Review Of Michael Graziano 's An Inconvenient Child

Disabilities in the classroom are a very important issue for teachers to be familiar with. In the article by Michael Graziano, An Inconvenient Child, Graziano’s son suffers from Apraxia but gets inaccurately diagnosed by his son’s teacher. This creates issues of trust for his son and worsens the learning disability problem. He includes important information all parents should hear in the article. Graziano looks at his son’s disability in the classroom, which directly relates to teachers catching signs of mental illness in the classrooms, how teachers diagnose a behavioral troubled child, and training school counselors on the Section 504 policy. The conversation between Graziano’s concerns and these other current articles establish kairos for the article.
Mental illness in the classroom has become an issue that is important for teachers, not just parents, to look out for. According to Cinda Johnson, “Studies indicate that 1 in 5 adolescents have some sort of serious emotional, behavioral, or mental health problem”(Johnson). When adolescents spend half of their days in school, it is important that their teachers take the time to notice unusual signs their students may be showing them. Teachers have the opportunity and the influence to help students work toward a better future. In Graziano’s article, however, the teacher’s influence was spun the wrong way and led to mistreatment of the six-year-old boy and his learning disability. Johnson explains, “Effective teachers are “responsive to students’ problems and…emphasize reciprocity and the value of their students’ perspectives and feelings”(Johnson). The issue of disability in the classroom coincides with the issue of teacher and student trust in the classroom. In both articles there...

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... of educating schools and faculty of proper handling of students with disabilities. This shows relevance of the issue on a larger scale currently by the push starting to be made on educating counselors in other areas too.
Graziano’s article over the handling of his son’s disability in the classroom also involves issues that relate to teachers detecting signs of mental illness in the classrooms, how teachers identify a behavioral troubled child, and training school counselors on the Section 504 policy that are all happening in the world today. Realizing these issues can help parents with giving their child the best out of their education and can also help teachers understand the importance of their relationship with students. Everyone should have the opportunity for a brighter future and having a learning disability should not be the end of the road for any student.