Overview of Inclusive Education

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

June 2015 1

University of Oregon – Laos Inclusion Project • 2015 ໂຄງການການສຶ�ກສຶາຮຽນຮ�ວມລະຫວ�າງ ມະຫາວ�ທະຍາໄລ ໂອເຣກອນ ແລະ 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 2


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 Education5


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. 6


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?8

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. 11


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…). 21


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.)24


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.25


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.”) 26



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. 29


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. 31


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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