Utah mom’s plea: Let 12-year-old daughter into first grade

[alp227]

Salt Lake City mother Angie Watson is hoping for what once seemed impossible: She wants to see her 12-year-old daughter Alexis, born with a rare genetic disorder, begin regular first grade this fall.

Alexis Watson was born weighing one and a half pounds, and doctors said if she lived, she’d likely do little more in life than stare at the ceiling, her mother said. Instead, Alexis has surpassed everyone’s expectations, although her physical and cognitive growth are still dramatically delayed — she is the size and at the cognitive level of a 6-year-old.

Seeing her daughter in a regular first-grade class "is like a parent’s dream kind of come true for their special needs kid," Watson said, " when you’ve been told for so many years she’d never do anything."

The Salt Lake City School District has denied Watson’s request, telling her Alexis should be in a seventh-grade special education class with kids her own age, her mother said.

full: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58173951-78/grade-alexis-education-daughter.html.csp

[uppityperson]

1. Give her a chance, and she will have an aide with her so why not try?

[Sister to TxTowelie]

2. It sounds like this is more about the parent, not

what is best for the child.

I'm not saying the parent is wrong, but there isn't enough information to take a side. I wonder what the child's last teacher thinks?

[aikoaiko]

3. if she is the "size and at the cognitive level of a 6-yr old and can progress as a 6-yr old would...

then placement in the 6th grade makes sense. But if she is like a 6th grade, but it would take a lot of special work to make any progress then special ed would be better.

I suspect its the later. I feel bad for parent and child. I know "normal milestones" are like dreams come true.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

4. The question is, how long will it take her to progress beyond a first grade level?

How long will she remain at the cognitive level of a 6 year old? That doesn't seem like something that can progress at the same rate of other children without these issues.

[TBF]

5. This is a tough case -

while the other first graders could definitely benefit from the immersion as well, I'd say no because she really does rely on the aide. She can't speak and is in a wheelchair. Any special accommodations she needs will take time away from other students (and classes are already big in mainstream classrooms).

I happen to have a child roughly this age and saw the havoc one other child wreaked in his classroom last year just by being very difficult behaviorally (struck out at the other kids etc). They wanted to move him to a program that helps kids with these kind of impulse control problems and the mother threw a fit and didn't want him moved. So parents started demanding that their own children be moved away from him (to other classrooms - he was especially physical towards girls). Some threatened to sue. I feel for the parent who wants their special needs child to be mainstreamed, but I don't think it's always in the best interests of the group as a whole.

[phylny]

7. I don't disagree with you.

I used to work in public schools as a speech-language pathologist, and have had many "tug of war" meetings where the least restrictive environment for the special needs child leads to a very tough situation for the rest of the class.

[REP]

8. Social mainstreaming is a wonderful idea

Academic mainstreaming, though, short changes everyone.