What if Your Favorite Entertainer was in Special Education? Hmm…

Special Education for the Stars!!

Short Bus Shawty

One of my many roles as a school psychologist is to determine if a student is in need of special education services. Students that are referred for academic, social-emotional, and/or behavior difficulties may be given cognitive assessments (IQ tests) and other measures to determine if they meet the criteria for placement in special education. As I read one of my previous articles Mr. Nigger: The Challenges of Educating Black Males, I mentioned that if rapper Redman were to be placed in a classroom environment, he would probably be labeled class clown or a disruptive student. I then thought to myself, I wonder what other entertainers would probably be labeled and placed in special education?? hmm… (This is strictly for entertainment purposes, so laugh a little!)!

Student: Kevin Hart (Comedian).

Special Ed Classification: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD affects a person’s ability to concentrate and stay focused.

Reason for Referral: Kevin Hart is an actor and stand-up comedian from Philly, PA. His most recent stand-ups, which have boosted his recent popularity, include I’m a Grown Little Man (2009) and Seriously Funny (2010).

Kevin Hart was referred to special education for being very impulsive, inattentive, and constantly distracted. Kevin Hart would be that kid in class that absolutely could not sit still if the world depended on it. Kevin would most likely be the class clown and crack inappropriate jokes during class time. He would frequently wander around the classroom, probably playing jokes on other students, and perhaps putting the frog in the teacher’s lunch. I can envision when the teacher, finally having enough of Kevin’s antics, screams at Kevin to behave, only for Kevin Hart to respond to his teacher… “SAY IT WIT YA CHEST”!!!

Student: Gucci Mane (Rapper, Entertainer)

Special Education Classification: Intellectual Disability (Mental Retardation). Gucci Mane has significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning.
Reason for Referral: Gucci Mane is a student from East Atlanta, Georgia. Gucci Mane was referred to the special education process for academic difficulties and behavior concerns. He is currently performing on the grade level of a third grader. He is fixated with the word “bur” and appears to have difficulty closing his mouth. He often appears to stare off into space and frequently cannot keep up with the other students. His overall IQ score is a 45.  When Gucci was asked if he is having difficulties in school he replied “yaaaaaa”. When he was asked what he thought about being placed in special education, he paused for several seconds, and replied, “burr”!

Student: Fantasia (Singer, Actor)

Special Education Classification: Specific Learning Disability in the area of Reading and Written Language. SLD is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

Reason for Referral: Fantasia was referred for special education due to her difficulties in spelling and reading. When her teacher asked her to spell her name, she randomly burst into song… (Blank stare).

Part II Coming Soon: Future referrals for special ed placement – Waka Flocka Flames, Katt Williams, & Kanye West.