Are integration aides a common occurrence amongst those diag

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Throughout school I had assistants who specifically worked with me and I found that very challenging to deal with (the aide would sit next to me in the classroom and tell me what to do much of the time). It is probably the worst thing that happened to me as it was almost a daily occurrence, and for hours during the day. There is also a sense of shame around my lack of intelligence as this isn’t a common occurrence and it was done in front of my peers, so nothing was discrete about the experience and I wanted the luxury of being treated typically. I feel that it was unnecessary for the most part as I was able to get high grades (just with extra time for tests and exams) in high school but I do admit that the very early stages of schooling would have been difficult without one as I hadn't developed the foundations and behavioural skills. I have been informed that public schools consistently get paid by the government every time a child with a diagnosis gets funded for an aide and that staff often make out that the student is less capable than they actually are in order to give the child as many hours with an aide as possible. That, to me is very deceiving to the child.

I feel extremely hurt in instances where I think people may see me as stupid or incompetent. When I feel that my levels of competency/intelligence are being dismissed, it's like an arrow has been shot into my heart (at the worst).

I've never even heard of an Integration Aide. It must be relatively new. When I was in school, I started in special Education, and stayed there until I was ready to move to a standard school program. Once there, you are basically on your own.

I didn't have any aides. I was in elementary school in the 1970s and there was no such thing as "aides" or even special education support. The closest I got to any help was speech therapy at school. I was drawn from class and got to work in a little booth with headphones, learning how to speak.

One year I had difficulty focussing in class so my school report says I did the entire Maths program in a small group in the hallway so I could focus better. I don't remember that at all. I don't think we had a special teacher for it. Chances are the teacher just shoved all the inattentive kids out the door to fend for ourselves.

I wasn't even diagnosed.
Surprisingly.

I think there's a lot of variation. In my school district, kids who genuinely need an aide often don't get one because of a lack of funding.

I was homeschooled and undiagnosed, so I did not have an aide although I wouldn't have been given one anyway.