Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Collection Overview
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...
Show moreAbsurdities 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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- Title
- Ants in His Pants
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a boy sitting in chair and desk; the image shows him from just above the waist down. He is squirming and there are crawling on the ground near his feet, up his legs, and near his belt. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After a hasty special education placement for behavior...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a boy sitting in chair and desk; the image shows him from just above the waist down. He is squirming and there are crawling on the ground near his feet, up his legs, and near his belt. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After a hasty special education placement for behavior problems, school official were embarrassed to learn that Marty really did have ants in his pants."
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- Title
- Different Values and Eras
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows two men. The man on the left is dressed in colonial era clothing waving a wooden ruler. He says, "That student needs a trip to the woodshed!" The man on the right has long hair is wearing paisley shirt with bell bottom pants and is holding his fingers in a peace sign. He says, ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two men. The man on the left is dressed in colonial era clothing waving a wooden ruler. He says, "That student needs a trip to the woodshed!" The man on the right has long hair is wearing paisley shirt with bell bottom pants and is holding his fingers in a peace sign. He says, "Chill man, we need to do something nonviolent." The tag line reads, "School staff find it challenging to develop a coherent behavior plan when their practices are reflective of different values and eras."
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- Title
- Duck!
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon is two panels stacked vertically. The top panel shows a teacher talking to a professor. Above the teacher's heads is a thought bubble that shows an aggressive student trying to punch the teacher. The teacher says, "Yo, Doc! What intervention should I use when one of the guys loses it...
Show moreThe cartoon is two panels stacked vertically. The top panel shows a teacher talking to a professor. Above the teacher's heads is a thought bubble that shows an aggressive student trying to punch the teacher. The teacher says, "Yo, Doc! What intervention should I use when one of the guys loses it and tries to punch me in the head?" In the lower panel it shows the professor with a thought bubble above his head. It shows the teacher ducking and the a guy throwing a punch that misses his head. The professor says, "My expert opinion would be to duck!" The tag line reads, "Experts get big bucks for consultation to remind folks that 'Intervention' can be effective only before a crisis occurs." The tag line on the left side reads, "Inspired by Ted Carr."
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- Title
- Extending the Continuum
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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A USA rocket is at a launchpad waiting to take off into space. To the right is a building with a walkway leading to the rocket. Individuals with disabilities, some using crutches and wheelchairs are boarding. Someone inside the rocket is saying, "Control, we are T-minus 48 minutes and counting...
Show moreA USA rocket is at a launchpad waiting to take off into space. To the right is a building with a walkway leading to the rocket. Individuals with disabilities, some using crutches and wheelchairs are boarding. Someone inside the rocket is saying, "Control, we are T-minus 48 minutes and counting for blast off to the space station. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Extending the continuum: where will it end?!! The students who misbehaved in a special ed school are transferred to a more restrictive placement."
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- Title
- Little Shop of Horrors
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a shop full of all kinds of antiquated and aversive behavioral implements such as a white noise chamber, straight jackets, ammonia spray, zappers, paddles, tranquilizing medication, and chairs with restraining belts. The tag line reads, "Little Shop of Horrors."
- Title
- Terrorless Learning
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows three children sitting at a table working together. In the foreground are a man and a woman. The man says, "Max seems to be interacting with the other kids so much better lately." The woman replies, "We've begun to understand his behavior. He has responded well to positive...
Show moreThe cartoon shows three children sitting at a table working together. In the foreground are a man and a woman. The man says, "Max seems to be interacting with the other kids so much better lately." The woman replies, "We've begun to understand his behavior. He has responded well to positive behavioral supports." The tag line reads, "Terrorless Learning."
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- Title
- Unusual Behaviors
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a male educator in the right corner of the panel and a Mrs. Baker in the middle front of the panel. The educator asks, "Don't you think David's unusual behaviors will be distracting to the class?" In the thought bubble above Mrs. Baker's head are images of her students, picking...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a male educator in the right corner of the panel and a Mrs. Baker in the middle front of the panel. The educator asks, "Don't you think David's unusual behaviors will be distracting to the class?" In the thought bubble above Mrs. Baker's head are images of her students, picking their nose, biting their fingernails, yelling, tapping their pencil, twirling their hair, hiding behind a mess, and eating a pen. The tag line reads, "Considering her students without disabilities, Mrs. Baker realizes David's unusual behaviors aren't that unusual."
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- Title
- Used Car Sales Seminar
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a school administrator (Mr. Moody) seated behind a desk with a parent in a chair across from him. He says to her, "Mrs. Smith, I realize that on the surface it doesn't seem to make any sense to place your son -- who has behavior challenges -- in a class with 6 other aggressive,...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a school administrator (Mr. Moody) seated behind a desk with a parent in a chair across from him. He says to her, "Mrs. Smith, I realize that on the surface it doesn't seem to make any sense to place your son -- who has behavior challenges -- in a class with 6 other aggressive, anti-social boys. But trust me. I'm a professional. This is my business." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mr. Moody tries out a new technique after getting lost at a national education conference and spending a week at a used car sales seminar."
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