"Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome" by Christopher Kliewer

1. "The phenomenon of categorization at the expense of individual value has been described as a 'disability spread' in which we 'extrapolate the characteristics we associate with the notion of disability to the particular individuals we meet. These perceptions are often based on stereotypes and what we think we know about a particular disability. They are expressed in predictable ways. For example, all people with Down syndrome are happy.'"

I chose this quote because I think it does a good job representing how people often think about a particular disability. Too often we judge a person based on the stereotypes that society has developed for the particular group of people this person fits into. Just like all other stereotypes, there are many exceptions to the "rule".

2. "'I don't tend to see Down syndrome as something. I fyou look at those three kids running around the room, they're incredibly different from each other. They're different in terms of what their bodies are like, how they best communicate, what they're like socially, their interests. And with those three kids in the room it would be hard to say, 'This is how you should teach kids with Down syndrome.''"

This quote reinforces the idea that the stereotypes placed upon those with Down syndrome are false. Not all children with a particular mental disability function the same way. Somebody cannot say that "this is how you should teach kids with Down syndrome" because they all learn differently. It depends on the individual student and the teacher must be willing to try different methods with each of their Down syndrome students.

3. "As mentioned earlier, people with Down syndrome are joined in their struggle for citizenship by other oppressed groups."

I like this quote because it shows how people with learning disabilities are grouped with Others - those of a different race or background. These people are set apart and treated differently than every one else because they are not "normal". We have to take time to think about what "normal" is and who defined it. This relates to the Johnson reading which states that "the dominant racial group has the cultural authority to define the boundaries around 'white' as it chooses."

My mother is a special needs teacher, so I have been able to witness the struggle children with Down syndrome have with fitting in personally. Also, the inclusion of the stories of children with Down syndrome helped me to understand this a bit better. As a prospective teacher, I am able to see how this is going to affect the way I teach. I can only hope that once I become a teacher I will be able to make the children in my class with Down syndrome among other learning disabilities feel as though they belong.