"Special" kids: Should they be allowed an opinion too?

[imperially-slim]

What's your opinion on mentally handicapped students/those with learning disabilities?

There's a rather large guy in my choir, Tim, who has a learning disability and doesn't have a lot of motor control (he flails his arms a lot and hits people by accident). He's rather outspoken about what he believes in, and it's kind of nice to see somebody who's trying hard to rise above everybody else's opinions of him...on one hand.

On the other, he's also very pushy about it. There was a choir concert at my school recently when the students were allowed to dress up as a certain decade. One of the older boys, as a joke, wore a poodle skirt and a lacy top.

The following day in choir, Tim got very angry when the subject came up and went on a tirade saying things like, "I hated his costume. He cross-dressed, and that's wrong."
One of my friends, the sister of the guy who was wearing the skirt, started to look like she was going to cry.

The question in question is: Would you get mad at somebody for being biased like that, regardless of what disabilities they have? Or would you simply assume they don't know what they're talking about?
Personally, I was rather angry at the things he was saying, but I realised that maybe he just didn't see the other side of the story right away.

Discuss:
--disabled kids
--feeling bad about getting angry at them
--etc.

[Reverend Smooth]

One could always gently try to discuss it with them.

[Shiibz]

Thats a hard one.

Lets say I was a teacher, I would be kinda of annoyed about what he did. I would tell him it is okay to cross dress and I told him anyone can do anything (blahblahblah) . I would tell it kinder then I would tell someone with no dissabilites.

[Malice Drooger]

Disabled or not, you shouldn't take a comment like that seriously.
Even if he didn't see the other side of the story or anything, its a stupid thing to get angry about.

[Ivan Isaacss]

They're still people, of course they should be allowed oppinions.
Hell, theres a not of otherwise "normal" people that have spouted worse BS than cross dressing is wrong.
Just like everyone else, take their oppinions with a pinch of salt.
No one forces you to take any one seriously, reguardless of their cognitive abilitys.

[Illusional Mindset]

The thing with mentally incapacitated kids is that they mostly think what they are taught to think. He mostly thinks and acts on what he has been taught. He does not know the exceptions and cannot clearly think for himself. You really can't hold it against him. It isn't his fault. That is what has been taught to him.

[Butt Sparkles]

He's disabled in his motor skills, not his brain. They fight for the same rights as everyone else, but then again they don't want to lose their "disabled" status. We treat them differently. For example a disabled person gets to jump in front of everyone in line for a roller coaster. I, just because I have two working feet, stand in line for 2 hours to ride a roller coaster. He, the guy in the wheelchair, just because he drools on himself he gets to skip the line. How is that being treated fairly? He should get in line like everyone else.

And not to mention it's politically incorrect to "stand up" to a disabled person. If I were in your class and I told that dickwad to "stfu" I would probably get detention for talking rudely to a retard. Yet he can sit there and insult some guy all he wants. How is that fair treatment?

If they want to be treated fairly they should accept it. You don't get all the fair treatment and still claim your disability as a scape goat in tough situations.

[gothiclg]

i would be a bit upset about the comment but the guy clearly beleives what he said. what i would do with this guy personally is talk to him about stateing his opinions more politely so he doesnt offened people.

[Malice Drooger]

Are you people serious right now?
The comment has NOTHING to do with this kid being disabled.
Kids who aren't disabled say stuff like that AAALLLLLLLLL the time.

[Butt Sparkles]

Wing of Tragedy

Are you people serious right now?
The comment has NOTHING to do with this kid being disabled.
Kids who aren't disabled say stuff like that AAALLLLLLLLL the time.

The fact is he got away with it. If a "normal" kid said the same thing he'd be scolded.

[Malice Drooger]

Ricin

Wing of Tragedy

Are you people serious right now?
The comment has NOTHING to do with this kid being disabled.
Kids who aren't disabled say stuff like that AAALLLLLLLLL the time.

The fact is he got away with it. If a "normal" kid said the same thing he'd be scolded.

No he definitely wouldn't.
If the kid thinks its wrong then he can say he things its wrong.
He has every right to say he hated the kids attire.

[A Redhead Angel]

Shiibz

Thats a hard one.

Lets say I was a teacher, I would be kinda of annoyed about what he did. I would tell him it is okay to cross dress and I told him anyone can do anything (blahblahblah) . I would tell it kinder then I would tell someone with no dissabilites.

I actually am a special needs teacher for 3rd grade.

I have a student who is just rude. He is hateful and a very unpleasant fellow to be around. However, you have to feel sorry for him because of how hard his life is. He goes through his day confused most of the time, not understanding what people are telling him, none of the other students want to play with him. Things are just very difficult for him so he get frustrated. His home life isn't much more pleasant.

I often times have to pull him aside to explain to him that it isn't nice to say mean things, or to yell out like the boy in your story did.

You have to have patience with him, but you also can not let him get away with being rude. The teacher probably should have cut him a little short and moved on with something else. Then, at the end of class, explain how sad it made some of the other students.

[bloo fish]

Of course everyone should be entitled to their opinion but people with various learning disabilities or whatever often seem to have a lower maturity level. What he was saying was kind of rude and pretty biased but his opinion on the matter most likely came from his parents or another authority figure. I mean, when I was younger I pretty much agreed with whatever my mom said because she was smarter and knew more about whatever the topic than I did. So, I wouldn't get too angry about what he was saying because he's probably only looking at the situation from the one point of view he knows most about.

[maddyftw]

when someone is special needs, alot of time they dont really think what they say have too much of an impact on other people. in his mind, he was voicing his opinion like anyone can/does.
you have to have more paitence when being in the situtation, their thinking is generally basicaly.
you can explain that the boy was wearing girls clothes because he was being silly. and saying that most of the time boys dont wear girls clothes, but sometimes its okay. and that it hurts his feelings when you yelled how it was wrong. and explain it would hurt his feeling is someone yelled that back at him.

somesaid how the kid drooling on himself in the wheele chair jumped infront of you for a roller coaster, one problem with your story most roller coaster you cant ride if your in a wheele chair.
moreover using words like 'retard' make you look ignorant and inbred

[O u r A r c a n e L o v e]

To be honest, my cousin has Down Syndrome, though she's fairly high functioning. I really think in a simplistic way, she does have opinions and such. Sometimes she just doesn't realize how she's voicing them..She's in a program local to Atlanta, called "We Are People Too"

She has about a 3rd grade reading level and no math skills. So she lives with 3 room mates, they're picked strategically to compliment each others flaws. Like 2 girls can't read, but my cousin and the other girl can, one girl has a high math level, basic addition and subtraction, but my cousin and the other girls don't, etc. They learn daily tasks, keep job, and do not want assistance from the government. So yes, i think if they should be heard.