Schooling Children with Down Syndrome

This article started out very strongly with Mia Peterson's story about being forced to take certain classes because she has Down Syndrome. It must be so awful not being able to take any fun classes that you enjoy and spark interest in education.

"Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of the community"(Kliewer). 

Similar to the negatives of tracking, keeping these "special" students separate from typical classrooms is limiting their full capabilities as members of a democratic society. By mixing these students, even if it's only for a small amount of time at once, students with disabilities can feel accepted and realize that they have potential. This article is full of success stories from children with Down Syndrome who attend classes with non disability students. This makes me think of a few experiences I've had in school. In Elementary school, I was a part of a group that would stay inside during recess to "hang out" with students who had a variety of disabilities, and now I see how important this was to them. Also, in my high school band class, there was a disabled student who would always come in with his recorder and play music with us. He was always so happy to be there and it made me happy. One last example is my friend Adrian from high school. Adrian has autism and is one of the most amazing people I know. He is a brilliant pianist who has put out several albums of original music and covers. If Adrian was separated because of his "disability" I never would have met him. Like the student Lee, who loves math and cares about others; he is an asset to the classroom and helps other students grow with him.