Your opinion on special education

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I know you obviously can't speak for everyone, because autistic people are all so different, but what's your own personal opinion on special education? Do you think it would have been/would be beneficial to you? Did/do you attend special education? Do you think it would make you happier than you would be otherwise?

While I know that special education is definitely necessary and very beneficial for some people on the spectrum, I wonder how much someone on the "higher end" of the spectrum (asperger's eg.) would benefit from this?

Personally, I have always avoided it, not because I have anything against it, but because I've wanted to prove to myself that I could blend in and be a part of the neurotypical world, I think. Because once you grow up, you sort of have to figure life out on your own and navigate in the neurotypical world. Whether you're different or not. I think this mindset has also worked as a way for me to motive myself in improving my social skills.

However, the stress that the neurotypical world causes on autistic people can be devastating. I know from experience, since my anxiety and depression is often caused by stress from sensory stimuli + spending all of my energy trying to blend in.

I was in "special education" throughout most of my school career.

I was in "regular education" from 6th through 8th grades. My last year of elementary school, and two years of junior high. It was abysmal. I got okay grades, but I was bad behaviorally.

In "special education," I was fortunate to attend decent schools which emphasized academics and some discipline. I don't remember learning much---but I learned much on my own, probably augmented by what I "learned" in school. I did learn things like long division and long multiplication through much trial in class, though.

I always had special education ever since I was 2. I went to preschools from 2-5 for kids with disabilities. Then I went to public school in Kindergarten. And which there I stayed in the special ed room all day long with other kids with disabilities. I stayed in there all day from Kindergarten-4th grade. Then 5th grade was the 1st year where I wasn't in the special ed room all day everyday. I went to some regular classes for part of the day. Not much but some. But 6th grade. I got even less special ed when I went to a different school. Just 3 out of 8 classes a day. Then 7th-9th grade was the same. But instead of their being 8 classes. It was 7. Since in 7th grade I went back to my old school and been there ever sense. But 10th grade I finally reached my goal of having no resource classes which I was really excited. I still have a IEP but now instead of going to special classes. I have a thing called Indirect services. They watch over me and my classes and if I make a bad grade or need help in any class. They or her. Since it's only her. She's there to tell me and help me out. And yes special education is a great and awesome thing. Without it. I wouldn't be able to go to college and be this good in school.

I took charge of my own education ASAP. From what I've seen, there is entirely too much "help" to make us able to pass for normal, and far too little on how to discover and develop special abilities, and how to socialize just enough to find mutually beneficial relationships. What I'd really like to see is some studies for NTs on how to nurture a savant, instead of trying to blunt him into a jack of all trades with one extra trick he remembers doing.

My time with special education was cut short. Financially. And why I was in special education it's mainly because of social (something obvious), emotional (something obvious), and possibly due to sensory (intolerance, distraction) factors, NOT because of academics.

But I finished school anyways.



My opinion to special education as whole?
I don't encourage blending. Teachers has to know the difference between masking from actually integrating.
And, I think, NTs shouldn't exempt from it too. Even if said NT has no emotional or psychiatric disturbance or physical handicap/disability or health issues.

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I was not in special education and for me it'd definitely have been bad to be in special ed.
I don't think there's any school with special education near enough to were I live anyway - except maybe ones for mentally disabled children who can not learn most of what is taught in normal schools. Nearest one would probably take 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the morning to get there and the same time to go home in the evening. If we even have schools that are suitable for high functioning autistics that can't cope with normal education. I'm not sure about that.

I didn't have problems with my grades in school - except when I was 10 and 11 due to dyslexia - I just never knew how to socialize. I also wasn't diagnosed with autism back then and it really wouldn't have made a difference if I were. Teachers knew nothing about aspergers.

My opinion. Special education sucks.

Mainstream schools suck slightly less.

Expensive private schools win every time.

As a parent if you have an Aspie or Autistic child accept unless you're rich you will have to be very ambitious and open minded to get your child the education they need.

Whatever their friends or peers can do, aim to get your child to be 3 steps ahead. They will probably get bullied worse than other kids so you need to from infancy teach to be on their toes.

If I was a parent I would get my child, regardless of diagnosis or not, to learn to cook a stew from scratch before 10 years old. I'd have soft gym matts in the back garden and teach them to do back flips. Sweets and chocolates would be allowed only 1 day a week.

The sooner you prepare your child to be independent the better. Most neurtypical kids will have dozens of friends to support them whereas your child is more likely to need all the extra support they can get.

When I was young, I was afraid of getting cabin fever if I ever lived alone. I've been mostly alone for a decade now, and it seems as if I've finally gotten to know myself. I think I was in shock full time when I went to school, even though I only got bullied a little in one grade. Maybe the special education that introverts need is home schooling that is mostly help answering questions and providing access to data, with just a bit of general guidance.
For aspies of high intelligence, the odds of having more intelligent teachers is low, so self-education is the norm. Nobody told Newton about gravity. Given the salary and status of teachers outside of Finland and a few other pockets of excellence, the odds of finding even one more-intelligent teacher for guidance is low. The teacher's colleges thus turn into self-esteem academies for people with Dunning-Kruger - know-nothings can graduate with great confidence and stay ganged up in mutual protection against any competent competition. Then those who have trouble competing go deal with the short bus. Public education in general can't deal with special cases - it wants to produce interchangeable, predictable people. There are, of course exceptions - real teachers who have to struggle to work despite the others.
Given the pace of change, education is a life-long process, so "schooling" can be considered complete when the student has learned how to learn and how to stay out of common troubles.
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One caveat: There is a strong temptation to not memorize things now that they are so easy to look up. For some things, this is a useful savings, but you can't base any creative thought on connections to the cloud. All your source material has to be in wetware before you can build on it.

Anyone shopping for math instruction should seek out the tiny cohort who teach how to solve problems using a calculator, rather than how to get along without one. No other field has had to adapt so radically to the silicon age, and gone so obsolete for so long. Of course the "top educators" would much rather defeat students with useless set theory and weird tests than turn out grads who can easily calculate the value of various deals they will be offered.

I was in main stream school all the way, and it's my opinion that main stream school is where aspies belong.
I could have personally needed more help with maths, but that's no different from how kids with dyslexia get extra help without being put in spec ed. I would have hated being put in spec ed, I would not have belonged there at all.
It's for kids with other types of needs than us. I also picked up some things from the other kids and I learned coping mechanisms (like reacting in smarter ways if someone tries to bait you). the things that didn't come natural to me are things I could only have picked up from being around NT kids.

There might be kids that can benefit from good spec ed, but I think that will be kids who need more help than your average aspie does.

Really depends on the teacher.

There should be schools that only allow high functioning autistics to go to. It would curb bullying and would also prevent the class from going far too slow because LFAs are included. I know some people think of this as discriminatory but what other option do we have to stop bullying and still have challenging academic material along with extra services?