Islands in the Mainstream

Other students who need more assistance attend a mixture of special-ed programs and regular classes. Rachel Shulman is one of only a handful of students at Ely -- fewer than ten, according to Hall -- who attend only regular courses but will receive special diplomas because their disabilities are considered too severe for them to learn the material necessary for a regular diploma.

Hall has been working with disabled students since 1986, and, she personally believes that some parents ask too much of their children. "A lot of parents who refuse [special-ed] services are in denial," she says. "Or they don't want the stigmatization. A lot of parents have this attitude that 'My child is not going to go for a special diploma. My child is going to be a doctor.'"

Rachel Shulman doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. However, she does have some idea of the sort of life she wants to live. She wants to travel, she wants to go to college -- preferably Florida State University, her favorite school -- and she wants to live on her own, away from her parents.

Bit by bit over these last few years of high school, she's been getting ready to abandon the cocoon of childhood. High school can help by teaching her independent-living skills: riding a bus, dealing with problem-solving skills, reading the newspaper, using the phone book, deciphering weather maps, and so on.

This coming semester she will enroll in a new course called Academy for Success, which focuses on teaching students the basic skills employers look for and then letting the students practice those skills in actual internships. It's a course that was designed for non-ESE students, but the teacher, Mr. Patz, has promised to work with the Shulmans to modify it for Rachel.

Nevertheless he admits to a little ambivalence. "I'm not so sure what this means. If it means that's the only thing that I do for the next twelve months, then that's not -- then the program would have to shut down."

Frank and Nicol Shulman say they don't want any program shut down on Rachel's account. But this they promise: One way or another, the school will provide their child with the education she needs. If not lunchmates to boot.