Barb Rentenbach

Barb Rentenbach's presentation was certainly a very unique experience. It's something I think most people would benefit from, truth be told. Personally, I found it very eye opening. I've worked with peers and children who experience mild autistic tendencies, but I haven't really had any interactions with non-verbal individuals. I feel that I rely very heavily on communication in my own interpersonal relationships, I cannot imagine how frustrating and disheartening it must be to be unable to communicate. 

I generally think of myself as a fairly open-minded person, and I try to void stereotyping individuals who experience any form of disabilities, but this experience served as an indicator that I still have MANY misconceptions about severely disabled people. That is not to say I don’t, or didn’t feel that they deserve every opportunity individuals without disabilities encounter, nor have I operated under the assumption that they are less intelligent. I acknowledge that there are many intelligences. However, I did find myself surprised that Barb had such a beautiful handle on written language and could synthesize it so well. It’s hard to separate our conceptions about a person’s actions relate to their intelligence. Which is unfortunate, I think that colors many relationships between individuals with autism, or any disability, and their peers who don’t experience such struggles.

I find it disappointing that so many people are so skeptical of facilitated communication. We don’t look at a legless man and say, “You have no legs, you must not know how to walk, and you must not want to.” Why would we look at someone who cannot speak and assume they are incapable of forming conversation? It’s cruel, and bigoted of us. But I think most people, myself included, have some propensity toward that very tendency. I hope that as facilitated communication devices are more made more readily available, and as more people like Barb step forward as say, “We have a voice, we have thoughts, we can contribute!” that our prejudices will begin to dissolve and we’ll move toward a more inclusive society. It may be a ways off, but as educators, we can begin that trend.

Within the classroom, I think it is essential to give EVERYONE a voice, be they English language learners, an individual with autism, a child with an inhibiting physical disability, or a middleclass student. As I’ve discussed in my previous posts and essay responses, I am a fan of the constructivist community of learners. Engaging in an environment that gives everyone a voice and everyone equal respect can produce individuals who are ready to cooperate in the work force and social context outside school. We’ve discussed in my other classes how you can adapt your instructions to include children with autism in the art class. I feel that in many cases giving them the extra time and support they may require is really the most essential aspect of differentiation. However, in a case like Barbs, where the student needed assistance with initiation, I feel it would be good for a helper to be present. That is not to say I would want their helper to have any part in the creation of their art piece unless it was to help mix colors or cut paper with the individual’s direction. In some cases I’d probably prepare the materials or give the individual different materials to work with that they might find more appealing to work with. As far as class discussions, I might give the prompt to the child ahead of time so they could formulate a response to bring to class, or establish with the class that we needed to give them extra time to participate in the discussion. This would help develop patience and understanding in my other students, a worthwhile activity. Including that individual in the discussion would also probably help dismiss students’ misconceptions about their peers with autism.