Victims Of School Failure Essay, Research Paper

In this day and age learning disabilities are attracting people’s attention. Many kids go through school almost in a daze not knowing exactly what is going on. At times, teachers will ignore the problem and teach the rest of the class. There is a wide variety of learning disabilities, but the most common one is Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.). Problems occurring at school are usually the reason for a diagnosis of ADD. Children with this disability experience difficulties in many skills needed for academic success. Their poor learning skills cause academic problems and under-developed social skills. Children with ADD are often mistreated.

In many cases, children with ADD feel left out from the rest of the class. These children are being pushed aside and overlooked. “ADD has been estimated to affect three to five percent of school-age children nationwide, with fewer than three percent actually receiving medication.” (Barisic A8.) With so many children being diagnosed, ADD is becoming a norm. People

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assume these children need specific drugs or special classes for appropriate teaching; however, these children simply need more attention, they are not dumb. For some reason learning different, does not seem like a disability to me.

“School has always been the only place I have felt really worthless.” (Ungerleider 178.) Throughout my junior and senior year in high school, my best friend and I had three classes together. Except he only went to his classes twice a week. On the other days he would go to the special-ed class. This might seem all right to some people, but I think he was treated like an outcast. He did not have a choice in the matter that is what he had to do because he had ADD. At any rate he was still my friend and still a great person. At a younger age this method may be necessary, but in high school there should be better education for ADD students.

When kids are treated different they know there is a problem, and try to hide it. “My mom knows the secret why I do so bad in school, so stop asking me!”(Ungerleider 87.) I remember back in junior high at lunch – time there would be line of kids outside the principal’s office. At the time I was clueless of what they were doing. I finally found out that these kids were taking ritalin. Once more and more people found out what these kids were doing they started getting made fun of. Most of the kids didn’t want to explain what they were doing at the principal’s office everyday. This is just another example of frustration these kids are put through.

School failure is a very important issue. If kids are not taught properly then they are not receiving education. Consequently they are receiving schooling; not all students benefit from schooling. Schooling is when a teacher does the minimum amount of work he or she has to do. Most disabled kids like their teachers, but get frustrated when they are stuck or confused. At that time it is the teachers responsibility to help that student. I am not bashing teachers in any way, but it seems some just do not care.

My brother is a freshman in high school and is having a hard time. He just turned fifteen this fall, and has no clue what he wants to do after high school. Earlier this year he took drivers training, but wasn’t suppose to. My parents fought for him to be able to take drivers training. You must have good grades to take the course through the school. It seems fair for most people, but when a student has a tough time in class he is punished by the teacher and then again by extra cirricular rules and regulations. My brother also played soccer this fall, well at least for half the season until he got kicked off the team for bad grades. When does it stop, how many disabled kids get the old double-whammy simply because of school failure?