Entry #1 Chapter #1

Entry #1 Chap 1
“When is a child considered to be educationally exceptional?”
It is hard to determine when a child is educationally exceptional because everyone is unique in their ability to learn and follow educational practices. What is considered “normal” or “average” can be hard to define. An exceptional child differs from the average child in ways which vary widely. However, an exceptional child usually requires modifications and/or special education services to develop and maximize their skills. According to our textbook, an exceptional child differs in “1) mental characteristics, 2) sensory abilities, 3) communication abilities, 4) behavior and emotional development, and/or 5) physical characteristics” (Kirk 5). When we think of exceptional children we often think of children who are at a level below their peers. Students with exceptionalities are at all different skill levels. An exceptional child can include a gifted child or a child who finds school to be a struggle due to impairments or developmental delays. Students with learning disabilities, auditory/visual impairments, emotional distress, superior intellects, and multiple handicaps are just a few examples of the conditions which can cause a child to be exceptional. An exceptional child is not always easily recognized by teachers or parents. Exceptional children can be placed in inclusion classrooms or into resource room setting. A teacher shares her insight and opinions of classrooms with exceptional children on her blog http://cecblog.typepad.com/cec/2009/09/its-all-about-perspective.html#more.

“How do parents/siblings respond to the presence of a child with disabilities in the family?”
When the birth of an exceptional child occurs, families have much to absorb. The new information concerning the addition to their family can trigger a strong response either positively or negatively. “And it is important to consider those responses, because they happen to every parent of an exceptional child, regardless of his or her educational background or socioeconomic level” (Kirk 16). In a small way, it is probably comforting to think that there are millions of other families who have gone through and adapted to the necessary lifestyle changes. Parents who have seriously disabled children often feel shock, denial, sadness, and anger along with a “symbolic death” of the “normal” child who was to be. The responsibility of providing daily care can be overwhelming when a child is difficult to dress, cloth, feed, and calm down. It must be very difficult to realize that a child may never be an independently functioning adult. Parents may feel financial stress due to extra costs of an exceptional child's needs. The site, http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/disabilities_managing_finance.html explains costs that families should consider when raising an exceptional child. Unfortunately, exceptional children are at risk for abuse. It is hard to imagine any parent harming their child but when some parents become frustrated or stressed they take it out on the child. Parents may need the help of support groups or professional attention to better care for their exceptional child. It is important that parents of exceptional children take an interest in their child’s education and that the child gets the attention they deserve from school and home. The parents of an exceptional child may react differently than the sibling. The sibling(s) may feel neglected or jealous. To a sibling, it would appear that a parent is spending more time with the exceptional child. The sibling may become resentful to the other because they are jealous of the attention. Even though the home environment is different when there is an exceptional child “…there does not seem to be any tendency for the siblings of children with disabilities to be more disturbed or stressful than the siblings of children without disabilities” (Kirk 23). In my opinion, siblings of exceptional children are more passionate for others who may have an exceptionality or have a sibling with an exceptionality. Siblings can be each other’s biggest fans or strongest enemies depending on the day. The sibling of an exceptional child will know about his/her sibling’s ability and hopefully help others to understand, too.