Disability by Ying Han and Cheryl

The general public believes that it is not important for children with learning disabilities to be integrated into our mainstream education system. These people state this is as they feel that children with disabilities, such as dyslexia, are slow and stupid, and hence cannot cope in our competitive and challenging world-class education system. The case of actress Bella Thorne, diagnosed with dyslexia before she was in elementary school, could prove their stand true. In an interview, Bella mentioned that she herself felt afraid and self-conscious as she felt less intelligent than other kids, being unable to read as well as they did. She was also confused as to why she was learning much slower than they were. Indeed, children with such disabilities typically learn at a much slower pace than normal children, making them seem and feel foolish, possibly affecting their self-esteem in the process.  However, I do not see this as a viable reason as to why children with learning disabilities should not be integrated into our mainstream education. In fact, I believe that while these children may be slower and perceived as rather delinquent, they have just as much to offer to society as any normal child does. In a mainstream education system, children a taught a myriad of subjects, from English to Music. If a normal child can shine in any of these subjects, so can a student with disabilities. It is crucial that we embrace this, so that society will enthusiastically welcome the talents and skill sets of those often seen as inferior. This next example will be taken back to actress Bella Thorne. While Bella struggled learning, she had the determination and gusto to continue, coping with both school and her acting career at the same time. In her early teens, she had finally overcome dyslexia, and was well on her way to a successful acting career on both the small screen and silver screen. This demonstrates that children with disabilities have what it takes to shine, let alone survive, in society, and should thus be given a shot at mainstream education, the tool which could propel them to even greater heights. Another example which prove this point is that of Wee Care (Singapore). Wee Care is an organization which first educates special needs children, equipping them with functional and social skills, before allowing these children to try their hand at adapting and integrating into the mainstream kindergarten population. This shows that there are people in society that believe that children with disabilities can be on the same level as normal children, as long as they are given time and opportunities the mainstream education system offers. This belief definitely came with reasons, perhaps such as the past success stories of those with learning issues, and should therefore be taken seriously. Hence, in my opinion, it is of utmost importance that children with learning disabilities are integrated into our mainstream education system, as they have what it takes to offer something special to society, and should be given equal opportunities as normal children to do just that.