Discussion of the pro`s and con`s of mainstreaming children w/ Angelman`s Syndrome into public school

Mainstreaming Children With Angelman 's Syndrome

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In 1965 , Dr . Harry Angelman , a physician living in England , described three children who had characteristics which are now known to be characteristics of Angelman Syndrome . These children all had a stiff jerky gait , absent speech , excessive laughter and seizures (Facts 2005 . At this time , Angelman syndrome was considered to be extremely rare , and there were even certain physicians who doubted its existence at all

It was not until the 1980 's that many more cases

came to be documented in the United States , and , interestingly , the majority of the known cases of Angelman Syndrome in America are of Caucasian origin . The incidence of Angelman Syndrome in America is estimated to be somewhere between one in 15 ,000 to one in 30 ,000 (Facts 2005

Angelman Syndrome is not usually immediately recognized at birth , and the most common age for diagnosis is between three to seven years when the characteristic behaviors and features become most evident (Facts 2005 . Some of the characteristics of children with this syndrome are developmental delays , speech impairments , movement or balance diss any combination of frequent laughter /smiling , an apparent happy demeanor , an excitable personality and very short attention span (Facts 2005 . The seizures rarely develop before twelve months of age , and in fact , absence of seizures until the teen years is fairly common Hyperactivity is the most typical behavior in Angelman Syndrome , with the toddlers having seemingly ceaseless activity (Facts 2005 . No one can say why laughter is so frequent in Angelman Sydrome , and studies of the brain , using MRI or CT scans do not show any defect suggesting a site for laughter-inducing abnormality (Facts 2005

The question now is if these children can benefit from being mainstreamed into the regular public school system . It is possible , of course , and has been done , however the more extremely active AS children require special provisions in the classroom , and in general a teacher 's aide or assistant is necessary to integrate the child into his classroom . Speech and communication therapy are generally considered a must , and physical therapy may offer some benefits as well . Because these children have very poor communication skills , augmentative communication aids , such as picture cards or communication boards should be used appropriately (Facts 2005

While there is a strong desire among the mental retardation educators to mainstream as many special needs students as possible .only about 8 percent of mentally retarded students actually attend regular schools The majority attend schools for children with special needs a minority are home schooled (Mental 2005 . One of the greatest benefits of mainstreaming the special needs child is that he or she has a much greater opportunity to interact with non-disabled peers , resulting in better socialization . While public schools are not considered a facet of community-based treatments under the 1966 act ' mentally retarded students ' case managers serve as the liaison between school and family and can coordinate the therapies needed for the special needs...