Special Needs Students Need Help, Not More Obstacles

To the Editor:

I’m concerned about special needs students, but equally concerned about their parents. Most of these parents realize that our country is based on the free market system which encourages competition. They know that for their children to be competitive in our society, they will need basic educational skills. So to whom do these parents turn when their children have difficulty in reading; or difficulty in written communication; or difficulty in oral communication or difficulty in problem solving; or a combination of all four?

In my judgment they should turn to the schools. Most worthy teacher training institutions instruct their teacher candidates in teaching techniques that will be successful in dealing with all types of learners. Schools, therefore, should be equipped to determine and deal effectively with a variety of student educational needs.

School personnel must be sensitive to the tremendous burden that the parents of special needs students bear. In many instances the parents are functioning in crisis mode. Trained professional educators must recognize what these parents are enduring and step up and help. Asking parents of special needs students to prove that their children have specific educational deficiencies simply doesn’t make sense.

Perhaps this may be a way for schools to deny educational services in order to save money. In this country that should never, ever be considered. Everyone involved in education should do their best to prepare all children to grow up to be productive young men and women.

Al Cramer

5 Partridge Lane, Newtown                                      December 5, 2011