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Special Education and African-American Children

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Special Education and African-American ChildrenWhen Corey was in first grade, I knew something was wrong, because she never wanted to go to school. She had loved kindergarten and had always cheerfully left the house for school. Now, every morning, like clockwork, Corey would develop a stomachache, headache, or some other malady that could possibly warrant her staying home from school. My grandmother baby-sat Corey and Chris from the time they were born, so Corey knew that if she didn't go to school she would be spending the day with Nanny. After a while, I began to get curious, especially when she reported one morning, "Mommy, I can't go to school today because I'm sick."

"What's hurting you today?" I responded on cue.

"My arthritis is acting up today, I think I'd better stay home."

When I asked her how long she had suffered from arthritis, she claimed to have caught it from Nanny.

I didn't bother to explain to her that arthritis is not contagious and is very rare in six-year-old girls. I instead made an appointment to visit her school. Something was seriously wrong and I was determined to get to the root of whatever it was. I asked to look at Corey's papers and her grades. I was so disappointed to learn that she had never passed a spelling test and her classroom assignments were incomplete.

"What is going on here? Corey is failing everything!" I exclaimed in disbelief. It was only the second month of first grade, but my bright little girl was so far behind it seemed impossible that she could catch up. I know that students learn at different rates and at different times, but I was looking at evidence that--at school, at least--she was just not getting any of it. This six-year-old child who took my telephone messages, kept track of everything that was needed in the household, and who had an advanced vocabulary, was a very poor student.

I went to her teacher and insisted, "I want her tested so we know how to help her."

"I felt that Corey was having problems," her teacher admitted, "but I didn't want to be the one to suggest that she be tested . . ." She never finished the statement, but I knew she wanted to say, "Because she is Black." I knew that Black kids were being placed in special ed classes in many schools, but I didn't care right then about the other kids. I wanted to get whatever help was needed for my child. I didn't care about the stigma or the stereotypes about Black kids in special ed. I cared about helping this intelligent girl over whatever disability she had so she would enjoy school and not look for excuses not to attend. I understood the teacher's dilemma. She felt we would be offended by the mere suggestion that Corey might have a disability, so she chose to ignore it rather than take a chance of insulting us.

Black children are nearly three times more likely than Whites to be labeled as mentally retarded, and nearly twice as likely to be labeled emotionally disturbed. In the 1998-1999 school year, more than 2.2 million children of color in U.S. schools were served by special education. Among high school youth with disabilities, about 75 percent of African Americans, compared to 39 percent of Whites, are still not employed three to five years out of school, according to the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University and the National Center for Education Statistics.

Following a couple of days of testing, it was determined that Corey had a reading disability called dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting, and trouble putting thoughts on paper. At that time, Corey was having great difficulty printing. A lot of her letters were unrecognizable and often written backward. She had a terrible time reading and spelling words. Even though she was only in the first grade, she had been reading for a while. I thought that as soon as she started attending "real school," not kindergarten, she would better acquire the skills she needed to progress in these areas.

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Corey immediately began the extra classes for the last forty- five minutes of the school day. I really appreciated the sensitivity the teachers displayed for the students' feelings. Special ed kids didn't know they were special ed kids. They just knew that they got more time in the computer lab than everyone else. Special ed teachers introduced her to software programs designed to strengthen memorization and eye/hand coordination. This process helped her spelling. Our family purchased a computer and I daily made her type out each word on her list ten times, which helped her memorize the words for the weekly spelling bee. I also began reading to her--and with her--more often. We spent long hours reading to each other curled up under the covers of my bed. I would read a page and she would read the next.

In our home, reading books became a big affair. We no longer purchased a lot of toys as gifts for Christmas or birthdays. We now looked for storybooks and books of poetry. We scouted garage sales for whole collections of fairy tales and for the comic books Chris loved.

Corey spent the next four years in special ed classes, but by the fifth grade, she and I read To Kill a Mockingbird together and had begun critiquing Stephen King novels. When we moved to Sacramento, Corey was beginning sixth grade and she no longer needed the learning disability classes. She was doing so well academically that every year from that point on, she was on the principal's list for academic achievement. In college, she consistently made the dean's list and graduated with honors. She still experiences difficulties spelling, but thanks to spell-check she does just fine.

As I always tell parents, with any problem your student is facing, the most important element to helping them eliminate or learn to work with it is having patience and being encouraging. By praising the student for her hard work, you reinforce the adage that "practice makes perfect."

If your student needs special attention for a learning difficulty , it is great that our school systems have help available, but be aware that some schools have disproportionate numbers of Black children--especially Black males--enrolled in special education. Do some research on your school and school district. Ask questions and ask for data on the racial population and other children qualified for special ed classes. Learn how your school disciplines "hard to control" children. Does it use special ed as a disciplinary tool? Who is making the recommendation that your student be placed in special ed? What are their qualifications? Ask to speak with other parents of children with disabilities, so you can compare notes on their challenges in this area. When working with school staff to develop a plan of action for your student (an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP), be armed with some knowledge of the laws and where your student stands in the process. The Internet has a wealth of information on this subject, with Web sites answering learning disability questions from parents and kids.

Once your student is placed in special ed, ask how long she will need to remain there. Ask what your family can do at home to help her with her disability. Read, research, and ask questions. And above all, you must schedule monthly or quarterly meetings with teachers and administrators to discuss and monitor your student's progress. Notice I said you schedule regular meetings. This is your child; she is counting on you to help her through her disability.