What does inclusion mean at my school? In response I wrote:

I work at a school which provides a transition from high school to the world beyond. My students are the most severely disabled of our group. For my students inclusion includes eating with their less severely disabled peers and walking through the adjacent adult ed campus. They deserve more., We also interact with our community by visiting local nursing homes and job sites where we provide light janitorial work. We are usually met with warm and friendly smiles and words of encouragement which underestimate my student's ability to contribute to and for their community... none the less a warm friendly smile is always welcome and through the products of our community endeavors our contacts will see the potential we have to contribute......

Well that was my knee jerk response. In addition I wish my students were seen as peers and contributing members of our society rather than as aberrations. Most people's initial reactions to my students are uncomfortable warm and pity filled. Inclusion ultimately will necessitate a change in non disabled people's attitude to expect responsible accountability from their disabled peers.

A post to a frustrated Mom

To a Mom of a student with autism who was frustrated by his diagnosticians seeing her son in different light then she, I wrote:

Please forgive me if I am presumptuous for I am indeed naive as a brand new teacher of students with disabilities That being said, I think that many "professionals" are missing the boat when they judge students in terms of the non disabled world and don't take the time or expend the effort to look at these people in the context of their own worlds. For example, I look at the incredible students I work with who are autistic. Some, are people about whom my predecessors (supposedly in the know) tell me things like: "Oh dear sweet John he is soooo low." Whilst I am thinking: "Who the heck are they talking about? John has incredible receptive skills, in addition John shows me he has that spark of intellect deep inside which I see when he reacts to new situations or tries to communicate his sensory overload or when he needs to make a connection with our non autistic world. Either they (those ones in the know) don't know or understand John like I do, or they are using the paradigm of the non disabled world to judge students with disabilities. Perhaps they are not spending enough time with John to make an accurate assessment. How dare they? Do I judge those in Spain using my mindset as an English speaking American? Of course not. I understand cultural and language differences need to be taken into consideration when interacting with Spanish people. It is time people with disabilities are given the same respect. So Mom, I am sorry the so called professionals have not seen what you know to be true. Hopefully you will look to some of us beginning our careers with students and people with disabilities as being more open and patient to see the people we judge as existing beyond the criteria of standardized tests. And. hopefully we will see the people we serve as existing beyond our paradigms rooted in the world of people living without disabilities. Hopefully we will start to see ourselves as a world at one, with peoples of different cultures and background.

Merry Christmas

What a wonderful Christmas I had today with Vicky, Autumn and Ryan. Last night I had a delightful dinner with my Mom. my brother Mike and my partner Vicky . But what about my students? How has their holiday been spent? Have they had the contacts they have needed to remind them they are valued and loved. I hope so. I need to remember that my connections to them doesn't end as holiday, spring or summer breaks begin and that indeed they feel at all times and as much as possible both valued and loved.

Why not everybody?

I was at a dance for students with moderate to severe disabilities on Friday, and I was struck by the numbers of students who use a wheelchair who were lined up in a row like tin soldiers watching their peers dance. Why was it that their teachers and aides were not seeing to it that they participated? Was I the only teacher concerned that ALL students were having a good time? Students who use wheelchairs need space to move and support and encouragement from staff to enjoy and move to the music. I endeavor to make sure that next year they have the space, support and encouragement to fully participate in our dance.

Students have a life outside of school.

It is this life that I got a glimpse of today when I visited a group home where one of my students lives. I was there to attend a transition meeting for this young man. I was struck by how much more meaning and relevance I could have added to my instructional strategy for him had I just known about the kinds of things and activities my student was engaged in at home. I will prioritize home visits whenever possible in the future. I know more meaningful goals and strategies will be the result of my understanding of a student's life outside of school.

The Power of the Right Tool

I saw this video (1 Voice Video) on the blog of Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs. It reminded me of how liberating having a voice can be. One of my students has begun using a Go Talk 9+ cell device in the classroom His increased communication has brought power and joy to his life. I have learned a few things to make this tool easier for him to use, for example, I needed to record a fixed button for him to ask for an overlay change. However, the biggest lesson I learned from my experience with the GoTalk is how powerful the right tool can be in giving students a voice.