Legislation to equity…

I was recently asked if I would submit my memories of what it was like before those with disabilities were allowed to attend school. This is what I wrote: In 1965, I decided I wanted to work with individuals who struggled to learn to talk. I did not know, at the time, that individuals with disabilities did not have the same access to education that I had. So, I assumed that as members of the same species we all had the right to access education. Afterall, wouldn't everyone want all people to be successful? I began to take my classes at a university. My practicum clients came from schools separated from public institutions or were brought into the university by case workers. I also became a big sister to a teen age individual with Down Syndrome. She was in a "special program" but not in school. When I worked in the public schools, my students maybe struggled to pronounce some words but there were no students with diagnostic labels like autism nor those with severe behavioral issues nor those who were quadriplegic and non-verbal who might need moderate to extensive types of services. All of these students were supported by private schools. foundational programs, and institutions or did not go to school. In 1973, I began part time work in a school that was set up for those who were "emotionally disturbed and behaviorally" unable to go to public school. It was a behaviorist model program set up by Sydney Bijou, a protege of BF Skinner. I also began part time work in an "adult shelter" for those who could do a job. It was at this time that I realized how access to education was not for all students. Here are a couple of examples: One of my adult clients had never gone to school even though she was married and raising a six year old and all of her many siblings had gone to school. You see, she started to school but could not learn the sounds with the letters so the school told the parents to take her home. And because she could not read or write, her IQ by the public schools gave her a 35 which would not qualify her to attend school. I did teach her how to read without sounds. Another non-verbal man in his 80's had been institutionalized with the diagnosis of autism. Yes, I taught him how to talk. Children in the special behaviorist school had all sorts of challenges. But the biggest challenge was that controlling behavior meant that they could not move from their one on one, ten minute sessions with adult programmers to the natural child settings of public schools so they could not leave the special school. Yes, I taught several of them how to deal with unpredictable environments filled with verbal and non-verbal communication so they could go to public schools but they were still denied access until after 1975. Today, in 2025, we are able to look back and realize we have made a lot of progress toward equity, where all individuals have access to educators. But until we give each and every student access to learn the way their neurobiological presence and socio-cognitive experience allows, students may be in a school but still marginalized.