Inclusion Overview

Overview of Inclusive EducationDaniel W. Close, Ph.D.University of Oregon

June 20151

University of Oregon – Laos Inclusion Project • 2015 ໂຄງການການສຶ ກສາຮຽນຮ່ວມລະຫວ່າງມະຫາວິ ທະຍາໄລ ໂອເຣກອນແລະ ລາວ

Overview of Inclusive Education

How the Presentation is Organized

• This Overview of Inclusive Education is organized into three distinct modules

• Module 1: Basic definitions, case studies, and values of Inclusive Education

• Module 2: Principles of Inclusive Education, including basic teaching strategies

• Module 3: Types of disabilities found in children


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Module 1Definitions, Introductions, Case Examples and Values of Inclusive Education


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What is Inclusive Education?

• Inclusive Education refers to a set of principles, values and practices which involve social change in schools and communities.

• Inclusive Education changes schools by including children who have previously been excluded from school.


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The Inclusive Education Team from the University of Oregon• Daniel W. Close, Ph.D.,

Associate Professor in the College of Education

• Valerie T. Close, M.A., Co-Director of the Early Childhood CARES Program in the College of Education

• Marisa Silver, Ed.D. Curriculum Director, College of Education, Teacher, Springfield School District

• Kirsten Haugen, M.A. Special Educator and Technology Consultant, College of Education

• MaryAnn Winter-Messier, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the College of Education


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Daniel W. Close, Ph.D.

• Dr. Dan Close, Associate Professor and Director of the Family and Human Services Program in the College of Education at the University of Oregon.

• I currently teach undergraduate and graduate courses on Inclusive Education, with an emphasis on developmental disabilities.

• My work on Inclusive Education includes projects in Ukraine, India, Laos, and Bangladesh.


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The University of Oregon

• The College of Education Mission:Making educational and social systems work for all—by strengthening the capacity of community and education agencies to design, provide and evaluate individual learning in Oregon and throughout the world.

• The College of Education’s Special Education Program has been ranked #3 in the nation for 12 years in a row


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Small Group Activity

• Think about a child with a disability in your school or community.

• How has the family been treated by school and community leaders?

• How can this child and family be welcomed by the school?

• What would the school and community need to do to include the child into the school?


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Definition of Inclusive Education

• Inclusive Education means schools accommodate all children regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

• This should include: street and working children, children from remote or nomadic populations, children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and children from other disadvantaged or marginalized areas or groups. – UNESCO, 2003: p. 4


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Values of Inclusive Education

• A welcoming attitude

• Family involvement

• Be patient, never give up on a child


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A Welcoming Attitude (1)

• Make the school environment pleasant. Keep all areas clean and safe.

• Be a positive and energetic role model, setting the tone for the school. Smile, be engaging and friendly to everyone.

• A welcoming attitude often begins with the leaders of the school.

• Offer an open-door policy. Be friendly to all families who come to visit.


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A Welcoming Attitude (2)

• Praise and compliment the family as often as possible. Positive recognition helps people feel good about themselves and encourages positive actions.

• Solve problems quickly when they arise. Ask questions so you understand the situation and work out a fair solution that will benefit everyone.

• Provide families with food from time to time. Even if you just have a small meal for families every other month, these gestures help families feel important.


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Family and Parent Involvement

• Students learn best when their families and educators work together.

• Families are children’s first and best teachers, and bring special knowledge and expertise, which should be encouraged and respected.

• Many families need assistance to become successful and effective participants in the process.


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Obstacles to Family Involvement

Discuss with a partner:

• What are some obstacles to family involvement in Inclusive Education?

• What are some practical obstacles for getting teachers and families more involved in schools?

• What can the Inclusive Education project do to help facilitate family involvement?


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Be Patient, Never Give Up on a Child• Many children will not understand how to do

something on the first try

• They may need help to perform a task.

• They may need practice to maintain the skills they have learned.

• Teachers need to remember this and never give up on a child who does not learn quickly.


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Module 2Principles of Inclusive Education, including basic strategies for teaching children in inclusive settings


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Principles of Inclusive Education

• Use Real Life Experiences

• Set Realistic Goals for Each Child

• Be a Good Communicator


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Use Real Life Experiences

• Many children have difficultly solving problems in their heads.

• It is often better to learn in a “real” situation.

• It is best to use real objects and activities in the actual setting to assist with a task.


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• What are some of the “real life” experiences that children deal with in their daily lives?

• How can you incorporate these real life experiences into a learning activity in the classroom?


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Be a Good Communicator

• All communication is meaningful.

• Communication skills are needed for all people to build relationships, express what they want or need, participate in learning, and become more independent.

• When a child’s communication is not understood or “listened to,” they become isolated, ill, and/or have tantrums.


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Good Communication Skills (1)

To communicate more effectively, teachers need to:

• Consider the child’s communication strengths (e.g. reading lips) and environmental factors (e.g. loud noises in the room).

• Use words the child understands.

• Engage the child to communicate during daily activities (e.g. meals, when working or playing with other children, etc…).


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Good Communication Skills (2)

• Do not assume that because a child does not speak using words, they cannot hear or understand.

• Speak clearly.

• Be a good listener.

• Always try to understand the child.


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Module 3Types of Disabilities Found in Children


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Types of Disabilities in Children

• Intellectual Disability

• Cerebral Palsy

• Autism

Other typical disabilities include:

• Epilepsy

• Blindness

• Deafness

(We will not address these in this workshop.)


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Intellectual Disability

• Intellectual Disability means that the student has limitations in learning, communication, daily living skills and social skills.

• Children with Intellectual Disability can learn but need teachers to organize lessons as simply as possible.

• This disability used to be called Mental Retardation, but this term is no longer used.


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Teaching Techniques

For Children with Intellectual Disability:

• Organize learning activities so that the student is more likely to do well.

• Divide tasks into small, manageable steps to increase the likelihood of success.

• Give encouragement for any attempt and all progress. The encouragement should be specifically about the task (e.g. “Great job of drinking from your cup.”)


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Let’s Practice Breaking Tasks into Smaller Steps:

• Pair up with your neighbor

• Take three tasks, one from dressing, one from eating, and one from personal hygiene

• Break the tasks into teachable steps for a child with intellectual disability


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Cerebral Palsy (1)

• Cerebral Palsy (“CP”) is a condition affecting body movement and muscle coordination.

• CP is caused by damage to the brain, before, during, or shortly after birth; or during infancy.

• Many children with CP have normal intelligence.


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Cerebral Palsy (2)

• Children with CP often have uncontrolled movements affecting the hands, feet, arms, or legs and, in some cases, the muscles of the face and tongue.

• The movements often increase during emotional stress and disappear during sleep.

• Children with CP may also have problems coordinating the muscle movements needed for speech.


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Autism

• No known factors in the psychological environment of a child have been shown to cause autism.

• Although autism is a lifelong developmental disability, it is treatable.

• Early diagnosis and appropriate intervention are extremely important.


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Characteristics of Autism (1)

• Some children with autism do not share information or feelings.

• Some children with autism do not know how to engage in simple social interactions.

• There is often a delay in or a lack of development of spoken language.

• Many children with autism do develop speech.


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Characteristics of Autism (2)

• Children with autism may have difficulty understanding non-verbal communication (e.g. body language, facial expressions, and frequent eye contact).

• Some children with autism have a restricted range of interest, or periods of sustained activity (i.e. rocking, picking, flapping, etc…),

• Some children resist changes in daily activities, or have unusual attachments to specific objects.


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Thank you

• Are there any questions?

• Thank you for your attention to this presentation


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