http://www.ednet.ns.ca/pdfdocs/studentsvcs/inclusion.pdf

Week 3-Integration

Inclusion is defined by the Nova Scotia Department of Education as "an attitude and value system that promotes the basic right of all students to receive appropriate and quality of educational programming and services in the company of their peers". The definition seems very clear however implementing inclusive practices requires a commitment by a variety of educators and support staff to make the process a success.
In the film presented in class the process of integration takes time and looks very different at different stages of life. I believe the early elementary years are an easier time for integration to occur. For example in the film, Micheal (a kindergarten student with Down Syndrome) is included in circle and his physical and occupational therapy goals are integrated into the class routines. My experiences with integration at this level are also very positive. Young students who are exposed to positive attitudes towards integration are readily able to accept differences. During the early years of school the curriculum is also easily adaptable since the majority of the outcomes are related to discovery over performance. Socially, all students are interested in play and friendships are based on common play patterns rather than complex social experiences and networks.
With the transition to upper elementary the integration process becomes more complicated as differences are more apparent and social interests begin to change with peers. The shift within the classroom for the majority of students becomes more focused on performance and abstract processes, which often are not parallel with the Individual Program Plan for a student with high needs. Innovation however can continue to make the process of integration successful. Todd, a student in grade four/five featured in the film, and his experience highlights the importance of flexibility and creativity to blend his outcomes with his class in a meaningful way. At this level however I believe social relationships begin to strain between typically developing students and students with high needs. Interests, play development and peer pressures are all factors which lead to the strain. While it is possible to create a meaningful and successful environment, it requires more awareness on the part of the adults to ensure everyone is welcome.
Inclusion at the junior high level is the most difficult. Unlike elementary school, coordination between educators, adolescent social pressures and curriculum characteristics makes the process of integration and inclusion challenging. The importance of educators and staff modeling personal and meaningful interactions with all students especially those with special needs is extremely important. As noted by Justin's mother in the film middle school can be very socially isolating since typically developing peers are too cool and relationships fade. The experiences of Joy a junior high student with special needs in the film also highlight the importance of seeking a variety of social connections including situations of being the leader. I think that providing opportunities for being the role model and having leadership experiences are important especially for students that at the junior high level are often isolated and not provided a chance to take the lead.
I have also believed that a school needs to reflect the community it serves. For a true reflection is important that all students have equal and important roles within the school, if this is made possible throughout the school experience the community will be prepared and readily accepting of all members as adults.

Using Boardmaker Plus

After completing the at-home assignment for Boardmaker Plus, I now realized the many different ways the program can be used. I believe the versatility of the program is often over looked because PST's rarely have the time to explore the programs and often when given the opportunity the process seems very overwhelming. I have used the program before to create visual schedules and picture communication systems but have never thought of making the program available to students. The e-book was easy to create and would be a great way for non-writers/readers to be included in Language Arts activities.

Week 1- Including Samuel

The presentation tonight of the documentary “Including Samuel” has made me reflect upon the whole process of inclusion and what success in inclusion means. On paper inclusion seems simplistic enough, all students with all ability levels and challenges in a classroom, school and community together. Unfortunately inclusion is often presented in educational texts as a simple process which spontaneously happens and is immediately successful. As educators know however inclusion requires a great deal more than having a place where all students are together, it requires planning, troubleshooting and a full team approach from all persons involved.

Throughout the documentary the family shared their experiences, successes and stressors which were very meaningful, powerful and inspiring. As a family they have redefined their version of what is ‘normal’ and furthermore have enlisted and expanded their community in redefining ‘inclusion and normalcy’. I believe every family who experiences a diagnosis of a challenge with one of their children go through a similar process of grieving for what they had originally dreamed and a struggle to redefine their expectations. Samuel’s family however in their redefinition has not placed limitations on their son but instead have accepted his challenges and embraced and fostered his growth and abilities through everything they do and allow him to experience.

The other families and people with challenges featured in the film also emphasize the importance of families not limiting their children when given a challenging diagnosis (mental or physical) but rather the importance of seeking ways to ensure that they can discover their strengths and accommodate their challenges in the majority of environments. Keith Jones notes how important education was and how his parents ensure he was truly educated in a time when people with challenges where given their own classroom with lowered expectations. Through his interviews it is easy to understand his struggles with a physical disability at a young age when it was considered a life sentence in the education system and his community. The contrasts of Keith Jone's experiences at early elementary with Samuel’s would be very interesting. Throughout the film Samuel’s inclusion within a variety of activities is included including Scouts, t-ball and the riding an adaptive bicycle.

A current contrast to Samuel’s experience at the elementary level is Alana Malfy’s high school experience in which inclusion is the label given to having her present in the room and the frustration of the experience expressed by her and her teacher. The film highlights the need for a standard in inclusive practices across schools, boards and the country.

Inclusion is not simplistic and becomes more complicated as a child grows, however social connections for all people change and become more complex with age. Knowing how to foster an environment which accepts diversity becomes more and more important. I appreciate in the film that the family is not just focused on the education of their son but on the social experiences and connections he has and will have. Social isolation I believe is the most difficult part for students with challenges and is often innocently overlooked by educators so focused on providing academics and life skill training.

As part of my undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Studies I complete a practicum as an aide for a high school student with Downs Syndrome in a private school. Throughout my practicum I wondered if this was the right environment for her, she was in classrooms but often at the back, during noon hour she found a particular bench at a central location in the school and would perk up for a hello from passersby’s, I soon realized she ate alone everyday and furthermore, she did not really have shared experiences with any of the other students. After that practicum I started to question what the purpose of inclusion was, I wanted to know her perspectives and feelings on her own experiences in an ‘inclusive’ environment; I wanted to know her parent’s feelings, hopes and fears for her.

That next fall I began work on my Honours thesis, I knew immediately what I was going to cover I felt I had to. I spent the entire academic year with her in school and in her community. I spoke with teachers, other students and family members. Reading previous research on social inclusion was alarming (mostly because there is a very limited database to draw from and often from the early 1980’s when the notion of inclusive environments first developed). It struck a cord in me that all these professionals were so proud of the ‘environment and community’ that they had created for her and that they had neglected to ask her about her experiences in it. My study concluded that she was lonely and wanted to be truly included. She expressed an interest in finding friends with mutual interests but felt that in this school she could not. She also noted that she was always the only one that was different in her community and that this frustrated her. Her fears for the future echoed her parents; she expressed resentment at her peers for planning their next phase of life and in the process leaving her behind.

The project took place several years ago now…I wonder if she still feels the same way or if she has made transitions and found true friendships. I wonder if her parents have accepted her transition to early adulthood and if they have assisted in finding true inclusive places for her to be.