Kevin tries hard to meet the needs of Annie, a perceptually impaired girl in his

Kevin tries hard to meet the needs of Annie, a perceptually impaired girl in his overcrowded kindertarten class, but he wonders if this placement is best for Annie.
From my first days of teaching kindergarten this year, I heard horror stories about Annie and al her problems both in school and at home.
Annie is a special child. She was a crack baby who has recently been removed from her mother’s custody because of her mother’s drug addiction and her physical abuse of her children. She is classified as perceptually impaired and was mainstreamed into my urban kindergarten classroom with 27 other children.
In class Annie is unable to sit still for more than a few minutes. She seems to lack the social skills necessary to form friendships with her peers. She is 5 years old and she makes it known repeatedly that she has no friends, she is stupid, and no one loves her.
On the second day of school Annie broke into tears. “Mr. Moore,” she said, “you are the only one who loves me.” Can you imagine being 5 and truly believing a total stranger is the only one who loves you?
I said, “Annie, I know you mommy loves you even though you don’t think so. So does your grandma.”
“No,” she quickly remarked, “Mommy doesn’t care about anyone but herself. Grandma told me so. Grandma says if I don’t behave, Mommy will take me away from her. I try to be good. I really do. It’s not my fault. I can’t help it.” She sobbed uncontrollably as she banged her head and fists on the table.
As time progresses, I lose more and more control of Annie. She rarely joins in activities with the rest of the class. She spends a great deal of time just wandering around, and she plays with the materials in our learning center at inappropriate times. She cannot sit still in her seat and she’s very impulsive. She frequently grabs things from other children or demands my attention when I am working with a small group or talking to the whole class.
Annie’s achievement level is way below most of the other children’s, so she is often frustrated by our curriculum. Many times she can’t complete activiteis without some guidance from me. I have tried rearranging the class schedule and planning more physically active projects for Annie. I have also decided to be more firm in setting limits on her behavior.
Today we had just returned from our bathroom break down the hall, and I was quieting the class down so I could give them directions for the science activity I had planned. Just when I had everyone’s undivided attention, Annie jumped up from her seat and threw herself onto me.
“I love you, Mr. Moore,” she said as she nearly squeezed all the air out of me. “Annie, Annie,” I calmly replied. “Annie, please let go of me. You’re hurting me.”
“Oh no, I’m not. I’m just loving you, that’s all. You’re my best friend, right?” She stared up at me, fluttering her long brown eyelashes, and continued to give me her best attempt at a bear hug.
The class was in a uproar of laughter and I had a 5-year-old wrapped tightly around my body. How can I possibly teach with such disruptions?
Wouldn’t Annie be better off in a special education class where she could get the attention she needs? Is it really in her best interest to be mainstreamed here in my class with 27 other children and no teacher assistant? More important, how can I tell Annie to stop when all she is trying to do is return the love I give her?
Discussion questions:
1. What can Mr. Moore do to better meet Annie’s needs in his kindergarten class? Identify various strategies.
2. At what points (if any) do you think a child with special needs is better off in a more restrictive setting than being mainstreamed or participating in an inclusive setting?
3. What effect does class size have on classroom management and children’s behavior? What strategies can be used to teach a large class such as this?
4. What other information would you want to know about Annie to help meet her needs? What sources are available for getting this information?
5. What are the procedures in your state and your school for identifying children with special needs and determining appropriate placements for them?
Rand, M. (2000) Giving it Some Thought. NAEYC. Washington, DC
1. What can Mr. Moore do to better meet Annie’s needs in his kindergarten class? Identify various strategies.
2. At what points (if any) do you think a child with special needs is better off in a more restrictive setting than being mainstreamed or participating in an inclusive setting?
3. What effect does class size have on classroom management and children’s behavior? What strategies can be used to teach a large class such as this?
4. What other information would you want to know about Annie to help meet her needs? What sources are available for getting this information?
5. What are the procedures in your state and your school for identifying children with special needs and dete