Emma Roshioru: Special education inseparable from education (Opinion)

July 9, 2026 - 10:36

"Just have them stick it out for a semester, and then you will have enough evidence for the school district to get them the supports they need." This is a phrase that parents of children with disabilities hear far too often. It reflects a deep misunderstanding at the heart of our education system: the belief that special education is an add-on, a separate program that students must earn access to after proving they are failing.

In reality, special education is not a separate system. It is an integral part of the broader educational framework. When we treat it as a distinct, burdensome category, we fail the students who need it most. The current model often forces families into a cycle of watching their child struggle, collecting data on that failure, and then using that data to justify basic accommodations. This is not only exhausting for parents but also damaging to the child's self-esteem and academic progress.

Education cannot be considered truly inclusive or effective if it does not account for the diverse ways students learn. A one-size-fits-all approach ignores the reality that many students require different methods to access the same curriculum. The goal should not be to separate students into "regular" and "special" tracks, but to build a system flexible enough to meet every learner where they are. Until we stop viewing special education as a separate entity and start seeing it as a necessary component of all education, we will continue to ask families to sacrifice a semester of their child's growth just to prove they deserve to learn.