This lesson addresses methods of including children with disabilities in programs with typically developing peers. The lesson further addresses areas of concern such as the possible emergence of social reticence and ridicule or bullying, and provides ideas and activities to stimulate inclusion of all children while eliminating any undesirable behaviors. Finally, the lesson includes an overview of discipline practices that are effective for all children.
The learner will research and translate effective methods of inclusion into concrete activities that correlate to specific programs and activities.
The learner will identify behaviors that inhibit the inclusive process and demonstrate redirection and other methods to get program participants back on track.
The learner will utilize appropriate methods of discipline that correlate to the specific functional needs of children.
Inclusion is part of a much larger picture then just placement of a child in the same facility or program with typically developing children. Inclusion means actively participating in day to day activities as an accepted member of the social network. Real inclusion only comes when communities, programs, and individuals are able to look beyond a person?s disability and see their right to belong. A great deal of emphasis has been placed on the inclusion of children with disabilities in school activities, but less has been placed on the inclusion of children in community activities. In this lesson, we provide useful information for parents, community members, and youth who are interested in developing and promoting inclusive community based activities for children with disabilities. The need for inclusion programs for disabled children and youth during summer months, after school, holidays and weekends is extremely important and can have a tremendous impact on their development and quality of life.
In order to properly include children with disabilities in community programs, it is important to address each actvitiy in the context of the child's needs, and to create a plan to include the child as fully as possible. It is not necessary to functionally change the character of every activity. It is important to find a way for each child to participate in a meaningful way. It is also important to teach all children that finding ways to include children with disabilities is a necessary and important responsibility.
Modify the activity so the child with a disability has an opportunity to participate in the same or a similar experience as other children. Example: a group of children were playing "Horse" with a basketball in the gym. A child with extreme developmental disabilities wanted to participate, but he could not throw the basketball from his wheelchair to reach the basketball goal. The children found a clean, empty trash can and placed it in front of the child's wheelchair. When his turn came around, he threw the basketball into the garbage can instead of the basketball goal.
Provide a device to serve as an aid in accomplishing the activity. The device can be as simple as a large pencil for a child who has fine motor skills issues to a computerized communication device. Example: a group of children will be making chalk drawings on a concrete floor surface. One child, who needs specialized seating supports, cannot be seated on the concrete floor. The program leader attached several pieces of chalk to wooden dowels so the child could remain in the appropriate seating supports while also participating in the activity.
Provide a personal assistant to aid the child in accomplishing the activity. Example: a group of children are playing bingo. A child with who is hard of hearing cannot hear when the numbers are called. A peer assistant sits beside the child, writes the numbers on a piece of paper, and shows them to her friend as they are called.
Modify the environment so the child can participate. Example: The playground in a neighborhood park near a local daycare center has no accessible playground equipment. When children with disabilities go outside, they are left at the edge of the playground watching other children play. A group of neighbors volunteered to raise money and secure additional volunteers to construct a new accessible playground. Now, all of the children can play together.
Find aspects of the activity in which the child can engage, even if it is not reasonably possible for the child to participate in the full activity. Example: A group of teens are going on a bicycle excursion that includes rough terrain. Even with a modified trail bike, one teenager does not have the endurance or dexterity to participate in the entire activity. Friends use a terrain map to mark off sections of the trail that the teenager can access and they coordinate to meet their friend at specified points on the trail in order to participate in a shared experience.
It is not the responsibility of the adult leader alone to find ways to include children with disaiblities in community programs. A team approach, including the child and his or her peers always generates more ideas and opportunities for inclusion. When children experience success at including their peers with disabilities at an early age, the steps in the process of inclusion become a natural part of their everyday lives. Those who can add to the quality of the inclusion experience include parents of the child with a disability as well as parents of other children in the program, all adult leaders, volunteers and peers, and teachers or other professionals who have special insights into the individualized needs of the child.
All of the people who interact with the child in the community based setting are part of the child's "circle" and are appropriate to include in discussions about how to integrate the child in a myriad of activities.
Behaviors that inhibit the inclusion process are negative behaviors that may be exhibited by anyone in the child's circle including the child himself. Children with disabilities may be targets of taunts, ridicule, or bullying by other children. On the other hand, children with disabilities may exhibit unusual behaviors that other children do not know how to properly react to. Even adult leaders may exhibit inappropriate frustration and anger when they are faced with situations they are unaccustomed to dealing with. The goal is to aid everyone in finding way to replace inappropriate behaviors with more acceptable ones.
Behaviors or situations that can lead to a breakdown in the inclusion process can be easily identified when they reach a point where someone becomes angry or hurt. Obviously, it is best to counter situations before they reach this point. It is more difficult to identify the more subtle words, expressions, or situations that may be leading up to an exclusionary or negative experience. Adult leaders must be vigilant in observing children who are, teased by other children, left alone or who do not seem to be readily included by their peers in activities and social groups.
Redirection is an important tool in minimizing negative behaviors. The observant adult leader will recognize emerging situations and head them off before they become serious. An easy way to accomplish this is through redirection. The key to redirection is changing the focus or direction of the group's thought patterns. Redirection may involve refocusing children on the task at hand if they have strayed from the activity they are supposed to be engaged in. It may involve changing the entire activity. The goal is to ensure that any negative behavior patterns are extinguished in the process. Example: a group of children are playing catch, and they persist in throwing the ball to all but one child. The adult leader joins the group and brings a new ball. With two balls in action, the speed of the game is increased, and the adult leader engages long enough to ensure that all children have equal opportunity to participate. Adult leaders must encourage the development of positive social relationships through their decisions about where to place children in group settings. If the group excludes a child, then the adult leader must intervene and redirect, emphasizing the importance of including everyone, and every child's responsibility to behave in a manner that is respectful to others in the group. If exclusionary behaviors persist, restructure the groups.
Assign buddies to provide support to the child with a disability and to make sure that peers are appropriately including the child with a disability. Select children who demonstrate positive behavioral skills to serve as buddies.
Ensure the presence of slightly more mature peer role models who have the capability to demonstrate the positive behavior skills that children should be emulating. Children are eager to assimilate the behavior of peers they look up to. Identify the children in the group who are emerging as leaders and observe the key behaviors they are exhibiting. Reinforce positive behaviors in all children, and particularly among children whose behaviors are known to be emulated by other children. "Popular" children often receive praise for traits such as athleticism, personality and appearance, and they are far less likely to have continuing reinforcement for behaviors such as showing respect and consideration for others.
Effective discipline is a guidance tool that must be applied with consistency and control. All children, including children with disabilities, must be made aware that there are predictable consequences for inappropriate actions or behavior. Establish a few clear rules and stick to them. The most effective discipline correlates the consequence with the inappropriate behavior and it imparts important lessons about acceptable behavior. For instance, if a child throws his toys all over the room, an appropriate consequence would be that he should pick up the toys and put them back where they belong. Children with disabilities should be subject to the same rules as other children, and except in rare situations where the behavior is caused by a confirmed behavior disorder, they should be subject to the same forms of discipline as other children. Plan ahead. Be prepared for what you are going to do and say to help the child understand the consequences of his actions. Above all, you should always be in control when you are administering discipline. Speak in calm, measured tones, and show respect for the child when you are administering discipline. Remember it is the child's behavior that is the problem, not the child. Remember that you are teaching two lessons. The first lesson is that you expect the child to obey the rules you have established. The second lesson is how mature people are supposed to behave when they address difficult situations.
Never hit or use physical punishment, or any other behavior that you would not want children emulating with other children. Also ensure that "no hitting, punching, slapping, etc." is one of the rules that you enforce consistently with all children. Children with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to physical injury.
Do not offer choices in situations where the child has to cooperate with established rules. For example, instead of saying "Do you want to put away your art supplies?' you should instead say "It is time to put away your art supplies." Stay with the child through the completion of the task.
Don't give in to your child when he is whining, crying or having a temper tantrum. If you do, it will only teach him that this kind of behavior is an appropriate way to get what he wants. Decide what behaviors are important to enforce, and deliberately ignore minor, harmless or unimportant misbehaviors, such as fidgeting.
Make punishments and rewards immediate. Avoid waiting more than a few minutes to provide the consequences of a behavior.
Avoid repeating commands. You should give a command and if not followed, then you can repeat it once with a warning of what the consequences for noncompliance will be. If not followed, then apply the consequences. Do not continue to repeat the command.
Don't argue with the child about the punishment. Ignore any protests. You can talk about it later.
Plan ahead. If you always have difficulty in certain situations, go over a plan of action beforehand, which includes what your expectations are and what the consequences of misbehavior will be.
Include the child in the development of the behavior plan and consequences, especially when you are developing plans for older children and adolescents. Listen and get the child's input on some rules and punishment. They are far more likely to adhere to the rules if they feel some ownership of the plan. After disciplining the child, briefly explain the rule and what your expectations are when he misbehaves. Also explain what the proper behavior would have been.
Select a program or activity that is specific to your organization. Break down the activity into discreet tasks and describe accommodations that would be needed for a child with limited use of her hands and arms. Take the same activity and describe accommodations that would be needed for a child with very low vision. Create a list of positive actions with which you can equip children to use as alternatives to teasing, ridicule or bullying. Define a series of activities that will help embed these actions so they become a natural reaction when children are faced with a difficult situation.
Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Part 3
Leanne Boyce of People First of Tennessee was one of the first students
mainstreamed from special education classes in Tennessee schools. She
discusses her experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1BZm0aZoFY
A Credo for Support
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKCxwDF-SrI
Hilton Early Head Start Training Program
Inclusion of Infants and Toddlers
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=57724547
Inclusion: What Do I Do Now
Special Education Teacher Janet Parker Discusses Inclusion in
the School Setting
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=43370&title=Inclusion__What_Do_I_Do_Now
Wrightslaw
Discipline for Children with Disabilities
http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/discipline_faqs_osep.htm
How to Discipline a Child According to Age
http://www.wikihow.com/Discipline-a-Child-According-to-Age
Discipline for Children with Disabilities
Cynthia Quetsch
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Webindexdisp_cq.html