An example of a physical disability that can be mistaken for a mental disability: My friend has Cerebral Palsy. She was put into special schools for the mentally challenged (they called it “retarded” in those days) until she was about 8 years old, when they realized that just because she was not perfect physically did not mean she wasn’t smart. She went into Veterinary medicine, and worked for many years as a Vet. She’s retired now, and despite still being “physically challenged” she’s very active in our church and still maintains her license so she can help our elderly friends’ pets.
The days when all special education students were segregated from other students and provided little but day care are long gone. Students are mainstreamed into the student body whenever possible and provided services specialized to their individual needs. Changing the terminology at the same time we changed our approach to providing services helped people to think and act differently towards special education. For the most part, students with special needs have been treated better by both students and staff since then. At the very least, teachers are not calling students the same names that bullies on the playground use.
ORMouseworks over 10 years ago
Differently abled does not mean without intelligence… ;)
hsawlrae over 10 years ago
“…smarter than I”.
Fiddler over 10 years ago
What the $%&* does “differently abled” mean?
freewaydog over 10 years ago
If this strip was written a long time ago, it would have said “disabled”. Apparently, this was rewritten to write “differently abled”.
JanLC over 10 years ago
An example of a physical disability that can be mistaken for a mental disability: My friend has Cerebral Palsy. She was put into special schools for the mentally challenged (they called it “retarded” in those days) until she was about 8 years old, when they realized that just because she was not perfect physically did not mean she wasn’t smart. She went into Veterinary medicine, and worked for many years as a Vet. She’s retired now, and despite still being “physically challenged” she’s very active in our church and still maintains her license so she can help our elderly friends’ pets.
tuslog64 over 10 years ago
Was it Will Rogers that said“I never met a man so stupid that I couldn’t learnsomething from him”?
or the correlary – never met a man that wasn’t stupidabout something?
pouncingtiger over 10 years ago
George Carlinism alert: “Differently Able”!! The kids are handicapped. Get over it!!
BeniHanna6 Premium Member over 10 years ago
Can you smell the flowers blooming and the birds singing? We must be in never-never land!!
jbarnes over 10 years ago
The days when all special education students were segregated from other students and provided little but day care are long gone. Students are mainstreamed into the student body whenever possible and provided services specialized to their individual needs. Changing the terminology at the same time we changed our approach to providing services helped people to think and act differently towards special education. For the most part, students with special needs have been treated better by both students and staff since then. At the very least, teachers are not calling students the same names that bullies on the playground use.
meowlin over 10 years ago
Apparently, the concept of hyperbole is a challenge you’re not up to…
potrerokid over 10 years ago
How quaint, indeed!!! I’ll bet you flunked kindergarten!!! Or, do you still call it "kindygarden??
westny77 over 10 years ago
Oh my looks like Ellie found a new friend.
Stephen Gilberg over 10 years ago
Gee, I’d think it’s even more challenging to teach someone smarter than yourself.