Inclusion: My experience as a student
at
Regent University
Hi, it's such a honor to be here today with you. My name is Ivy. I'm I disability rights advocate. I went to public school in the 80's and 90's in Williamsburg James City County. I went to Special Ed preschool but after that I went to regular classes with my non disabled peers. Back then it was called mainstreaming. Today the model is is a little different, it's called inclusion. I had an aide one on one to write for me and handle my books. She was there for me only. With inclusion I understand the Special Ed teacher is supposed to work together with the teacher to modify curriculum for students with disabilities.
I had an IEP and one of the things it stated that I was to have a computer with me at all times. Now this was the 80's. the computer was big and heavy and even though it was on a desk with wheels. Turned out that it didn't work for me to do my classwork on, because of time limits. Plus at that time Assistive Technology isn't what it is today. I didn't have the equipment to speed up my use of the computer. Truth be told I didn't the latest technology until I graduated high school at Woodrow Wilson Rehab.
IDEA is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. There was no fighting over my IEP. I now see how lucky I was that there was no opposition to it. I'm not sure if it was because it was still early after the IDEA/Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 75, or if it was because I was surrounded by smart opened adults who saw my potential. I'm sure it helped that my disability was physical and not mental.
Inclusion is a collaboration to teach children, there is no set standard model. I suppose you can learn techniques, but what works best for one child may not and probably won't work for another child. You have to be open minded, patient and be very creative. In the inclusion process adults will be challenged to give their best and that effort will positively benefit every child in the school.
Teachers are molding tomorrows world, right? Think about the effects of inclusion in the long run. The disability employment rate is horrible and will remain horrible until students with disabilities are included with their peers in school. I believe teachers should think about these goals when educating children with disabilities: Preparation for employment, or college, or independent living. Sometimes all three, or a combination applies to a student. Parents need to be aware from the start if the path is going to lead to a regular or a modified high school diploma.
One thing that excites me about inclusion is when it's done well it will stop the need to pull some children out, for say reading or math help. Pulling a child out is not good. it singles them out from their peers, and disrupts attention spans. I was pulled out in elementary some. I hated it. Just think, how well does it benefit the child if the child doesn't even want to participate? A child shuts down when they're angry or embarrassed. It can be embarrassing to be pulled out of a class.
I had many creative minds in my education. from homemade splints to homemade worksheets that made it easier to trace my name. My teachers, therapists and my aide were always coming up with something so I could be included in class.
There were times where my peers helped me. At lunch my friend helped me eat. I used a special designed block. My aide and her husband designed it for me. I still use it to this day. My friends would set a sandwich or a piece of pizza on the block and I'd eat at my own pace. The block was eye level. It had a juice box holder on the side. Being alone with my peers was critical in my development. It allowed for bonds to be formed that never would have happened if there was an adult present. I remember in elementary school one of my aides kept following me around during recess. It took some courage for me to ask her to back off. She took it well thank goodness. Children act differently towards one another when there is adults around.
I did get teased some, but nothing like the bullying I hear about today. I'm sure it helped that there was my aide around for a lot of the time. I can't imagine being bullied by todays kids. The teasing I received didn't bother me much. Maybe because it never lasted long or my personality handled it well. I believe if inclusion is started young children with disabilities in the classroom will be the 'norm' as they should be. Bulling often exist because of perceived differences. Friends will stick up for friends when they are being bullied. Bullying can not be the sole reason not to include students with disabilities in the classroom. Bullies will do what they do regardless if there's a child with a disability present or not. The disability itself should not turn into the scapegoat to reason of bullying. Address the root of the problem, which is the bullying not the disability.
Some of my accommodations I can remember were, my one on one aide, PT and OT during PE, a homemade splint to keep my finger straight for computer typing in kindergarten also a board with cutout holes for the keyboard. Later on a head stick which I just LOVED wearing around teenaged boys in high school computer class. Now I have a Jouse that's 100% faster that mounts to the desk and not me. Book holders never worked. Either they were too bulky to carry or paperback books wouldn't stay open. The point is we tried them though. In high school I left classes 5 minutes early because the school was overcrowded and hallways became a nightmare. On some occasions I did have to maneuver through the crowd kids would line up and walk behind me because I happened to part the sea of people with my power chair which was funny. I gave answers verbally, so I whispered a lot. I took my test in the hallway. It wasn't until the new middle school opened until I had a room to go to take tests. In high school it was back to the hallway. My first power chair came from my IEP. I got it in kindergarten. Of course it belong to the school and I couldn't take it home. I didn't get my own power chair until third grade.
Inclusion needs the cooperation of teachers, student and parents. There was a time in my education where choices were made that had a negative outcome for me. Early in school when it was still simple enough I was teamed up with a friend of mine to complete classwork. In 8th grade science it was my friend Stephanie. She was so smart it was incredible. I did contribute to the class work, but the trouble happened when we moved to 9th grade. It was clear Stephanie needed to be placed in advance science, but did I? But that's what happened and it turned out to be a big mistake. I had failing grades for 3/4 of the year, before switching to regular science. I tried my best. I loved the teacher, but I did not belong in advance science. After the switch I made B's instead of F's.
Another thing that is positive about inclusion is children from the same family can go to the same school. No more segregating children into separate schools. Special Education is a service not a place. My younger brother is three and a half years younger than me. There weren't a lot of times we went to the same school. I did looked forward to riding the bus home with him and the neighborhood kids. There was a few years here and there when I rode the special ed bus. I hated it! I was alone by myself on a long ride because I lived in the country. I've heard bad stories about children with disabilities riding a special bus because they had to go to a special school. When there is no other eyes around to witness bad things can happen. Nothing bad happened to me but I do remember the bus aide and driver talking about unappropriated things and it gave me nightmares. Also I remember nightmares about being on a run away bus all by myself. Siblings should go to the same school and ride the same bus.
I graduated high school with a regular diploma. My IEP team knew from when I was young a regular diploma was my goal. We used the IEP once to allow for no foreign language for me and I still would earn a regular diploma. I took a year and a half of latin in high school. It was not good. Do I feel I sometimes 'cheated'? Yes. But my aide was very adamant that no shortcuts were to be taken if it could be helped. I owe her a lot. She kept my education fair as possible. In high school assignments were more heavy. Later on she told me some of my teachers came to her because they had a hard time grading me. They weren't sure how to take into account my disability and my school work. My technology wasn't that great and it cause me to be slow. So in classes like computer often the teacher had to grade me on what I had done. It was tough and I feel the same problems when it comes to employment. A boss needs things done in time to meet the bottom line. It's just a fact. Some employees with disabilities need extra time. So how does that fit in?
In high school there was no such push for me towards college. I do believe in options and choices BUT WHAT SCARES ME and what happened to me was I got placed the easiest, safest, most exercised option. I was not challenged to go to college. I was placed in a vocational training with all the other kids with a disability. The vocational rehab gave out certificates, not degrees which is what I needed to be taken seriously in job interviews. It always puzzled me as to why all this effort and resources had been put into including me in public school just to be dropped after graduation? What a colossal waste! After high school I was too busy learning the ropes of organizing my independent living and my home care to worry about college. Years later I'm still learning how to manage my home care. Why is this not taught at Woodrow Wilson Rehab (Vocational Training) or better yet in high school? Why wasn't there somebody at my high school to help me plan for managing aides for college?
I believe children eyes are opened up to knew ways of thinking when students with disabilities are included in the classroom. In 8th grade computer class I used a stick that was attached to head gear to type. I used sticky keys and mouse keys to operate the computer. The numeric pad was used as a type of compass to move the cursor and to act as a mouse. One day the boy beside me said to me, “The way you're doing it is better. You can be more precise with the drawing because with my mouse it moves all over the place.” That made me feel better, because as I said before I was slow in computer class. It never occurred to me I may have had an advantage over my non-disabled classmates. We both taught each other something that day.
To this day it's not kids attitudes that are a barrier to me, it's adult's. Society has to change its perception of disability and a big part of that is how society chooses to educate children with disabilities. The first time I was made aware of perception barriers was in 6th grade. The teachers had to choose who they thought would do the best job showing the upcoming 5th graders around the school. I was chosen from my class. Apparently one of the Guidance Counselors thought otherwise. It hurt me very much. It was my first time I was aware of a person discriminating towards me. My teacher thought I'd be the best to show them around. I was chosen for a reason. Clearly this meant nothing to the Guide Counselor. On a side note, the Guidance Counselor was African American. I never understand why a group that was once discriminated against... and still is would practice discrimination towards another group? Long story short my aide strongly advocated for me and I got to show the 5th graders around school.
I've noticed the Principals that practice inclusion don't see it have anything to do with special education. They see as a way of educating their students on a whole. No one is singled out as getting a 'modified' education. To achieve to best education for a child the teacher, special ed teacher, the parent, and student should give their all. At times it can be hard working together. People must keep a level head.
Of course every child with a disability is not going to be able to earn a regular diplomas but teachers need to push every child to their maximum. The expectations for students with disabilities need to be higher. Some of us CAN go to college. Teachers need to recognize the potential in kids with disabilities. Teachers can open up the world to an amazing future if they push and expect more from students with disabilities.
Each child with a disability's education should be individualized. What works for one child may not work for another and that's ok. I hope you realize that's the case for children without disabilities too. Long term goals should be set early on. Does the future hold college, or are learning basic independent living skills more practical? At each IEP meeting the parent should be making sure if their child is being challenged. An IEP is a work in process and should be edited regularly. Inclusion a collaboration between, student, teacher, and parent at every IEP meeting. Don't have an IEP without the student present.
T/TAC online ttaconline.org is Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Centers serving children and youth with disabilities. Every principal, assistant principal and teacher should know about T/TAC. They provide services to increase the abilities of schools, school personnel, service providers, and families to meet the needs of children and youth.
I believe the end of segregating people with disables in society starts with inclusion in school. When children grow up together perceptions about disability change. I'm proof inclusion can work. I still keep in touch with a lot of my classmates. Recently I gave public comment on inclusion to my local school board. I had the opportunity to ask my classmates what it was like being in the classroom with me. They were kind enough to allow me to read their comments to the school board.
Inclusion has provided me with lifetime friends. That's a huge gift that has made my quality of life more meaningful. Friendship and health are the two most important things many different cultures say. Average friends of "typical" adults: 150. Average number of friends for adults with disabilities: 20 (and half are family, other half are service providers) By segregating children with disabilities from their peers it's depriving them the gift of friendship.
I've seen teachers and administrators get caught up on the logistics of inclusion such as having never ending conversations about the cost. That is important but meanwhile guess who is loosing out? …. the student waiting to be educated. There is no one size fits all to inclusion. You have to jump in, be open-minded, work together, be creative to reach success.
A good example of successful inclusion is in Montgomery County Virginia's public schools.
For your homework, rent and watch the documentary “Including Samuel”. Also go to youtube and watch the clip from that documentary about Keith Jones. Kathie Snow has excellent chapter on education in her book, “Disability is Natural”
