Disabling segregation: Dan Habib at TEDxAmoskeagMillyard 

I think the way he loves his son and how much he did for him is so beautiful.

What damaged me the most was being constantly excluded and made to feel like I didnt belong or didnt fit in or was good enough, its even worse when its YOUR OWN FAMILY rejecting you...

I couldn't agree with this gentleman more. My daughter is living proof of it. Stuck in a separate classroom for years and at 17 just outplaced her into a private school where she is with everyone. Five weeks later she is thriving and her self esteem is through the roof. They should make it a law that they cannot segregate disabled children. Just a Mom's opinion. I agree it is all about social and not all academics. Thank you for this wonderful speech.

Thanks so much Dan! I'm currently 13 years old and I help kids with autism in their classes. Inclusion today is a struggle for a lot of kids without disabilities. I see my classmates every day talking about the kids I help, in negative ways. I think that people should become more educated on things like this. Inclusion is something incredibly important that is not taught enough in schools. It is one of my main goals in the future to help correct this issue. Thanks again for this wonderful video!

In Tears. Thank you to all the Samuels who teach us what life is really about.

Fantastic talk, Dan. I am also a parent of a child with disabilities, (now 28). Inclusion has been our goal, first in schools, now in the workplace and in life. Thanks for inspiring. Best to your son.

I've been showing Including Samuel to groups of people for as long as I've had a copy of the video. I'm so glad to have an update on Samuel's life and on his continuing effects on the people in his life. If only everyone had a Samuel!

I loved this video! My mother works at a school as a paraprofessional, and she works with child with a range of conditions. She treats each child like they are her own child and gives them the ability to grow to reach their fullest potentials. She has installed the same mentality in me to help people no matter what the situation. Making the world a place the accepts everyone for who they are.

As some one who works in field of developmental disabilities I am so glad to see parents taking this attitude. I've run into so many families where the child was given up on by the parents. Thank you, Dan, for the example you set.

Thanks so much Dan. This is a magnificent talk from you. My son has severe/complex disability including challenging behaviour. But he was included right throughout school and now some of his school friends live with him and provide most of his daily supports in an unpaid capacity because they love him so much. Social and emotional outcomes are definitely the most important. Thank you for saying it so incredibly well.

I've spent much of my adult career educating people about the ADA and IDEA and this is as brilliant a delivery as I've seen. Well done!

Thank you. This is so touching.

This is very inspiring and a good example for those parents who are at a loss as to what to do in similar circumstances. I especially love the great example of Samuels community and the part they played in including him and making him feel like he was a normal kid, these are the people we should all strive to be like. God bless the family and everyone that had a positive part in his upbringing.

Thank you so much for sharing Samuel's story.

Samuel is a great addition to our world. You did a great job sharing your experience. Right now both of you have inspired an educator oversees to advocate for inclusion. Thanks.

This is so relevant. Thank you.

Your video was very informative about how important play is for all children, especially children with disabilities. As a behavioral tech, I see daily how essential social skills are for children. An OT can aid in these skills.

Thank you for this talk, I agree with you completely. My daughter with Down syndrome has been included in gen Ed classes all her school career. Now in 9th grade she is the first student with a significant disability to be included in a district high school. Her presence challenged the school to develop a peer mentor program, and to change a lot of stagnant thinking. She is a success and this will build to a successful life. The points you make about societal change are so true. Just because we always structured special education as separate education doesn't mean that can't or shouldn't change. Continue to be an agent of change, as I will here in my corner of the world!

Thank you for being you Dan. Your talk gave me goosebumbs. I want the kind of world you are fighting for. Gratefully, Jim

Thank you. This is sadly so true and hits home. My 2 beautiful boys are segregated because they have autism. Our district is allowing them to "visit" their gen ed classes but won't let them join full time. Thank you. Please keep sharing.

Thank you for sharing your Son's story! Play time for children is so important because it helps them develop in so many ways and it is so amazing that your son, even with his disability, was able to participate with other children. I wish my public school would have been more inclusive when I was growing up.

Amazing.Very interesting. Totally blew me away. Thankyou very much for sharing your stories. I really enjoy watching them.

Amazing talk! Our son is about to start pre-school and I am absolutely pro him having an inclusive education. Your talk has helped me to see that this isn't just an idealistic dream, but an absolute must for all of us. Thank you.

Inspiring and just what I need to continue to advocate, against the tide, to have my sweet son with autism included. Thank you to Dan and Samuel!

This is wonderful Dan! Very moving and powerful. Thanks for doing this. Jenny

This guy is right! We gotta speak up about this issue!

Thank you Dan for your informative story.

I can relate to how wonderful it feels for kids to give help to others and the positive feelings to those being helped. I tell my students they are all teachers and I can feel their sense of pride when they get the chance to help.

This was a wonderful presentation about the need for inclusion in mainstream, public schools.

Thank you for sharing your story Dan. I grew up in Special Education with a learning disability and I feel that if I was put in with the general classes with my peers I would have had a better outlook on Education. I feel that the teachers although tried their best didn't treat me like a growing individual and I felt that they just assumed because of my disability that I could not do certain tasks. In eight grade I was mainstreamed but still had some limits of classes I could take. So when it came time to pick our classes, I chose Childhood Development, well they pulled me out of it saying that they didn't think it would suit me. When they said that I thought wow maybe I can't succeed and do what the other children my age are doing. I am now 39 behind in life but striving to live my best life. I am now in college and although I was supposed to graduate in 2018 I have decided to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. So thank you for letting Samual experience everything!

Thank you so much for this Dan! This video was eye opening even for someone like me who has been focusing on inclusion for half their life.

Awesome video, this has taught me many things regarding outlooks on treatment of people with special needs and how we can come together as a community to better different outcomes.

Thank you DanHabib. You are right to say that people had to experience it to understand inclusion.

Great TED talk! My favorite ever. Possibly because I have a child with Down syndrome who is fully included in school. Thank you for advocating as well as you do, Mr. Habib. I wish they wouldn't have ended the NPR story with the special ed teacher's point of view, though.

thank you Dan! WE want to see you back in Texas and Louisiana!

Beautiful talk!!

Thank you Dan Habib for such a wonderful insight into the world of the physically disabled (CP) and sharing your own story. I couldn't agree with you more in advocating inclusion... Or as we use Enclusion, as it is so important for these guys and girls to feel like they are part of this world and have a purpose in life... Samuel is a very lucky boy to have you and your wife as his parents...

Nice Job Dan! I also have been using "Including Samuel" as a teaching tool for a long time. Still use it! I also use WCAK movie. I like to think part of the work I do is to spread inspiration and innovation. And these two films deliver. They open up the heart, the conversation, and the inspiration we all need to... Imagine better. Thanks so much to your entire family. Lauri Medeiros, Parent first &... Metro Boston Regional Coordinator Mass Families Organizing for Change

Great video. Honestly, students' parents have always been my largest obstacle to integration. It's a little depressing.

This was an amazing talk. It gave me some perspective and opened my mind to new things about inclusion. Thank you

Heel inspirerend en emotioneel. En zo waar. Very inspiring, also emotional. And very true.

Advocate for adults with disabilities in the community. Especially church!

Wonderful, Dan. I could not agree more. Inclusion becomes more difficult as our kids get to high school because the academics are leveled, at least this is true in my school district. If inclusion is beneficial for young people with disabilities and their mentor peers, what about those who just struggle for a variety of reasons, including lack of support at home. Thanks so much for keeping me inspired to keep advocating for inclusion. My teenage daughter with Down Syndrome just got back from a 3 day field trip to NYC with 130 of her peers who helped and had fun with her.

Powerful!

Thank you Dan for giving a voice to the people and their family's whom strive for inclusion. My wife has written a book chronicling our daughters struggle in the education system called Teach Me I Can Learn. Our hope is to continue getting the message out for inclusion.

This is such an informative talk on how important inclusion is for PWD. In grade school, I always accepted and even applauded classrooms designated for students with disabilities. I thought an environment separate from the rest of the students would benefit students with disabilities but statistics show its actually hurting them. From now on, I will proudly advocate for inclusion not only in schools but in the community as well.

AMEN!

Quite emotional but very Informative. We need to advocate for more inclusion in schools and public facilities

Dan, this is a wonderful and informative presentation. The work you and Betsy have done with Samuel, and the energy and education you have provided in and for your (and the greater) community is truly phenomenal. Your work is inspirational and I have no doubt that is has had a positive effect around the country. I want to comment on your push for inclusion. I am all for it until it doesn’t work. I fought for it for my son who has Smith-Magenis Syndrome and was in public school until 6th grade. He has intellectual and developmental disabilities along with significant behavioral issues. I feel very strongly that there is a point for some at which inclusion becomes no longer appropriate or best practice, and there is no shame in that. Each individual is different, and for some like Samuel inclusion is the right path. For some like my son, continued inclusion would have been impossible, socially isolating, academically disastrous, and would not at all have prepared him with the life skills he needs for the world he is entering in 2 weeks when he turns 22. Accepting him for who he is has allowed him to flourish in special education day and residential schools, in Special Olympics, and on the steps of our state house meeting local legislators. There is a place for everyone, the hope is everyone can find a point of entry. And for each person defined as having special needs, that point of entry will be different.

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does anyone have the research article to this vanderbilt University study?

Hi Dan, I have a daughter of 23 who has a genetic syndrome. She was not diagnosed properly until she was 12. Inclusion was fine for a while, but as she got into high school, she started enjoying drinking (and later pot), with her life long friends. After she could not pass the math part of the state exam, she was the only student who did not graduate from HS. She went on for 3 more years of public ed after HS, but was given the opportunity of going away to a residential special needs school, while her friends went away to college. The residential school was an awesome experience for her, as well as for many, many other kids with varying degrees of disabilities. It was a life changing experience for the majority (if not all) of the people who went there...from the age of 12 (I think) through the age of 22.I now wish that I had known about these schools before my daughter started HS. I would have advocated to segregate her at that point in her life. My daughter got away from the whole drinking/pot scene for 3 years. In addition, she learned so many skills that she had not been able to grasp and carry over to her everyday life (a private agency was hired by the HS to teach her these tasks of daily living skills). This approach did not work for her. We all need to remember that it is a not a one size fits everyone world. It depends on the disability, the degree it affects the person's life, his/her environment/community, his/her family life and general support , as well as the professionals involved in the disabled person's life, etc.. My daughter has a hidden disability, and her whole life has been one giant struggle because no one could see her disability. Now that she is done with the public school, she is having a hell of a time with employers. We already have one complaint against one employer concerning discrimination. About a week ago she got fired from a job she had for 10 months. The manager had just finished telling me how great of an employee she was. I do not want to lodge a complaint against this employer too, because the main office was very understanding. It was the GM who was a pompous, clueless ass. But I refuse to let the issue go until the main office does something about what happened so that this will never happen to someone else. But boy, this just never ends. For my daughter, she probably would have benefited from constant immersion in the employment world to learn the ways of various employers. But this never happened. Now, her self esteem and self worth have been shot down. She will bounce back, because I know the kind of kid she is. Life experiences, REAL experiences are important for all of our kids to experience. But the question is, which is the best way for each of our kids. We all know our kid's learning styles and temperaments. We need to advocate for what will be best for the future of each individual child. Which may be inclusion or segregation. It may be half and half. it may be back and forth a number of times as the child grows and changes and his friends and circumstances grow and change. Let's just do what is right for each individual child. That's what will make the difference for their futures.

Samel

😢

If you are thinking about cognitive progress for students with disabilities, sometimes a segregated classroom is better. If the student could keep up with their grade level, inclusion is appropriate, but when students have severe disabilities, where they need extreme care, segregation is a better fit. I work with SEN students, and sometimes students have severe cognitive deficits that makes a contained classroom a better fit.

And, of course, it's a horrible, repetitive, feed-back loop. I'm an adult with C.P., and every so often I like to do Web searches on the topic, to see what the current, general, information is being published, to see how much assumptions have changed over the last 50 years. They haven't. Nearly every website with info on the condition quotes this stat: "Between 30% and 50% of children with C.P. have a seizure disorder or some level of mental retardation." First off, seizures and retardation are very different things, you can always have one and not the other. And second, and most important: Even *if* those stats are accurate, they also mean that: Between 50% and 70% of children with C.P. at least a normal level of intelligence. But the information is never phrased that way, and so school board members (who generally do not have training in neurological disorders) naturally take away the idea that full inclusion for disabled kids is a waste of resources. So they get segregated, undereducated, and finally, if the ever are tested, their intelligence is measured as lower, at that stat is reinforced...