The Lessons Of Classroom 506 Analysis

The Lessons of Classroom 506 Summary The article “The Lessons of Classroom 506” by Lisa Belkin is focused on the single experience of a family living in New York with their 5-year-old son Thomas, who has cerebral palsy. The family is trying to construct a classroom that would be appropriate for their son. Thomas was unable to speak and he needed a specially designed wheel chair that would help support his body weight. Thomas parents were worried that their son would not get the same opportunities as other children because of his physical disability although his thinking was just like children of his grade. After researching schools Thomas parents realized that it was impossible to find the right school for their son. Thomas parents who
Before Thomas was born his parent knew virtually nothing about educational theory and practice for the disabled. They knew nothing about recent changes in the law and society that offer equal parts opportunity and frustration for the parents of children with special needs. In the years since Thomas was deprived of oxygen at birth, resulting in cerebral palsy, his parent learned how to advocate. They have come to understand that ''the law says we have to be heard. More important, though, they have learned that the provisions of I.D.E.A. have to be reauthorized every five years and that Congress has yet to agree on the latest
Moreover they know that they have been heard not only because they are articulate and untiring but because they have resources and connections. The Ellensons voiced that they wanted to develop programs that could be recreated to help all children who needed it.
Ellenson never met anyone whose contact information he didn't keep, including a lawyer named Tucker McCrady, whose daughter, Valente had similar conditions as their own.. As a kindergartner, Valente was the only disabled child in her grade and up to that point, according to Susan Rappaport, the principal, ''the most challenging student we had worked with. She believed that the school had not given Valente all she needed during her kindergarten year. The Ellenson got together with parents whose children had disability and create programs, using all resources available to them.
When the first day of school began and Ellenson looked at what they had started, and saw the seeds of permanent change in special education. Others envisioned simpler goals, as Wernikoff said ''We want these kids, all of them, to get high-quality instruction and be truly included,'' ''You can be in the class. It's another thing to be truly part of the class.''
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