It Makes Us Feel Stupid: School from a Special Education Student Perspective

High school special education students share their thoughts on school and their social life.

[JasonConner]

The Special education program is ruining people's confidence and lives. I got put in those classes in 6th grade until 10 grade. I didn't learn anything during that time, so I eventually started acting out and getting into trouble. I got kicked out of school in the 10th grade for fighting. I few months later I started taking GED classes and It was a struggle. I remember taking a GED assessment when I started. I was on a 6th grade level and within a year, I passed my GED. 4 out of 10 high school graduates can't pass the GED. I have graduated from college since then with an associate degree and I have a great job, but I will always remember my past. All of my classmates that were in Special education with me are in jail, dead because of drugs, or working fast food. I'm the only one that truly made it and that's because of Jesus Christ and my family that never give up on me

[reptilzrule]

I just needed a “little” help so the put me in special ed everyday this damn teacher talks to me like I’m 2 or something. I’m in 7th grade by the way and she asked me if I knew how to do subtraction, like how stupid does she really think I am. I literally feel like I’m an idiot when I’m in that classroom it’s insane!

[frostyholic]

I was a special needs student, they did not help me at all. Which realistically shows how fucked up the system is.

[parzival]

i was in special ed from 2nd grade to 8th and it made me feel like killing myself but never said this to anyone not even my parents but people made fun of me and teased me and i also have a speech impediment and had anger issues they made fun of that to of course but i started trying very hard to get my grades up and worked on it i got straight As but one B and even started liking books like my favorite series is wings of fire. In freshmen year i was just in modified English and modified math and now i a sophomore still in modified English but im getting tested on in a few weeks to get out of it i've been fighting for this very hard and i think my friends and books really helped me on this and this video really inspired me so thank you very much.

[MKingDMV]

I hate how some people pick on me because I’m in Special Ed

[boeric]

I was put in special ed, and its fucked with my life in so many ways. I was forced into a classroom because a lable was shoved on me me "autistic." I was an outcast and was bullied like the rest of the special ed students. It didnt help my family thought so little of me because of my autism and oh boy they sure werent secretive about it. It stunt my social skills because we were isolated from everyone all of middle and highschool. I also learnt nothing during special ed, i never got to learn fractions in math and continued to read childrens books in 9th grade. I barely passed school, i am the only special ed student who got a diploma at my school because i had to try really hard at school, unlike the others who weren't able to. I want to be a psychiatrist. Did my school help me out with college like other students? Short answer no, they never taught me how it worked. I hated myself so much because of all these things. Schools should not be treating children like this. They aren't a nucense, they aren't a mistake, They are humans just like everyone else. It's a shame we have gotten to this point, and still nothing is being done about it...

[Nightmastercool]

I would rather be in a regular classroom than a special education classroom. It’s up to you and you alone to figure out what you want

[woodmxn.]

I ain't gonna cap but the SPED class makes u have less confident in urself

[iancox]

I grew up in special ed, and it sucks so much. The term "special ed" is demeaning. I remember in middle school I had anger management problems, and this teacher would tell me that if a kid was giving me problems, then I should just come to him instead of trying to solve it myself. Once I finally took his advice when this other special ed kid was calling me a f***ot, I went to him, and he said "what do you want me to do about it?" Sarcastically. This problem exists because special ed either gets really compassionate teachers, or teachers that are so sh** that they couldnt qualify for mainstream. Imo, there should be no E.D. program. If you are actually mentally disabled, then sure, get your own tailored class, but if you just have behavioral issues, then be in mainstream. Putting us in special ed only makes us a target for bullies and socially isolates us and makes us feel like we are trash that doesnt matter in the slightest, and it shelters mainstream studenta because they dont have to deal with us. But they will in adulthood. Theres no "special ed jobs" you cant hide us away at the boys and girls club either. It only creates a false expectation of reality for them. And as for helping our behavioral issues, how is putting us in a separated class full of other kids with behavioral issues going to help us. It only reinforces the maladaptive traits. Special ed is a garbage program. It should only exist for the mentally disabled.

[whispywizard]

I thought I was the only one who felt this way about sped but everyone here proved me otherwise! I’m currently a senior and have been in sped pretty much my whole life. I genuinely hate it. Because while all my friends are taking honors classes and challenging themselves I’m stuck in resource classes because of my Anxiety. Sped really does make you feel stupid and really lowers your self esteem even if it’s unintentional. I want to try and contact my counselor to see if I could try at least one honors class because I really want to challenge myself and plus it looks good on college applications.

[mayomayomayonaise]

It made me stupid and not worthy to live because I wasn't as good a the other kids and i still feel it now

[alextorres]

These are victims of an oppressive system and yet sped teachers are in denial on what they are doing to these students

[graphicdesigner]

The kids in this video are 100% correct. Their whole review of the issues of special education are completely spot on.

[ssilver_mp]

I hate when kids would ask me "Why are you in special ed" I would make up lies and I would say to them "Because they want to see if I'm different in a special ed room than a regular classroom, they will switch me back in 2 months" My parents would say that I'm not dumb I'm smart but the thing is im lazy and I would never pay attention in class and that's why they see me struggling, so therefore they thought It was best for me to be put in a special ed room, I was never special ed my entire life until I was put in special ed for the 7th grade, I wasn't in the special ed room on the first day of school I was in a regular classroom advance and then later on in April of 2019 I was sent to special ed and I spent 3 months in there and by that time I was being picked on by alot kids I started being depressed I couldn't take I wanted to kill myself then staying in a small classroom learning about 6th grade science, I'm *SO* embarrassed and I'm even nervous to go to school now I don't know what classroom I'm going to be in they said if I did really well in that classroom they will switch me back to an advance classroom so I'm really nervous

[ksplayzandthegang]

I am in special ed because I suck at math and I really want to get out

[doubledonut]

special ed is TERRIBLE and NEEDS reform.

Special education held me back from taking classes that were within my grade. I was excelling in music in art in elementary school, until fourth grade. Because I was deemed a “slow learner”, despite being one of the smartest kids in my class of five, I was held back a grade with music and art. Instead of going into fourth grade classes, I had to take third grade classes DESPITE PASSING THEM. I had to do the SAME SHIT in fifth grade. not only this, but teachers would constantly grab at students if they spaced out, would always be physical with them to get their way, and would always scream in the faces of HEARING SENSITIVE AUTISTIC CHILDREN. and then wondered why students felt fuckin scared of her smh. she even got mad at us for saying that we were scared of her and “took points off our point sheet for disrespect.”

Then middle school came.
Things were... alright in sixth grade. I was able to take classes that was in my grade level... but I was prevented from going to more classes. Similar to elementary, I wasn’t allowed to take art, home ec, music, and even history class. (I only was in my history classroom to take the constitution test.)
Then seventh grade, the worst year, came at me. I wasnt allowed in art (still!), history, home ec, music, science and history. I attended a guitar class for a few months in seventh grade, only for my homeroom teacher to pull me out of it DESPITE THAT I WAS EXCELLING. Not only all of this, but there were punishments that heightened my anxiety. If I had a panic attack, meltdown or breakdown in class, the teacher forcibly removed me and PUT ME INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER ACTIVE CLASSROOM WITH 20+ STUDENTS. I had SEVERE SOCIAL ANXIETY at this age and I was used to being in a class with no more than five people, so imagine the utter fear I felt when all eyes turned on me when I walked in a gen ed classroom. Imagine the fear I felt as I had snot running down my nose, puffy eyes and a red face, walking into a classroom with normal students taking a test and they all just sit and stare at me. We had this “level system” where id you behave perfectly for long enough, (meaning no melt downs or any kind of anxiety.) youll move up a level. I was always stuck on level one and two bc of my Autism, severe social anxiety, and ocd. I would constantly have anxiety attacks, pick at my skin/hair, and I would be too anxious to ask for help. Because of showin these symptoms I was held back on the level system. But whats so special about this level system you ask? Well say if someone gets to level three, theyre actually allowed to take science and history class! Wow! So if you act like a perfect little normal kid for a few months, the school will deem you ready to take HISTORY AND SCIENCE CLASS. The fourth level (being he highest, and takes 4 months to achieve) has you be able to go to art, home ec, music, and on field trips.

8th grade was the first time I ever was put in a gen ed classroom. My mom moved out of the suburbs and we moved into the city of Chicago. I was FINALLY in a gen ed class and it hit me like a brick. I was SO far behind with almost every single one of my classes (except reading) because I wasn’t taught proper shit in special ed. Especially in math, because guess who was never taught how to do percentages! I knew little to nothing about the revolutionary and civil war, and I barely knew a thing about science.


Special ed ruins lives and I demand that its reformed. I’m currently a drop out working to get his GED. I dropped out of my junior year in high school because I thought “education wasn’t for me” and that i was too retarded to take “normal people classes.”

I hope a special education teacher sees this comment and understands the absolute struggle of autistic children who have the misfortune to endure special ed. I hope that if one is reading this, that they take the time out of their day to fight for autistic kids’ right to learn basic knowledge in classes.


sorry for the sob story, but this hit way too close to home to not say anything. sped fucked up my life and education and it hurts seeing it happen to other autistic kids.

[EW-uwdg]

That is because these students are kept in restrictive settings and are not getting the socialization they need and are supposed to. They are supposed to have exposure to the general population of students. Some special ed programs even have students that volunteer to come and socialize with them. This is a violation unless the IEP requires such restrictions of the student due to their disability which is extremely rare. So sad that all they want is friends, most of the LEAs know nothing about an Individualized Education Program. Education Department makes all their money off of special education that's why they love placing kids in special education yet the kids get nothing, what a disgrace!! Poor kids suffered, I really hope there is a class action.

[nuclear_blue]

"It makes me feel- can I say the word? ... Stupid"

Awesome to know these teachers are denying their rights to express themselves with words that aren't even considered profane!

[Nonconformist]

I was in special ed for the dumbest fucking reason, my TCAP scores. I’ll admit, I was lazy, because I really didn’t feel like taking a 3-hour state exam two weeks before summer. I wasn’t stupid, just lazy. Now, I have an MBA from ASU, and work for one of the biggest trailer loading conveyor companies in the country. These students aren’t stupid, the system itself is a failure who only cares about students that don’t need special attention. Besides, people who bully special needs kids usually turn out to be washed up shitbags who peaked in high school.

[GRMPhilly]

I was in special ed classes from 6th grade to me dropping out 11th grade. It was tough because i was laughed at and joked. I was labeled " slow " or " dumb " simply because i learn different and just needed a few more examples. It's not a learning disability nor special education, its a better understanding of the lessons being taught. Think about this example: Every student including YOU reading this has had some type of struggle of a subject like Math or Spanish, is that a learning disability? If you agree then anyone that struggled with a subject during school has or had a learning disability. It's amazing that the same people that laughed and joked me aren't as intelligent or successful as me. Even the girls i asked out laughed in my face are now in my face asking me to hang out😂. It hurt that i was treated like that but the people that treated me that way need me and im teaching them things... nobody is perfect and i want any Gifted students reading this to know that don't worry about what people say because those people will continue to fail and struggle in something you're good at ❤.