"Educationally handicapped"?

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Does anyone here know what is meant when children are referred to as "educationally handicapped"? Is this just Politically Correct talk for "special education," or is it a more specific subgroup of people?

I ask because I came across an ad in the local paper looking for a teacher's aide in a "small classroom of educationally handicapped elementary aged children" and I'm considering applying for it. I don't have high hopes of getting the job, as my majors were in art and english, but I have had some volunteer experience working at a psychiatric hospital for children, and I figured it'd be worth it to give it a try.

Oh gosh, another term to make me cringe.

I would guess that they mean special education but talk about political correctness. As a driver of a special education bus, I do not believe that all of the students are educationally handicapped. In fact, some of them thrive on the way the school system is ran.

With two "special needs" children, I thought I'd heard all the terms but educationally handicapped is a new one to me too. I agree, cringe.

Go for it Civet and good luck!

BeeBee

its almost as bad as one of the grading systems they want to implement over here. students dont fail anymore, they now get 'deferred success'.

= Learning Disabled (LD)

I'm not sure about that. Both kids are LD (with other things). I've never seen an LD room with aides although LD aides are sometimes used in inclusive classrooms for LD students. But this ad isn't for an inclusive or mainstream classroom. The autie/aspie room, the physical handicapped, the EBD and the globally delayed (ie mentally ret*d) rooms have aides here.

BeeBee

In Colombia we don't have any of those things. Everybody is in the same classroom. There are special schools or normal schools, period.

What are the aide's responsibilities?

Boy, it varies.

My younger is in the autie room 1/2 time and mainstream halftime. He says the aides in the autie room help students with homework, work with a small group when the teacher is busy with other things, and play games with students who have earned them as rewards. When they are in mainstream, the aide will sit next to some students who might need help or reminders to stay on task. If none of the autie/aspie students in the mainstream need that level of support, they sit in the back of the room ususally taking notes for the students to use later or jutting down the homework assignement. Although it changes based on what everyone had happening, the aides are more or less assigned certain students.

My older child is in EBD 1/2 days and mainstream halftime. The EBD aides are more assigned to the program then to a child. They stay in the EBD room unless called down to the mainstream classroom to remove a child. They watch to make sure the children are on task. They can be responsible for keeping in contact with mainstream teachers to make sure homework is handed in.

My older son has a friend who is servely physically handicapped. The friend has an aide assigned to him full time. The aide is responsable for pushing his wheelchair to classes, taking notes for him, feeding him, and taking care of bathroom breaks.

I know very little about the aides for the mentally ret*d group. I've seen them move with the children to the lunch room or gym or watch plays and stuff with them but that's all I know about that group.

The LD aides I know of are in the mainstream classroom. They take notes and scripe for LD students.

So, it varies. I hope that helps.

BeeBee
Edited to add about the LD aides....forgot them the first time.

Yes, it helps a lot. Thanks so much, Bee Bee .

That was the case here in Tasmania, Australia when I was younger (early 90's), however things might be different these days.

Don't forget transportation aides either.

In some areas, they ride with the childen on any bus (special needs or regular). In others, they ride with the children on special needs buses only. Their job is to keep the children reasonably behaved and in the case of special needs buses, assist the driver in hooking up the wheelchairs and dealing with other needs of the students.

In Rochester MN, the transporation aides also are crossing guards.

I would assume it's just a synonym for any kids who are in special education.

That's my guess.