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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Miniature of Tenacious Advocate
Tenacious Advocate
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    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
    • Date Created: 1999
    • Description: A parent, (Mrs. Green) is seated a cross a table from her child's IEP team. Her arm is reaching behind her, aimed toward a life-sized cardboard replica of an advocate, who is holding up a document labeled IDEA. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Green resorts to bringing a life-sized cardboard replica of the county's most tenacious advocate to her child's IEP meeting. "Inspired by Marilyn Wessels"
    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
    Miniature of Reasonable Affective Disorder
    Reasonable Affective Disorder
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      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
      • Date Created: 2000
      • Description: The cartoon shows a room of people sitting on chairs facing the front of the room where a panel of people sit behind a long table. A sign on the right of the frame says, "Welcome support Group Q & A." A man in the front row puts up his hand and asks, "At a meeting last February I encountered a person who was uncharacteristically sad, moody and unreasonable. How can I handle such a situations in the future?" A person on the panel replies, "Sounds like you encountered a variation on a common problem. For winter meetings, we suggest you bring one of these full spectrum lights." (which he has turned sending a light toward the audience). The tag line reads, "Consumers encounter staff with reasonable affective disorder."
      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
      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