Why is it that when a student with a disorder like ADHD, ADD, Asperger's syndrome etc. frequently interrupts class or needs extra attention from teachers, parents of other kids in the class are often quick to demand that this student shouldn't go to mainstream school, because it's having negative effects on the other students' education.
But when a student that doesn't have any sort of a disorder frequently interrupts class (chatty students are a typical example) and the teacher constantly needs to deal with those interruptions, nobody demands that those students should be kicked out of mainstream school for having negative effects on the other students' education.
Why the double standards? Both of them are equally interrupting others, but somehow people seem to think it's more acceptable if the student hasn't been diagnosed with anything.
2009-06-21T08:51:16Z
oracle, I know that some students cannot handle being in mainstream school and are better off in schools that specialize in students with various disorders. That is not what I'm asking about.
I'm asking why people who have the interests of the others students in mind often want to get rid of students who are known to interrupt class if that student has a disorder, but they don't care if a "healthy" kid causes just as much interruptions.
Sister Sunshine2009-06-21T07:40:47Z
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That is a very good question, and largely the reason why I hated school despite the fact that I love learning. I wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's until the age of 42, but when I was in school I was chided for interrupting, and irritated when the sort of distractions you mention were tolerated but my quest for knowledge was frowned upon.
To be honest with you I think the answer lies in the social wiring of NT (neurotypical, or non-Autistic) people. For them the chattiness and even teasing are considered "socially acceptable" but interupting is not.
The best solution? We need to educate people across the board that it's okay to ask questions when you are trying to understand and learn something. They need to learn that chatting and making noises can be so distracting it makes learning impossible for those of us with sensory issues... and most important of all - that teasing and bullying are WRONG.
BTW... people don't really think it's more acceptable if they haven't been diagnosed with anything. It is just the way society has taught them to be. It's unconscious. They don't think about it much, if at all. But society has changed many times since such a concept (society) became relevant... and we can change again: for the better. I have faith that this is true.
Finally, just because people are undiagnosed does not mean that they are NT and even if they're NT that does not preclude them from having personality disorders. All the more reason to promote acceptance, kindness, and tolerance. There is an old Native American saying that goes "don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins" meaning that you don't know what their life is really like so you should cut people some slack.
You are trying to compare apples with oranges, just because they are both round fruits. There certainly is a "double standard;" but, it is an extremely necessary one. Not all double standards are automatically bad ones.
The children who have the various disorders that you mentioned do not all have them to exactly the same degree. Even the doctors who diagnose those disorders cannot always pinpoint the exact degree to which any individual child has one of those disorders. The children who "appear" to have a milder case are often put into mainstream classes in hopes that they can handle the curriculum and the social scene. If it turns out that they can't, or they are too disruptive in class, then they are transferred to Special Ed, where the teachers have much more specialized training in dealing with "special needs" children. Since their disorders are not their own fault, they do deserve to have the chance to associate with so-called "normal" kids to see if they can lead a more normal life. They are not "kicked out" of school; they are merely transferred to another type of class or school that is more able to meet their needs. They don't knowingly and deliberately refuse to change their disruptive ways; they cannot change them. Many parents either don't know or want to understand these facts.
On the other hand, the "normal" children do not have any special educational needs; it is generally assumed that an average teacher can control them. They are quite capable of changing their disruptive ways if they so desire. The ones of them who are disruptive are merely spoiled children for the most part, and when they become too disruptive in class and absolutely refuse to change their ways, the only remaining alternative available is to suspend them from school in hopes that they will learn a lesson from it. Of course, that doesn't always work, but they certainly cannot be transferred into "special needs" classes, because they've not been diagnosed with any recognized learning disorder. They only have an "attitude" disorder, one that has to be changed, on the assumption it can, will or might be changed by the ultimate punishment: a suspension.
I think this double standard definitely is there, but in my school, it isn't as extreme as you say. The interupting kids dont get sent to other schools, but teachers can be pretty quick to send them out in the hallway or to their student center. We do, however, have this one girl with extreme aspergers syndrome who should definitely NOT be in regular classes. I have seen her make countless death threats to not only students, but teachers as well. She throughs tantrums that interupt several classes at a time and she simply can't be controlled. Even though she has such an extreme disorder, she is incredibly smart and knows her stuff better than most. Because of that, she hasn't been kicked out, even though all the students want her gone. If a "healthy" kid acted up as she does, they'd be thrown out so fast. So maybe this double standard goes both ways...