In June 2017, Senator Pauline Hanson said that there should be a removal of children with disability from the mainstream classrooms. She said that by doing so, people on the autism spectrum can get the special attention they need in learning and development, and for the benefit of other students. Sadly, this news has brought a damaging impact in Australia towards how people view disability. The comments Senator Hanson had indicated that people with disability are a burden and should be separated from the rest. She categorized students with disability as a second-class citizens without any potential and that these students need a huge ample of time to learn.
Promoting Social Awareness
However, learning with people with disability can actually be beneficial for all people most especially for children. It is because at a very young age they were able to have awareness that the world is composed of different kinds of people. It greatly helps them learn about the value of diversity and it highlights that being different is not a bad thing, you’re just different. Significantly, by allowing students to work alongside students with autism, in mainstream classrooms, it gives them the opportunity to learn how to deal with life based on each other’s perspective.
Intelligent People
People with autism are known to be very intelligent individuals and they are natural problem-solvers. They have a great level of focus, commitment, attention to detail, and very artistic. Once they were given a chance to harness their unique skills and abilities, anything is possible. Besides, there are many people with disability that had positively contributed to workplaces and society.
Autism is NEVER a Hindrance
Autism is never a hindrance in learning. There are a lot of famous people diagnosed with autism that are successful and living harmoniously with the society. They have become inspiring and motivational people. Some of them are directors, musicians, developers, scientists, writers, etc like Tim Burton, a famous director and producer, who was actually diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Another example is the famous composer and musician – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he was autistic and he had troubles with facial expressions and in constant need of motion with his hands and feet.
People also read: 10 Most Common Learning Disabilities Found in School