Inclusion. Webster’s dictionary defines it as:
2: something that is included: such as a: a gaseous, liquid, or solid foreign body enclosed in a mass (as of a mineral) b: a passive usually temporary product of cell activity (such as a starch grain) within the cytoplasm or nucleus
3: the act or practice of including students with disabilities with the general student population
I think about this everyday. Is Preston being included at school? Does he feel like he is a part of his class even though he is in special education? Even though he will not initiate a conversation, do other kids talk to him? I am sure we all have these fears and worries as parents. He has been blessed with such a kind, caring, and accepting class. He is also lucky that his mom is the school counselor in the school he attends.
As the school counselor, every other week I am in the classrooms teaching the kids about kindness, empathy, and understanding, etc. Our school has worked very hard to have a community of inclusion. Today I want to share a few resources with you that you can use at home or pass on to your school district. Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s teacher or school counselor what they are doing to promote inclusion. (click on anything written in blue and underlined.)
→ Organization for Autism Research (OAR) https://researchautism.org/resources/kit-for-kids/ has resources for both elementary and middle school students about their peers with Autism. They provide lesson plans and activity books all for free.
→ Inclusive Schools Network help schools organize, plan, and celebrate an Inclusive Schools Week https://inclusiveschools.org/inclusive-schools-week/
→ Sesame Street is amazing, they have videos on several different subjects to help teach kids. Here’s one on Autism, they also have several other videos if you type in Sesame Street disability awareness in YouTube.
→ There are so many great children's books written to help teach kids about kindness, inclusion, and celebrating differences. Here are nine books that would be great to share in a classroom setting and spark awesome conversations. Inclusion virtual library. You can click on the books to purchase them from Amazon. If you are not familiar with these stories you can watch read aloud videos on YouTube. Maybe you can gift one of these books to your child’s classroom or school.
What does your school and/or classrooms do to help teach students about inclusion?
Please share any resources, websites, or book titles you have for all of us below.
We were happy to get the Parents Place up and going last year. We hope to provide more resources and information in 2021. If you have something you feel would be beneficial to share please email Annie Wood at annie.wood@ctnnb1.org.
*Be on the lookout this Friday for the Family Spotlight. Each week we will be spotlighting a CTNNB1 family to help us get to know one another.
*Also watch for an upcoming t-shirt design contest!