Absurdities and Realities of Special Education

Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches. The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD. Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.

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Showing 1 - 4 of 4 Records

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3 1998 1 2000
Miniature of PT Dreams
PT Dreams
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    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
    • Date Created: 1998
    • Description: This cartoon shows the face of a physical therapist asleep with eyes closed. Coming from the therapist's head is dream bubble; inside three larger cylindrical bolster and two parents. The mother says to the father, "What should we do tonight with the kids?" The father says, "Let's break out the bolsters, sit astride them, displace each other laterally and see if we can correct to midline." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Only in a Physical Therapist's Dream."
    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
    Miniature of Camp
    Camp
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      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
      • Date Created: 2000
      • Description: This cartoon is in two panels stacked vertically. The images are exactly the same, depicting common summer camp activities. The only difference is how the activities are labeled. In the top panel labeled "Kid's Summer Camp." At this typical camp children have a Sing-A-Long, make Arts & Crafts, go horseback riding, play sports, swim, have a nature hut , and make friends. An happy camper jumps in the in the air exclaiming "I love Camp!" In the lower panel these exact same activities are re-labeled: Music therapy, Art therapy, Horseback riding therapy, gross motor training, hydrotherapy, pet therapy, social skills training, and the exuberant camper, who is now labeled an "Engaged Student" exclaims "I Love Intervention!" The tag line reads, "Disability Lingo Goes To Camp."
      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
      Miniature of Name that Discipline
      Name that Discipline
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        • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
        • Date Created: 1998
        • Description: This cartoon shows three parents next to each other standing behind podiums labeled, Parent 1, 2 and 3; behind them is the name of the game show they are playing, "Name that Discipline." Parent number 1 says, "I can name that discipline in one goal!" The show's host says, "OK, Here's you next clue: Sally will increase bilateral lip posturing, lip movement and lateralization." The tag line below the cartoon reads, "Having suffered through excessive exposure to professionals, parents look for fun ways of coping."
        • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
        Miniature of Dictionary of Special Ed Jargon
        Dictionary of Special Ed Jargon
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          • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
          • Date Created: 1998
          • Description: This cartoon shows a father sitting in an overstuffed arm chair with lamp on next to him while he reads a book titled, "Dictionary of Special Education Jargon." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mr. Green prepares for his child's IEP meeting."
          • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants