A generation or so ago, kids were either seen as smart or they were not. Some kids were encouraged to succeed in school because they were viewed as having more talent than others. Kids who had faced learning problems or deficits never had a chance to make it. In this day and age, thankfully, things have improved and continue to improve.

20 years ago, when I began writing special education articles, no one took me seriously. Every special education article that I wrote was refuted without much thought been given to it. At that time, it was hard to even get a special education article published. Special ed kids, as they were called, were ignored. They would be shoved in special education classrooms where they would be babysat all day. No one would make any effort to make sure that they learned anything. No matter how many times a special-education article came out exposing the fact that smart kids with learning difficulties were being put in the same class as kids with severe mental retardation, the system continued to make the same mistakes.

Nowadays, there are thousands of places that will publish special-education journal articles. In reality, it is the biggest thing in education today. Ideas about different learning styles and the obstacles that certain students face have never been more popular. In fact, the problem that we are facing today is the opposite of the problem that we faced 20 years ago. Nowadays, anyone feels that they can write a special education article. From educators, to social workers, to business leaders, everyone feels that they should have a say in how student should be educated. Unfortunately, many these people do not have the qualifications that they need to write a special education article. They do not understand about learning styles. They just appeal to the plain common sense of ordinary folks.

It can be so easy to get a credential, that it is difficult to tell what is a valid special education article. Education is as trendy an area as any field. There are always new ideas coming and going, gaining and losing in popularity. The wrong special education article, spun with just the right emphasis, can throw off the whole system. It can set things back for years. This is why you must never take any special education article at face value. You really should figure out if the person writing it has something to sell.