Thank you all participants for brilliant contributions to this thread. There were 95 posts and the following is the summary of key points:
·
Ensure that all students with
disabilities in an inclusive school are involved in social activities after
school to help with socialization which will help boast self - esteem and
language development and provide learning opportunities throughout the
day as when the children are not in class will still be learning through
play and other social interactions with their friends. Social interaction
is encourages emotional support and camaraderie. Encouraged to participate in
activities where they can meet children his/her same age with different
abilities.
·
Reinforce mechanisms to support
learning and to adapt the learning environment so that all children will be
included.
·
Assign each child with disability a
child without disability- peer buddy- and give them roles to support them
assist with tasks at hand make them feel
mentally safe, develop their self-esteem, make them motivated to learn and
excel. It also benefits the student without disability interacting with them .
·
Create a simple checklist for the child
with disability to help remember tasks and reduce the number of tasks to
accomplish in a day, broken down, to minimize confusion and easy monitoring and
help remember what was done and is expected. It will also show the teacher and
parents what he may need extra help with. I also break down task into
smaller bits not to overwhelm.
·
Enrolled all children with
disability in at least one extra - curricular activity, as here children learn
to socialize with their peers and also meet other children who may not be in
their same class.
·
Create small groups that support
peer learning, to participate in learning activities that support academic
instruction and social skills because students learn well by collaborating.
·
Adapted routines so that all
children can participate actively and meaningfully. Supports, when required,
are provided in natural environments and with peers.
·
Plan activities with people with
disabilities in mind such as children with autism who need more time to do just
a good job as others and even communicate with students in their own such depending
on the disability.
·
Construct facilities in a manner that
will allow inclusion in an institution such as wheelchair ramps, sporting
facilities needs
·
Give it a holistic approach - Principal, teachers,
parents, students, stakeholder agencies and the community should be inclusive. All
work in harmony with national or school district overarching policy and school
philosophy establish a whole-school inclusion policy.
·
Teachers - create individual plans
for scaffolding or supporting general education children and children with
disabilities, e.g., step by step instructions for student friendly worded
assignments with checklist to foster independent learning, self-esteem and
memory or recall.
·
Students to participate in
established classroom roster for peer mentoring, and building friendships.
·
Involvement parents- sensitize parents
on inclusion, roles as parents and ways to become involved in school inclusion
practices, eg., male/female football coaches volunteering their time and
services to help children develop football skills, coordination, and fitness.
Parents can also organize school concerts/talent shows, plays, playdates and
parties.
·
Display inclusive behaviour -collaboration,
sharing, turn-taking, empathy, sensitivity, tolerance and respect.
·
Integrate extra - curricular
activities outside the school with activities that can be held in the school, fieldtrips
to the library, zoo or science. Fair can be enjoyed by all students as visiting
book mobile, petting zoo on wheels and Science bus.
·
Explore their unique talents. Some may
not be good academically but might have some good skills like painting, dancing, singing
·
Parents should be encouraged to
create support groups and engage the children in activities together, for
instance, car- pooling which could create friendships among the children. With
parents and children working together collaboratively, children like Luis will
not feel left out.
·
Teachers should have open, honest,
respectful dialogue with the students, using strategies like puppetry, role
playing, brainstorming, storytelling ... to impress upon their youthful minds
the importance of including every child with special needs during break time
and after school activities and that no one likes to feel left out. Ensure students
see genuine care and kindness modeled to them by the administration, teachers
and all adults connected to the daily running of the school. Everyone linked to
the school should have a strong sense of belonging in 'our school.'
·
Give children with disability a
leadership role in the classroom. To lead a part of an activity, or distribute
materials.
·
Adjust teaching strategies/methods
to allow Luis, children with disabilities to complete homework right after the
lesson in class to minimize the chance of forgetting to complete it at a later
date.
·
Diversify play time activities to rotate
every day include activities such as singing or dancing to better engage all of
them.
·
Allow the children with disabilities
to complete their homework soon after the activity is recommended as this could
decrease the chances of forgetting.
·
Encourage all children to be
advocates of those with disabilities.
·
Student in need of support be
referred immediately for counselling to enable them to cope within social
environments such as the
continuous psycho -social support to enable them cope with socialization
challenges they may have.
·
Structure class activities such as
play to include what the student with disabilities can or is interested in for
them to feel included.
·
A bi-weekly buddy system be put in
place. Student from the same class or neighbouring class can be allowed to play
and spend time with students who have difficulty playing hardcore sports/activities
of their choice from school activities.