Foundations of Inclusive Education

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Foundations of Inclusive Education

• Learning in Inclusive Environments

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Effective practices for students with
disabilities that significantly affect learning

• 10 well researched strategies
• Effective with and across many different student
  populations
• Important to apply the techniques in a way that
  matches the learning characteristics and
  strengths of individual students
• (Effective Practices, 2004, Rhode Island College)

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3 Outcomes for all Students in Inclusive Education

• Knowledge / Skills

Membership
Relationships
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The Goal!

• The goal is not just participation. The student
  is supposed to be actively engaged in LEARNING,
  not just taking part in activities and routines.
• Tip think outcomes, skill development or concept
  development (these are different than activities)

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Effective Practices

1. Curriculum is linked to the general education
2. Instruction reflects the students individual
   needs strengths
3. Social skill development is embedded in typical
   activities and routines

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Effective Practices

• 4. The students life is predictable and
  understandable
• 5. Positive behaviour supports, based on a
  functional behavioural assessment, are
  implemented consistently across staff and
  settings.

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Effective Practices

• 6. Data is collected in key areas of the
  students education to demonstrate progress
  towards goals.
• 7. The student can self-organize and carry out a
  plan.

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Effective Practices

• 8. The student has a way to communicate and to
  understand the communication of others.
• 9. The students involvement is active and
  meaningful. The student has choices.
• 10. The family participates as an equal partner
  in the students program.

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Instructional Support

• For every new activity, there should be visual
  information (or text) and physical organization
  of the environment that answer 5 questions for
  the learner (remember the Pyramid of Teaching -
  some students need to have this support
  individualized others need to read the natural
  cues in the classroom. The EA can support
  students to do either.)

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5 questions for the learner

• Where should I be?
• What work or activity will I do?
• How much work will I do? / How long will it last?
• How will I know that I am making progress and
  when I have finished?
• What will I do next?

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Signals to you!

• Student is
• Wondering around the room
• Asking repetitive questions
• Refusing to start or end an activity
• Leaving an activity before its finished
• Behaving inappropriately during the activity

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Supports for Learning Include

• Physical structure
• Time structure
• Functional routines
• Work Systems
• Task Analysis
• Instructional Strategies

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Physical Structure

• Answers the questions of why am I here and what
  do I need to do (for large and small group, as
  well as individual work)
• Refers to organizing the environment to give
  meaning and context to each area
• Helps students understand where different
  activities take place and where materials are
  kept
• Make boundaries visually clear
• Minimize distractions
• Make materials accessible
• Clearly mark and organize materials

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Physical Structure

• Visual structures to support tasks or activities
• clarifies by drawing attention to the important
  details (labeling, highlighting,
  color-coding...anything that makes the relevant
  more obvious)
• organizes materials in the space and sequences
  (all items in their place, limited number or
  spacing...anything to organize)
• instructs by giving visual information about how
  to complete the task (jigs, arrows, pictures,
  product samples...anything that makes no verbal
  instructions necessary)

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Time Structure

• Provides a visual (objects, pictures or words) to
  tell students what activities will happen and in
  what order
• Classroom Daily Schedules
• Individual Schedules (may need to be portable)
• Timetables or agendas
• May fade but do not eliminate! (offers
  predictability and/or control manages change,
  emotional or psychological responses to the
  day promotes independence)

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Functional Routines

• Are part of the everyday life in a classroom
• Include
• Participating in routines and transitions
• Engaging in academic activities
• Interacting with others
• Support the development of self-determination
• Linked to participating in community,
  recreational and employment opportunities
• Provide predictability and expectations
• Students will develop own if not given ones to
  learn and follow

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Shaping Up a Review

1. What are some things you heard that squared with
   your beliefs?
2. What questions are still going around in your
   head?
3. What are 3 points you want to remember?

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What Helps Us Learn (Education Leadership, Feb
2010)

• Meet us face to face
• Get to know us
• Connect with our passions
• Dont bore us
• Make sure we understand

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What Helps Us Learn (Education Leadership, Feb
2010)

• Let us choose how to demonstrate our learning
• Just talk to us
• Honor our learning preferences
• Meet us on our level
• Give us the the time we need
• Make learning interactive

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Things to Try for Next Time

• Learning in Inclusive Environments Observation
  Checklist
• And
• 2. Thought Question High school students with
  significant disabilities were asked to
  characterize their relationships with
  paraprofessionals. What do you think they said?