The Reasons Why I'm Worried About the Future of Special Education

Many of my readers and subscribers on Vocal already many things about my personal life, but what everyone may not know is that I was in special education. I was born in New York and a year after my birth; my family and I moved down to Texas. We settled in Arlington, which where I grew up and originally from. After a few years there, we moved to Hurst. Yes, I grew up in two Texas towns, but Arlington is where I've spent the most time in. So, I'm originally from Arlington. Hurst is part of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford metropolitan area. Hurst is located about 25 miles northwest of Dallas. I attended Bellaire Elementary School to start Pre-K back in 1993. Two weeks into the school year, my parents were notified that I had some learning difficulties. I learned that I had Autism. Unfortunately, I was severely bullied by many of my peers because of it. I didn't know what it was, but I ended up being enrolled in special education classes and was put on an IEP for almost all of my school years. I had difficulties with eye contact and a lack of communication skills. It was hard for me to have social interactions with people, even though I made a few friends. My parents lacked the patience when it came to an autistic child. Sure, I was a handful, but I was doing my best to become a better person. IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. It's created for those with disabilities to ensure that specialized instruction is there to meet an individual's educational needs. I attended these classes up to three times a week, in addition to being in my regular classes. I attended Bellaire Elementary from 1993 to 1998, before we moved back to Arlington in late spring 1998.

I continued to attend special education classes and received services until the end of my junior year of high school. In 2007, I graduated from high school and less than three years later, I attended a Job Corps Center outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is now closed, back in 2010. I attended public schools, and my parents would've put me in a special school, but financial concerns caused them not to do that. My trade of choice was Office Administration and needed the extra help as someone who's on the spectrum. Many people had doubts that I would complete my trade and graduate. Nearly a year and a half later in September 2011, I graduated from Job Corps and gave the commencement speech. Almost a month later, I was accepted to another school in Hot Springs for those with intellectual and physical disabilities. My trade was Sales and Marketing and thanks to the help from my instructor and counselors, I ended up finishing it in less than six months. In May 2012, I graduated with Honors, and it was the best day of my life. In order to be an Honor student, you would need to have a 90% or higher average. Two months later, I had my first job that lasted several months before moving to Northwest Arkansas. Over the next decade or so, I've had different jobs and been at my current job for seven years. I consider my current role as an Assistant Shipping Clerk a career and not just a job. I love it so much and it's very rewarding. Despite overcoming the aforementioned obstacles, I'm contributing to society as opposed to being on Social Security and collecting a check every month. I want to become an example for others and not become an offensive and problematic stereotype. Back in the 90s, if you had a physical or intellectual disability or disorder, people would assume that you're dumb. Also, the other assumption is that people like me can't live a "normal" life, which is also false. Just because we're different from others, it doesn't mean we should be treated less than who we are. We deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I encourage everyone to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and see firsthand of what their daily lives entail.

I've been taking part of Autism Awareness Month, which occurs annually in April, for years. Sharing my story on social media and advocating for those who are unable to speak or stand up for themselves. This is a cause that's very personal to me, because I've experienced it and becoming a voice to many.

My Concerns About the Future of Special Education

The significant budget cuts to the United States Department of Education by the Trump administration would have dire consequences. Those would include lack of support, teacher shortages, and weakened civil rights under the IDEA act. IDEA, or The Individuals with Disabilities Act, was enacted by Congress in 1975. It ensured people with disabilities have equal educational opportunities. Education Secretary Linda McMahon proposed shifting oversight of this act to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS.

I've had some of the best special education teachers, who took time out of their day to help me become the person that I am today. I may have been difficult to deal with at times, but I was grateful to have them help me with meeting my needs. If I were to meet them today, I would thank them for helping me become successful in life. Teachers, including special education teachers, don't get enough credit for the hard work they do. Cutting day programs and other resources would have a ripple effect on parents and teachers. So, for that, I say thanks to all of the teachers for continuing to make a difference in the lives of these children. You are greatly appreciated. To the parents of children with disabilities, you are also appreciated. You are your child's teacher, caregiver, parent, and cheerleader. Parenting is difficult, without a doubt. However, never lose sight of what's important: loving and supporting your child or children unconditionally. I wish I had that kind of love and support when I was younger, but I'm extending both to the aforementioned people. I fear that important programs and resources won't be accessible to each individual in for years to come.

Over 30 years later, I'm contributing to society and living life in the best way possible. As I'm nearing my 40s, appreciating the people and things around me is what I focus on. I hope my story has inspired you and a few people. Alos, I hope it gave everyone some hope, because positivity, well, more of it, is needed today. The reasons why I've shared my story is to make everyone aware of what's going on concerning the future of special education and two, remind children that they can make it in life. Your disability doesn't have to define you. If people say that you can't be successful in life or can't live a normal life, don't believe them. I believe in you and I'll be rooting for you all the way.

I've been through so many obstacles and challenges in the almost 40 years I've been on this Earth. There may have been a few doubters, but I didn't listen to them. I was eager to become the best person I could be, but now, here I am. I give all the credit to Jesus, because without Him, I wouldn't know where I would be today. He encouraged me not to give up and keep pursuing my goals. His unconditional love for me will never fail.

Feel free to share in the comments below a bit of your personal story of how special education was beneficial for you. What do you believe Congress should do to ensure equal education opportunities and resources for children with disabilities? Be sure to follow me on social media, like this story, and subscribe to my page on Vocal. Finally, please consider sending me a one-off tip at the end of this story. Your support of creators like me will encourage us to continue writing and publishing stories.