Disabled adults attending programs for children?

I think it is a terrific idea for a number of reasons.

Before I agreed to it though, I would speak to the person making the request to find out what resources they'd be able to help you out with - i.e. would they be able to help you with a staff member to assist you? would they be willing to provide you with some training to increase your confidence?

I agree with you ehBeth. One can imagine that the people in charge of the care of these adult individuals will not just dump them into the program and let them go unsupervised for the period of the program.

I'd say let them into the program if their handlers (can't think of a better word) stay with them during the program.

The inclusion of these individuals might indirectly bring lessons of sympathy and empathy to the other elementary school students who are exposed to this meeting of different kinds of individuals.

I don't think you are being unfair. You are dealing with two very different groups of individuals with very different needs. If someone was to develop a program that was specifically aimed at combining a group of young children and a group of disabled adults I think that would fine, and even an interesting idea. An adult functioning at a first grade level is not the same as a child in the first grade. It's not fair to throw it all on you when you don't have the experience (and staff?) to deal with adults who have special needs while supervising grade school children.

Tough call. But I'd stay with an age group, not a mentality age.

Tell them the class is for children in grades 2 - 5.

How about planning a class for special needs adults? Then you can make sure that their aides are with them.

Don't let group homes "drop off ' these special needs adults for you to take care of, either.

It might be good for the adults. I have no idea if it would be good for the children, but that has to be a consideration.

Thanks so much for the replies! I'm glad to hear from people with views on both sides of the question, because I just keep going back and forth...

Everyone does seem to agree that at least they ought to be accompanied by their aides...this person was suggesting that they'd just come by themselves, actually. That was the first thing that really raised a red flag to me, because that seemed kind of obviously not great planning.

Another factor is that the library does already offer a program specifically for this group; it was actually at this program that the idea came up-- "How about they come back this afternoon for the next program?"

I like the idea of a program *designed* to bring kids and special needs adults together to do activities... maybe I can suggest that as an alternative which the library and this community group could partner on.

I just have a resistance to the idea of having adults at a kids program. I keep coming back to, "But they're adults!" Young adults, but still... I mean, I know several of the people in question, and at least one of them has a job and rides the bus by herself and so on -- you know, so that she can be a regular 22-year-old as much as possible. Doesn't it seem contradictory to also say, okay, now that you're off work, you're going to be treated like you belong with this group of 3rd- and 4th-graders? So in some ways I'm not sure it makes sense for the adults, either.

"One can imagine that the people in charge of the care of these adult individuals will not just dump them into the program and let them go unsupervised for the period of the program."

Yes, one *would* imagine that! But dropping them off for me to supervise along with the children was exactly the idea.

That's the biggest reason I keep having this, "Uh-oh, I don't know if I want to work with a group that thinks this would be a good idea" feeling...

No way should you do this, it would be certain disaster for the group dynamic so it would kill your program. Also it would set you up for liability problems. If I were you I would get a legal ruling from my employer, and then use the liability situation as an excuse to not do it.

No, I don't think it would be discriminatory at all. There are very valid reasons to have separate programs, of all kinds, that are specifically geared toward children and which do not include adults.

Developmentally delayed adults are not children, or child equivalents, regardless of whether they have the mental age of a child, or function at the same grade level as a child. Their socialization skills, and their social needs, their ability to learn new material, their ability to abstract and problem solve, their ability to express themselves verbally, their interests, as well as their impulse control and physical development etc. may all differ considerably from those of school age children. They don't function as children, they function as intellectually limited adults.

To arbitrarily put developmentally delayed adults into programs designed for elementary school children would likely involve compromising the needs, and interests, and abilities of both groups. It does not enhance the self esteem of developmentally delayed adults to group them with children--quite the opposite, since it would be reinforcing the negative image that they cannot function, or belong, in an adult peer group. To regard them as children, is to disregard their unique needs as adults--adults with substantial limitations/disabilities, but adults none-the-less.

Truthfully, it sounds like the main impetus for including developmentally disabled adults in the afternoon program for children would be to have the library functioning as a sort of day care/socialization program for this group. It would seem that there are other, more appropriate community programs for this purpose. Perhaps someone else, connected to the library, would like to run a separate afternoon program specifically geared to developmentally delayed adults. That would seem to be a more satisfactory solution, if there is a demand, or need, for more programs for this adult group.

The argument that developmentally delayed adults are appropriate for your program, simply because they attend school, is just ridiculous. That is not the same as being of "school age". Would they want adult college, or grad students, or trade school students showing up to hang out with children? Just being "in school" does not mean you are "school age" as that description is generally used.

One reason to separate children and adults is safety--security. Parents want to know when they send their child to a program, particularly in a public library, that they will be safe from unwanted adults and adult contacts. Developmentally delayed adults are physically bigger and stronger than a child, and potentially can inflict more serious bodily injury on a child than another child could. They also have adult sex drives and sexual needs. They pose different potential risks to children, simply because they are adults, and specifically because they are adults who may have problems with impulse and emotional controls as well as judgment.

Your misgivings about including developmentally disabled adults in your program seem quite well founded. You aren't being discriminatory--you are running a program for school aged children. That's no more discriminatory than not allowing children to participate in certain adult programs at the library. Go with your instincts, and what your experience tells you. If you think it's a bad idea, continue to say, "No".

As someone who runs a story hour for babies and toddlers, I heartily agree with you that disabled adults and children DO NOT BELONG in the same programs.
At our library,we have had instances of kids being dumped in the children's room for babysitting; I have no doubt that the same would go for disabled adults. In my personal experience, we have an autistic shelver who was so disruptive during my story hour that I had to ask her supervisor to keep her out of the chilren's room until the program was completed.

Try 2 groupd separately not togehter

NO don't mix them
One of those disabled addults exposes himself to a child you'ren looking at prison time dont even think about it

they want you to try to run a group for them disabled SE-PA-RATE tjat's OK but they got to pay for your time

dont do it at all, leave disabled care to the professionals....

Thanks. I didn't know you still did this, but you were the first person I thought of.

yep, Roger, still at it after 11 years. Still drawing a crowd, too. Thanks for remembering.