that case law will always be ahead of statutory law, and to do what I can to keep current with case law regarding special needs students so that I can best serve them and their families.
Hey Charity, great post! My eyes were definitely opened from the video. I was pretty disgusted and saddened that so many people were put into institutions or abandon in towns because of having a disability. I was surprised how careless people can be with the lives of others, especially those that rely on people with out disabilities to care for them. I'm grateful for the changes being made since then and now.
ReplyDeleteCharity, I liked the lecture video as well and learning about all those different laws! I thought it was so interesting to learn about how laws go into effect and why case laws should be our main focus. I couldn't believe how many case laws there actually are! It's kinda comforting to know that there are others out there who dedicate their lives to making sure that individuals with special needs are receiving the best care and educations they can need.
ReplyDelete