The Home School: Why Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities Must Attend the Schools of Their Brothers, Sisters, Friends, and Neighbors

Abstract

A home school is the one a student with severe intellectual disabilities would attend if he or she were not disabled. A clustered school is a regular school attended by an unnaturally large proportion of students with intellectual disabilities, but it is not the one any or most would attend if they were not labeled disabled. Students who have severe intellectual disabilities should attend home schools so that (a) all children can be prepared to function in a pluralistic society; (b) the most meaningful and individually appropriate instructional environments and activities can be used; (c) parents, guardians, brothers, and sisters can have reasonable access to schools and services; and (d) a wide range of social relationships with students and others who are not disabled can be developed, maintained, and enhanced over long periods of time. The individualized educational program (IEP) of each student should include individually determined kinds and amounts of instruction in chronological age-appropriate regular education classrooms; on school grounds, but not in regular education classrooms; and in a wide variety of integrated nonschool environments that will actually be used during nonschool hours and days. Individually determined kinds and amounts of direct therapy and other needed services also must be provided from a home school base. Once a student with intellectual disabilities attends a home school, the next major issue becomes whether the student should be based in a regular education or in a special education classroom.