Did anyone hear? It was a programme about this whole inclusion row that is going on. I fully appreciate the argument that many SN children are suffering in mainstream, but I wanted to make the point that generalisation is the problem. Whether or not an SN child will cope/thrive in a mainstream environment is, I think, not down to whether they have SN or not.. but the type of SN they have. For example, the vast majority of children that were being discussed had at least some degree of autistic spectrum disorder and while I don't know an awful lot about ASD, Ihave witnessed for myself, how the stress and noise of mainstream can affect children.
My DS, who is doing fantastically well in mainstream YR, is severely disabled, both physically and with learning difficulties but his socially abilities are his strong point so mainstream suits him down to the ground, at least at present.
So I rang to make this point.. got put on.. but sadly I was in the car park of Home Base and had got out of the car and gone and sat on a concrete bollard so that DH, who was in the car, could still have the radio on (because you can't talk live on the radio whilst next to it.) So I was talking.. and this lady came up to me and started asking me if she could take the trolley I happened to be sitting near!! I ignored her, got up and walked off (she must have thought me very rude but I was trying to talk on BBC Radio FGS!) and for a few moments, completely lost the thread of what I was saying.. Think I got it back.. DH said I sounded ok.. but he would. Eeek! Ah well.. there goes my broadcasting career option!
SJ x