A few weeks ago, I was talking with a lovely woman at my church. She asked me why schools pour so much money into special education when “we could be giving more money to the gifted students who will actually solve big problems like cancer.” I had a very long list of reasons to give her. I did not mind explaining my passion, but it made me so sad to know that she does not understand that individuals with special needs are just as valuable as the next person. Unfortunately, many people focus on differences, IQ scores, and challenges. One way to help us all to see our similarities and strengths is through movies like Intelligent Lives. Through watching the film, I realized that sometimes the best way to advocate for individuals with disabilities is through experience. While it would be ideal for everyone to get to work with an individual with a disability in person, movies that highlight the value of these individuals is a good second. I enjoyed many things about the film, but I would say that my biggest takeaway is that if we simply take the time to watch a movie like this with someone, we can give them a new perspective on individuals with disabilities. In order to show a movie for the purpose of education, it is crucial that it is a realistic representation. I have mixed feelings about how much of a realistic view the film Intelligent Lives conveyed. The portrayal of IQ testing was very accurate. I particularly liked how in the film, Chris Cooper explained that his son would not know the answer to the question on his IQ test that asked about dusting a dresser because he refers to dressers as bureaus. I also think that the film did a good job of demonstrating that IQ tests are not what measures the value of a person. The movie realistically showed the strengths of Naomi, Nairee, and Micah and it showed how their particular skill sets fit into the world. In addition, the history of special education was accurate. It provided true information and cited key individuals like Howard Gardner. It also showed the detriments of places like Willowbrook and made the audience aware that the people were treated inappropriately in those institutions. Overall, the value of individuals with special needs was clearly emphasized, and I liked that. On the other hand, however, I felt like the film was unrealistic in the way that it glossed over the challenges of the individuals. I know that the focus of the film was to show the strengths of individuals with special needs, but I think that in order to realistically portray that, there does need to be some inclusion of challenges as well. When I think about the conversation I had with the woman at my church, in order to help her to understand the strengths of individuals with disabilities, I had to acknowledge the challenges as well. While I am very glad that the film has such a focus on strengths, I believe that in order to be realistic, the film should have addressed some struggles as well. As I consider using this film in the future, I love the idea of showing this movie or something similar to every student. Around the holidays, almost every high school class shows a movie of some type. Every high school student has seen Elf enough times to have it memorized. Instead, what if teachers showed Intelligent Lives or something similar? I think that this would be a great way for everybody to learn more about students with disabilities. If everyone was informed, the students would become advocates for each other, and maybe when our students grow up, they will be the ones to change IQ testing. This movie could also be used to encourage our students with disabilities. For a child to be given a low IQ score and a label, it can be scary. If they believe that they are only what their IQ score or label tells them they are, they will be cheating themselves. Films such as this one can be used to help our students see that they are a masterpiece, a child of God, and so much more than a number or a label. As the film asks, “how can any score of intelligence measure the value a person will have?” I want all of my future students to ask this question. #GCCEDU
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AuthorHello! My name is Kylee McLafferty and I am a pre-service elementary and special education teacher at Grove City College, near Pittsburgh, PA. Archives
January 2020
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