Were you ever in special ed?

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I was in Special Ed throughout year 10 and year 11 before transitioning into an alternate, mainstream school where I am now progressing through my AS-Level coursework. However, I can't say I indulged in it. The entire school was practically Special Ed-based, having a maximum of only 100 students, compared to a mainstream schooling environment. The majority of which either had severe mental handicaps (on occasions, restricting normal physical functions) or were emotionally disturbed, or both, for that matter. As an individual, I am not in any form close to being either thing.

There was one specific class in which the lecture focused primarily on money numerals, basic mathmatics alongside basic life skills, the vast majority of which I had already knew about. It didn't challenge me, and had made me feel somewhat degraded. In addition, the majority of those there were not exactly what I would have considered as polite or friendly. And I had been physically and verbally assaulted without provocation on some occasions. All in all, I did not like Special Ed in any way, and I am happy with mainstream schooling over anything otherwise.

I was never in special ed. At my school the one kids who were in special ed were those who had major academic difficulties, and even those were only in special ed classes for the particular subjects that they had the most difficulties with.

I usually did very well academically and got good grades, so I was never in special ed. My AS was undiagnosed, quite possibly because I got good grades in school and didn't have any major disruptive behaviors, so nobody gave it much thought that I wasn't developing much socially or that I was very different from my peers.

I was in special ed in 3rd and most of 4th grade. This was due to not only AS, but my congenital total nerve deafness in my right ear (and half deafness in my left ear). My second grade teacher was confronted with a student who showed no interest in socializing, very poor understanding of speech, significantly slurred and stammering speech, what seemed like a wilful ability to ignore her and other students and instead read or otherwise engage in my own interests, and extremely poor social skills. Of course she must have thought that AS+deafness was a more severe condition.

I escaped (yes, escaped) by reading aloud as often as possible to overcome my speech impediment, trying extremely hard to learn lip-reading, and learning how one is expected to behave. I managed to get out with very little damage.

Interestingly, in high school some of my 3rd grade classmates started to get mainstreamed. In each case they were severely crippled by being in the system that long. They would suddenly appear in classes one day, with severely lagging academic skills and social problems. Many had been on medication the entire interval, and were little more than zombies.

I thank Cthulhu deeply for my ability to escape special ed, and consider it one of the things I have done for which I am most proud.

The primary thing I remember from then was that most of my other class-mates were either very violent or severely mentally handicapped. Also, "math" class consisted of being handed the same photocopied sheet of multiplication problems each day.

I have personally never been in Special Ed but I have a nephew who goes to one of those special schools for kids with learning disabilities that goes by the name of Aaron School in New York. IMO the school has helped him a lot as he has dramatically improved his social skills as well as the pace at which he learns new stuff. Earlier he was in another school that had no focused curriculum and he was miserable there.

I was never in special ed per se, but rather early in my elementary years I was placed in the care of the school psychologist (along with a couple other kids). It was a little like a second recess for the four of us; most of our time was spent playing board games and whatnot. If there were ever any performance reports or questionnaires, they were certainly sly about it.

Looking back, I'm thankful that for my public school career I was in the mainstream classroom environment. I was never in a special school or anything like that.

I had a para-professional (or "aide") accompany me in class in elementary and part of middle school. Although I hated it then (I thought it was embarrassing), looking back it probably was necessary. (I'm on good terms with my favorite para, a wonderful Canadian lady, to this day. She has a heart of gold.)

I've been on an IEP (individualized education plan / program) for as long as I can remember, which was modified as needed and according to how I've grown and made progress.

Addendum: I also can confidently admit that math is far from my strong suit. I was placed in a "standard" math course in 6th grade, and the teacher for that class was a saint in my eyes. She knew when to throw down the hammer, if you know what I mean, but she was always patient, considerate, and sweet.

In high school, I found that paras were a classroom fixture in a portion of my classes, but they filled less of a personal help role and were more so teacher's aides who helped every student, and on on-to-one level as needed.

I also should mention that I was in a special, smaller study hall for IEP kids in high school (under the names "strategies for learning" or "learning center") which had a loose curriculum helping students self-advocate and find tools and tactics for getting the most out of their education.

Now I'm in college and request accommodations of the professors as I need them, such as extra time on assignments. Surprisingly, I've never needed or desired to take an exam in a different room, although I felt this was more necessary in public school.

There's no shame in getting help when and if you need it, people.

I was in special ed in elementary school, and had extra study halls in high school. I personally hated special edd I had no business being there, but that is where they put me.

Ive been in special ed since the 4th grade although i was in there because of behavioral problems rather than academic ones. I hated it and still hate it because once people find out that you are in special ed they automatically treat you differently. For example they start talking to you slower like you wont be able to keep up with what your saying if they say more than a word a minute.

I went to a "brain-injured" nursery school during Kindergarten.

I was in a "special class" within a public school in 1st grade. The range of disabilities was great: deafness, MR, emotional disturbance. I have a vague memory of a kid with Down's Syndrome (known as "Mongolism" in the 1960s) who was in my class.

I went to a "special school" for kids with various disorders from 2nd through 5th grade. My academic instruction seemed "normal" to me.

There was no such thing as an "IEP" when I went to school. I learned about their existence as an adult. When I went to public school, there were "resource rooms"--but those were places the unruly kids (e.g., me) were sent to when we misbehaved in class. Almost like a "quiet room" in a mental hospital, in a sense.

I went to a "regular" school with no "accommodations" from 6th through 8th grade.

I went to a high school for "gifted underachievers" from 9th through graduation.

18 years after high school graduation, I started college, with no accommodations.

I graduated Magna cum laude 8 years later.

LOL...you're doing better than me!

You have a wife who's into you---body and soul!

I assume Ed means Education here, so here goes.

After I've been bullied my entire time at primary school, I went to a special high school for autistic children. I still go there and I hope to pass my exams and go to college. It's been great that I was able to get the individual attention when I needed it and I made a lot of friends here. I'm kind of scared to go to college next year, but I'm also very excited because I know what I want.