Talking Points #8- Kliewer

Christopher Kliewer. "Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"; from Schooling Children with Down Syndrome.

Kliewer argues that students with Down Syndrome should not be treated as burdens in the classroom and in society. Teachers should treat all students as valuable assets to the classroom. Every child has something to contribute to society. Educators should not view students with Down Syndrome as failures because they may not achieve every standard set forth by the curriculum. Educators should modify how they view the curriculum to play to the child's strengths.

• "Judith A. Snow (1996), a self-advocate in the disability rights movement, decries this judgment, stating: How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don't listen to the voices we have. (p. 12)" This quote is important because it exposes the hypocrisy that certain educators and members of the community have. You cannot tell a child with Down Syndrome what he or she can do, especially if you have no experience dealing with the disability. Certain educators and members of the community believe that people with the same disability need the same amount of help. That is not true! Two people with the same disability can lead two vastly different lives.
• "In establishing a representation of citizenship for all, Shayne recognized the transactional relationship of human reciprocity: Community acceptance requires opportunity for individual participation in the group, but opportunity cannot exist outside of community acceptance." This quote is important because it shows how dependent members of the community are on each other. We need each other. Students with Down Syndrome will not be able to function in society if that society does not accept them. Students with Down Syndrome will not be allowed to show their community what they can do, if they are not accepted as members of the community. In order for anyone to succeed in life, they must be afforded an opportunity.
• "To value another is to recognize diversity as the norm. It establishes the equal worth of all schoolchildren, a sense that we all benefit from each other, and the fundamental right of every student to belong." This quote is important because it sums up perfectly how all educators want to construct the atmospheres contained in their classrooms. The atmosphere in any classroom must be conducive to learning. A child cannot learn in your classroom, unless he or she feels comfortable there. Children will feel comfortable in your classroom if you recognize their individuality and "see" who they truly are. If you make any child conform to what you want him or her to be, that child will quit on you. A classroom is like a wheel. The children represent the spokes in the wheel. If one child is isolated or removed from the classroom, that classroom is damaged. Every child's educational benefits would have been lowered. If you remove a spoke from a wheel, that wheel cannot run effectively, if at all. This should show all educators that every child is vitally important to the function of the classroom, and the continuation of the educational process.

This article was rather long, but it was a fairly easy read. Words cannot do justice to how this story resonated with me. Although I do not have Down Syndrome, I am disabled. Being a student in the public school system, I can recall how educators and administrators would think they knew what was best for me. They could never truly know what was best for me. They are not the ones living with the disability, I am. Some educators and members of the Support Staff could only adhere to my needs as long as it fit within the financial budget of the city. Many times I was left without the accommodations that were owed to me by law. This left me feeling abandoned by my own district, like no one could hear my voice. No child should have to feel like they cannot be "seen". Every child's voice must be heard in our society. Separating students with Down Syndrome from the "normal" population is an injustice for everyone involved. The social skills gained by allowing students with Down Syndrome to interact with all of their peers is an invaluable resource. This will build their confidence in social settings and help contribute to their success in the future. The "normal" students will see that students with Down Syndrome and other disabilities are not so different from them. As educators are primary job is to foster the development of understanding and tolerance between students. We must help to "build bridges" to connect people of different races, genders, ethnicities, and social classes together. Educators should never label their students! Labels make students feel that they can only achieve so much. As a student, you must perform above the expectations of your label and not settle for the expectations that your label gives you.