Cindy said: And speaking of hurting children, here in California, I hear there is a move afoot--I think it's already being implemented--to mainstream special-ed kids. That's fine for kids who are not "slow"--who may have physical disabilities but who are equal mentally with others in the regular classes, but children, especially of the middle-school age, who need special help because of learning disabilites--how must they feel being in a class where they can't compete with the other children, of where they have an aide helping them when the other children don't. I think they'd feel much more comfortable getting the specials help they need in a classroom with others who are also getting help, and with a teacher who knows how to teach them and how to instigate feelings of self-worth. Hi Cindy: Having a developmentally delayed little girl myself, I completely agree with your thoughts. She shouldn't be mainstreamed yet because she's got behaviors that wouldn't be good for typical kids to be around all the time, she can distract kids with her cuteness and charm which wouldn't be good for anybody, but the main problem is that she requires special help and one on one attention to complete her tasks, not to mention that if she were in a typical class, she'd have long pull outs for speech/occupational therapy. Why single her out amongst the typical kids by mainstreaming her and having an aide with her all the time? Her geneticist told me she should be in a typical classroom. Well okay, he's a world renowned geneticist and I for one have the utmost respect and admiration for him, but he's wrong in this instance. I would hope that my little girl could be mainstreamed and certainly I'd think that's everybody's goal, but not yet. One of my resource teachers when I was in school--I went to public school and was mainstreamed throughout except for junior and high school math which I took separately from a tutor--long story--said something to me that I will personally never forget. She said this to me when she saw my little girl and I in the early intervention room for infants with disabilities. She told me that for someone with a disability who doesn't have cognitive delays, mainstreaming should be the way to go. But if there is a disability where the cognitive development is delayed, you don't want to mainstream the child just because it's offered. My little girl goes with typical kids to what we call specials here--P.E., music, art, library, assembly and of course lunch. She loves school and is learning very well, but if she was in a typical class with an aide, I think it would be disastrous. Shannon To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.