Inclusion of special needs kids benefits everyone

RE: Donal Morris’ letter to the editor on Wednesday, June 28.

Mr Morris, your knowledge on the topic is just as old as the schooling techniques used when “you were a boy”.

Regardless of how you look at Pauline was blatantly wrong.

To objectify children with autism and special needs is stupidity.

As a teacher who works in a normal 21st century classroom, I see and deal with multiple children with ADD, ODD and multiple strands of ASD ( or autism) every day.

What you described, Mr Morris, was outdated schooling techniques which no longer exist, and you yourself even it, stated that how the child you deemed had undiagnosed autism was treated may have been wrong but how were teachers to know back then?

A lot of time, money and research has gone into the inclusion of children with needs that didn’t always fit into our conventional schooling systems, to now both include and assist children with multiple strands of autism.

You can’t tell me that a red- headed woman from Ipswich, who made fish and chips for a living and somehow coaxed her way into a position of power, has the knowledge or education to know what is right for these kids.

These children are hard work, I’m the first to admit it, some days leaving me exhausted beyond the point of tears.

But extra assistance is what they need, not to be all marched together like Hitler did with the Jews to a concentration camp.

Inclusion is the key because these children don’t need to be made to feel any more different than they do every other day. Inclusion is the key because what they don’t pick up from the teacher they are often assisted with by the other students.

And most importantly, inclusion is the key because having kids with special needs helps your children grow into better people. It teaches them patience, helps their learning by teaching what they know to other children and most importantly, it teaches them to realise that everyone is different in their own way but still needs to be treated equally.

That’s right, to make a positive out of a negative; autism and special needs make people human.

I truly sympathise for the people who have the same feelings as Pauline, because those types of people are the ones holding the human race back from accepting people for their disabilities, skin colour or religion. Just remember, inclusion is key.

P. SHAW, Hermit Park.