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Integration and mainstreaming have been the hallmark of special education in recent years. But sometimes students in regular education classrooms aren't challenged enough, face too many obstacles, or just don't fit in. Sometimes, special students simply need special environments. The good news: Southern California is home to a wide variety of public and private campuses that offer specialized environments to meet children's unique needs. Some schools are stopgaps to give children the tools they need to get back into the regular education environment. Others are destination schools offering unique opportunities that students crave or require. So when is a specialized environment best? Your child will often let you know they need special attention by acting out with teachers, failing subjects or fighting with peers. Other times the signs are more subtle, such as recurring health problems that prevent them from going to school or failure to make friends. You may notice the signs, or your child's teacher may bring them to your attention. Offering several offerings Public schools usually have a variety of options for students with special needs, such as those with a learning or physical disability, those who are exceptionally bright, or some who possess multiple needs. Whatever the challenge, parents are involved with the teachers and administration in selecting the best option for the student. For disabled students, this team creates an "Individualized Education Plan," known as an IEP, which outlines goals and classes for the child. Since the range of special needs is so great, no single educational philosophy is going to fit all children. For instance, some children are on life-support systems in classrooms while others are extremely advanced and functioning well above their peers. The goal is to meet the child's individual needs with a combination of regular classroom lessons and supplemental help from specialists or enrichment teachers. In some cases, students may be placed in a special class on the regular education campus. But sometimes school and parent can't agree on the best approach, or they've tried several options that just aren't working. That's when many parents turn to specialized environments focused on their child's needs. Twenty-five years ago, nearly every school district had special schools for special students. Children with Down syndrome, learning disabilities or severe physical disabilities were taught together on separate campuses, surrounded by special equipment, therapy facilities and specially trained teachers. Often, gifted students were driven from all over the district to a central "magnet" school that offered a more rigorous program and enrichment opportunities. Because of concerns over equity, differing expectations and integration, most districts decentralized their special programs and moved them to neighborhood campuses. Mainstreaming special needs students or placing them in special programs on regular campuses so they can eat lunch, play games at recess and take some classes with their peers is still largely the preferred approach because it exposes children to peers with a range of abilities. L.Y. Mickey Hollis, acting associate dean and director of Cal State Fullerton's School of Education, says isolating students makes them feel different and denies all the students the chance to appreciate each other for who they are. "I just don't like society that way," he says. "Unless you deal with a range of human beings, you've cut yourself off from a rich source of learning, whatever that range." But it does happen that children in mainstream programs or integrated campuses feel cut off from their peers or teachers for a variety of reasons and perform better in a special school. Their success is why a growing number of private and "non-public" schools are thriving by serving that special school void. School in Riverside While all school districts offer programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, many families opt for one of the two state-run California School for the Deaf campuses. California School for the Deaf, Riverside, serves about 500 students from 11 counties around Southern California. A portion of the preschool through high school students live on campus, taking academic classes and some vocational training courses. Families often send their children to school there to expose them to the unique deaf culture. The campus participates in sports leagues and hosts a variety of special events, such as the popular "Silent Sleigh" event where students can talk with Santa using sign language. Students talk about the school being a home away from home and graduation is always a tearful event with students hesitant to leave. The feeling of a home environment with individualized teacher/student interaction has also been drawing families to Victress Bower School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District since 1968. Finding the best fit between the family and the school is integral to a student's success, so Principal John Aldrian will spend up to four hours with parents when they first visit. Bower is an unusual public school, serving about 80 students ages 3 to 22 who have profound disabilities. The school's focus is on life skills, such as non-verbal communication, making choices however small they may seem, and basics such as sitting, standing and eating. Aldrian says the key is to really listen to parents' priorities when they are asked about the most important things they're looking for in their child's school environment. "We're certainly not for everybody and we're certainly not for everyone who has a child with significant disabilities. Some things we can do really well being a small special school, and some things we can't do as well or can't offer parents." What Bower does offer is a completely specialized environment. Classrooms have state-of-the-art adaptive technology, such as switches that work with the blink of an eye or the twitch of a facial muscle. The school prides itself on a medically safe environment, with three nurses and CPR-training for every staff member. Students also get hands-on training in the community, making trips on the daily Bower van shuttles to the post office, grocery store, library and fast food restaurants. There, instructors work with them on how to interact and behave in the different environments. Bower also offers families a community that is difficult to find anywhere else. Monthly family events always include students and their siblings, and Aldrian jokes that he has a hard time getting parents to stop talking with one another at the annual back-to-school barbeque so they can go inside and listen to the evening program. "Many families don't have typical social lives and are always having to make adjustments to accommodate their child with disabilities," Aldrian says. "There are not a lot of things in community specifically geared toward our kinds of kids. We provide a support network to parents. Where else do they meet parents of children with similar kinds of issues?" Meeting other parents and children who share the same challenges is a strong draw for families considering specialized schools. Although families can find a broader social group through organized sports and neighborhood activities, they truly enjoy being part of a community with people who understand their challenges and resources they can take advantage of. Victress Bower School A very special place in Norco Small miracles are everyday occurrences at Victress Bower School in Norco. Students whose doctors said they would never leave a wheelchair take their first steps in Bower classrooms. Youngsters who came to Bower virtually nonresponsive learn to smile, wave and communicate with Bower staff. And children who stop breathing in the middle of class have been revived by trained staff or firemen from the nearby station. Principal John Aldrian has collected a lifetime of these stories. After more than two decades at Bower, he is the community's go-to man for questions about disabled children. He's also an invaluable resource to families who have children with profound disabilities, giving them referrals to dentists and pediatricians who work with disabled children and helping them navigate the sometimes difficult decision of the best educational choice for their child. "I work just as hard to keep kids out of my school as to bring them in," Aldrian says. "I truly believe we should look at the least restrictive environment for kids. For most kids, that's going to be them being on some form of regular campus. But it's still great that our district continues to be supportive to have this option available." Indeed, Bower is an unusual public school these days. Most districts shuttered their special campuses years ago and moved children to special classrooms at neighborhood schools. Those districts send children with the greatest needs to non-public campuses, sometimes several cities away, at the district's cost. However, Corona-Norco has provided a state-of-the-art school for its most severely disabled students since 1968 - a program so well-known and respected, it inspires families to move into the district from around the western United States. Bower offers personalized instruction in a variety of skills, such as communicating with picture symbols, eating, drinking, standing, sitting, walking, making simple choices and learning to live in the community. Its location next to Washington Elementary School allows students from both campuses to have recess together and learn about each other. Aldrian has even handed out wheelchair "driver's permits" to Washington students so they can safely push Bower students in wheelchairs. Youngsters from around the district also volunteer on campus during their vacation time. And Bower students are always surrounded by highly trained teachers and staff. Beyond touching their students' families, Aldrian says, Bower's staff is proud to touch the lives of everyone in its community. "Our kids have value," he says. "They can lead a rich and fulfilled life, maybe different than the lives we're used to. We want people to appreciate our students. We are a symbol for disabled students and adults." |
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