Elvin's Friends

Today most students with disabilities are either educated in special education classes located on general education campuses or mainstreamed individually into general education classes. Often, however, a lack of understanding of the disability exists in the minds of students and teachers, causing them to make generalizations concerning the person or persons with disabilities. To facilitate understanding and foster friendships, integration should begin in the elementary schools. For when an individual takes the time to get to know someone, he or she can appreciate the fact that each person has unique strengths and qualities to offer. Elvins Friends demonstrates, not only how someone with a disability can excel and teach others, but also how friendships can form when two people stop to take the time to get to know each other.