There are so many reason why enrolling your child in a mainstream classroom that could benefit your son or daughter but also the other children in the class. I could list them all here but I think a story would be a better way to share them.
Children learn by watching others
The first is about a young non verbal boy I had previously worked with. When I started working with him, he was not overly expressive in his body language and pretty well behaved overall. He alway understood what I was asking him. I would put crayons and paper in front of him and he would color or a pair of scissors and a shape to cut out and he would do it. He often played by himself not really interacting with the other kids.
After two weeks in a school for children on the spectrum he was screaming, pinching, throwing things and biting. All things that were never happening before. You see he was overwhelmed by the other screaming children, was modelled inappropriate behavior and he followed suit.
If he was in a mainstream classroom it would have been quieter, and been modelled mainstream expected behavior. In my experience I have found kids want to be part of the group and eventually learn to look at what their peers are doing and follow suit when they are unsure what is going on.
I have seen children learn to kick a soccer ball, do the monkey bars, pump on the swings by watching their peers. I personally love it when their peers take time to help them or even teach them. I find that the kids I work with when in a classroom from kindergarten on they are accepted as part of the class early on and it stays that way as they grow up. Some kids drop off but there is always a couple that stay close and will always say hi, and look out for my young friend. That support network is so important as they grow up. If or when they realize they are different having a couple of friends to defend you, explain social situations you are unsure of and just knowing they accept you solely and completely can be enough to counteract the teasing and the depression that often occurs.
Your Uniquely wired child has something to share with their peers
The other children in the classroom learn to celebrate diversity and even learn to have empathy for other people. One of my lower functioning kids that I work with has a hundred friends it feels like. I pick him up from school and at least five kids are saying “Bye Teddy”. When we are at the mall I have had classmates come up and give him a high five or yell across the store “Hi Teddy” and he always gets a huge smile on his face.
Another story of acceptance is that of my friend Johnny. Johnny needs to let his wiggles out so he has had a trampoline at the back of his class room since kindergarten. Now in grade three the other kids don’t think any thing of it. “That is just what my friend needs to keep his body calm.” is what they tell me.
From my own experience growing up
I grew up with a girl who actually lived across the alley from me but also in my class at school from kindergarten to grade nine when she passed away, who had cerebral palsy. She was accepted into our class from day one. I remember the teacher giving us the talk about how her legs and arms don’t work very well what is why she was in a wheelchair and she had an aid, but her mind was not broken and that she was just as much a part of our class as anyone else. We took turns pushing her to music, as we got older we took turns staying in at lunch time while she had a break on a matt from her wheelchair. As far as we were concerned she wasn’t any different then the rest of us other then maybe she was a little smarter from all the books she read.
So if you ask me with the right support the absolute best place for your child is in a mainstream classroom. They will learn so much from their peers and they will teach his or her peers a thing or two about life.