Occupy Special Education - Children Should Be Seen and Heard
Despondent after graduation from high school, hearing impaired student, a graduate of special education, Dylan Rafaty, urged by his parents, decided to write. What started as a memoir turned into an abridged celebration of his young, multicultural life, and then grew into a critical look back at his journey in education, a significant part of which was spent floundering in special education in a school in a top school district in the country. Dylan contrasts the richness of his extracurricular life and support system with the angst of persistent isolation in his special education classes. He sheds some light on the causes behind his unexplained lack of progress in school. Writing from a too rare student’s perspective, Dylan makes some recommendations for improving special education and education in general. The tone is honest, spirited, and anticipatory, while Dylan’s message is just-in-time as more education cutbacks loom and buzz about education reform stirs.