Lauronimo's comments

Personal Assistants for Students - Blog Entry

02 Feb 2009 05:36 PM

I do agree with you 100%. The use of TA's (teacher assistants) or personal assistance has definitly increased over the past several years, and this could be do to several difference reasons. I for one am a TA for a child who is classified "other health impaired". Although he has not been officially diagnosed with a specific disability, I can tell you he has ADHD and oppositional difiance. My issues with what I have seen in my years of doing this is two fold. The first is whether or not more children have learning difficulties than in previous year, or if more children are being diagnosed then in previous years. My concern is that these "diagnosis" much being over used. I am more than sure that a vast majority of students are fully deserving of the assistance they receive, however there are also many who do not. I have seen children classified that do not need to be. I don't know if it a lack of assistance at home from parents but children who seem to have no work ethic and lack the desire to do work are being diagnosed with ADHD at a rapid rate. I have seen several students, a few of whom I worked with, who do not need the personal assistance they are receiving, they just lack motivation and work ethic. It is said to say but I believe parents are using ADHD and other issues as excuses for their children.