Pizza In Your Face

I now clearly understand that there are teachers out there who just can not figure out how to handle it when a student with special needs is in there classroom. Is this ninety-seven pound, blue eyed, Blondie who wears purple braces on both her legs and her teeth and uses a purple wheelchair really that intimidating or what? Maybe it is the mother of that kid who is scary? I tend to be pretty straight forward with things like this.

All it would take is just a few communication skills here. The class is having an end of the year pizza feast. That is great, this kid can eat pizza just as well as most teenagers. Since I had expressed concerns about these activities not being communicated to me BEFORE they occur so that the kid is prepared to participate appropriately in the past, the teacher sends a note home today. Thanks for the note that is what I wanted and it is all I need to determine whether or not the event is going to work for the kid.

So what is your problem Mom? The problem is that in the note this teacher wants to pay for the kid`s pizza because some how the five bucks is an issue and if it is covered then she can participate. Is the cost going to be covered for any of the other students who do not have a disability, no? (I know this since I have a regular kid in the same class) This five bucks IS NOT THE ISSUE at all since this kid earns allowance just like everyone else does. She can afford the pizza I just NEED TO BE INFORMED of the event. I do not need her to be singled out as being special,different, or anything else, that happens enough without even trying just because of her issues. Can you imagine what a group of teenagers would think if their teacher was buying pizza for just one of them, I do not even want to go there.

What is so complicated about this? include when appropriate, make changes when needed, and communicate. This teenager wants to be just like everyone else nothing more or less. She wants to be included to the best of her ability. That becomes a challenge at times, but it can be done.

Maybe I had better go find some pizza to calm myself down.