Brick Special Needs Parents Question Schools' Inclusion Plans

BRICK, NJ -- The Brick Township Board of Education listened to more than an hour of questions and concerns from parents of special education students in the district over plants to put some of those students in some classes with their peers who are in general education classes.

Some of those questions were the result of a letter that went to parents and guardians of special needs students that said all students would be in inclusion classes.

"That is my fault," Acting Superintendent Dennis Filipponse told the parents who packed the room at the Professional Development Center. "I missed one three-letter word and I apologize to all of you for that."

That three-letter word was "all," he said, and it was an error, because while the district is moving to try to get its special needs students into situations that help them continue to grow, it will not apply to nor will it be appropriate for all students, Filippone said.

Some students have behavioral issues that are simply too disruptive to the educational setting to be in the program that's being worked out, he said.

The plans are still in the early stages, Filippone said in response to several questions from parents about whether all of the district's self-contained special education classrooms were being disbanded.

Inclusion classes -- where students with special needs are studying alongside students who have no disabilities -- has been shown to help special needs students make greater strides in their social skills, their academics and in their emotional development, Filippone said.

"We are behind" on inclusion classes, he said. But the district is not rushing into the change, he said, and each student will be evaluated individually for what level of inclusion is appropriate for that child. It might only be participation in gym, or as a student progresses, it could be much more.

"In anything you do (with regard to special education) you have to do it in a careful, deliberate fashion," said Filippone, who started his career as a special education teacher.

Among the things that must be done is training for all the teachers who would be involved on how to work with special needs students.

Colleen Dalrymple, the district's director of special services, said a consultant from a national consortium that focuses on Down syndrome students is providing the training.

Preliminary information is those students who are identified as ones who could potentially benefit from inclusion will be worked into subject areas such as physical education, music or art, along with social studies or science. Teachers of "general population" classes would have the special education students' teachers in the classroom as well to work as a team, he said.

The goal is to help all of the children reach the levels of success that are possible for them, Filippone said.

It wasn't just concerns about the plans for implementing the inclusion plan that were raised, however; long-simmering tensions between special education parents and the child study teams throughout the district were raised repeatedly, concerns that pained Filippone.

"The most important thing our child study team can do is to honor the voice of the parents," Filippone said, adding that any parent who has felt harassed or bullied during the process of discussing their child's individual education plan should contact him as soon as possible so that can be addressed. It's a topic he planned to address Friday with the child study teams throughout the district.

"That's not to say you as a parent will always get everything you want," he said. "But you should be respected during the process."

Some parents expressed concerns about their children being removed from classes where the parents know the teacher is doing well just on the recommendation of the child study team. Stephanie Wohlrab, the board president, said she understands the love parents can have for particular teachers as she has been there.

"Sometimes it's hard because you know your child is safe and comfortable, but sometimes their role (the child study team) is to push us," she said, talking about her experience with her special needs son, who is in the district.

Filippone said there is another meeting on the issue set for March 19. That meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and also will be held in the Professional Development Center at the Veterans Memorial school complex.

In addition there will be a meeting for special needs parents by the district's SPAN group. That meeting is 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 26, also at the Professional Development Center.

Filippone said there will be another meeting in early April as well.

Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff