hey, come on guys.. i'm not saying the kid doesn't have a right to be in school, or the right to have his service dog while he's there.
all i'm really trying to get across is that, special needs or not, no child is more important than any other child, except to that child's parents.
i'm saying that other children should not be disadvantaged, because of a disadvantaged kid.
if there's no problems, then this isn't an issue. if there are no allergies, then it's a NON issue.
it just annoys me a little when a child with special needs IS given priority over other kids without special needs, as tho the special needs child were more important and the rest of them. it makes it unfair to the other kids, and sends a pretty bad message to everyone involved.
' look, kid, sucks you're in that wheel chair, but just remember you'll be able to be first at everything, you can use this as an excuse to get out of trouble, you won't wait in lines, so you can tell those poor loser walkers to stuff it. you're way more important than they are.'
that's the message we're sending when we put one kid ahead of others just because they have different needs.
sorry.. i just believe people should be treated equally.
really and truly equally.
we should accomodate for special needs, but after the accomedations are made, hold him to the same expectations and rules as everyone else within his ability to meet them.
you can't ask a parapelgic to run the 400 meter relay.... but you CAN teach him to throw a javalin, or shot put, or teach him to lift weights.
just beef up the stand that the barbell sits on to make room for his chair, and let him go to town. 'special needs' and 'disadvantaged' and 'handicapped' don't mean 'unable'.
you adapt to their needs, then you treat em like regular people.
cause they are