Art Therapy

 

This post is to provide others working with students that have moderate/severe disabilities examples of a recent lesson on geometry and art.   

Firstly, students were shown the vocabulary and the different types of shapes.  Then, a picture was shown on the board. Then I would draw a shape and ask the students to copy it.

 

Here is what the chart paper looks like.

 This is a sample of the student's work.

 

Here's another.  

 

Some students did require hand over hand to complete the work but most did not.  The benefits of doing art therapy for the students are focus, improved coordination and simply being in the moment.

Myth of Averages and Universal Design

"Human beings don't line up perfectly.  There is no average learner.  They have strengths and weaknesses.  They all do.  Even geniuses do."  Jeff Rose

The purpose of this article is to support and endorse needed changes in public education in the United States.  Over the past 21 years, as an teacher, the most challenging part of it has been in working in a culture of standardization with students that are all so unique.  Recently, I attended a conference where the "Myth of Averages" was shown to us and it really spoke to me as confirmation of my own experiences as an educator and as a life long learner.  I have put some of the most influential articles here for the reader as blue hyper links for your convenience.

 If you haven't seen Todd Rose's presentation before, it is worth taking the 18 minutes to view it.  He simply lays out the case for why education needs to change and improve how we educate students.  1.2 million drop outs is not acceptable and many of these students have the ability to be geniuses in their own right if given the right support or environment.  Myth of Averages

Schools need to stop working on the premises that one size fits all and differentiate instruction to meet the reality that there is no such thing as an average student.   Everyone is different with strengths and weaknesses.  Conventional teaching was based on a Ford assembly line mentality of factory line assembly.  People are not automobiles or widgets.  Teaching to one type is efficient financially for schools, but devastating financially to the individual and  the national economy. Universal Design

 All teachers should be trained as thought they were special education teacher.  Teaching should be data driven and differentiated, student centered as opposed to teacher centered.  California is presently moving in exactly this direction with its recent change in teacher preparation expectations, but it will take time.  Learning to deal with student behaviors and differences, rather than sending students to the office, taking away recesses, suspending them and expelling them will go a long way in starting the cycle of student drop outs.  Teacher Training

Schools are bureaucracies managed on budgets of scarce resources.  Educational boards are political appointments that tend to make decisions based upon their budgets and community demands.  Access to funding can heavily influence what a district can and cannot accomplish.  Accountability for funds provided can create a culture of accountability that creates a "sink or swim", "win/loose" culture.  Cities with poorer tax bases are constantly challenged in their attempts to provide even the most basic services.  It is easy to understand why student differences and support can be lacking in many schools; they simply can't afford to provide extra support.  Teachers forced between preserving the academic environment to the majority of students and providing a "Free and Appropriate Public Education" (FAPE), teachers lacking training and support will advocate for preservation of the teaching environment and school bureaucracies will back them up. Only investment in changing school culture can turn such systemic failures around. Decreasing High School Drop Outs.  

Standardized testing was designed with the original idea that all students should be able to demonstrate proficiency based on their experiences in standardized schools with a standardized curriculum.  Pressure to deal with ever increasing drop out rates and educational failures around the country, the federal government offered to provide states with funding to help with educational costs, but with the understanding that "No Child [will be] Left Behind".  Schools, states and teachers were held accountable based upon the scores of a single standardized test at the end of each year.  Schools exerted pressure to standardized teachers and teaching practices as a result.  Colleagues were expected to be on the same page on the same day in many schools.  Student centered was bad and teacher centered was rewarded with tenure.  The race was on and a culture of blame and accountability grew.  Scores in some places went up, but so did diagnoses for Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) and medication to help students focus and improve on testing. The ADHD Explosion.  The problem with standardized testing is not only the "win/loose" culture it supports, but also the simple fact that one test does not accurately measure what students have learned. 11 Problems Created by Standardized Testing.

Ironically, we may be witnessing the swinging of the educational pendulum in the opposite way with the passage of "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA). Every Student Succeeds Act.  Education was not included in the United States Constitution as a right.  Historically, students were educated at home on an individual basis.  Towns and states were responsible for the education of their children.  It wasn't until Horace Mann (1796-1859) advocated for a universal educational school system, based upon a Prussian model, that the United States had a public school system. Horace Mann.  Today, with the advent of technology and rapidly changing needs for workers, we all need to consider if the universal system of education that we have all grown up with is still relevant.  Billions, if not trillions of dollars, will be invested in infrastructure, teachers and text books that all may be outdated within a few years. Law of Accelerating Returns.  As populations increase, so will be the need to invest in infrastructure to maintain the paradigm of "universal education", even though, 32% of most college students take at least one course online now. Online Learning.  Learning should be relevant and make sense.  As a nation, educational reform needs to be a priority if we are to remain competitive with other countries and one way to accomplish this is simply to think outside of the box by challenging how we all experienced education.  One size fits all does not work.  Customization and universal access for education will lead to improvement in how individuals succeed ultimately in life and as a result increase productivity in our country.  Sir Ken Robinson, in an interview in 2013, called for a revolution in eduction.  His analogy is one of the best I've seen.  Robinson said: “The big change, I believe, has to be from seeing education as a mechanical or industrial process to seeing it much more as a human and organic one.  Gardeners know that they can’t make plants grow.  Plants grow themselves.  Gardeners provide the right conditions for that to happen.  Good gardeners understand those conditions.  Running a school or teaching a class or raising a family is much more like gardening than [like] engineering.  It’s about providing the best conditions for growth and development."  Changing Educational Paradigms

San Diego. Council for Exceptional Children, Conference 2015 Report: The Question of Inclusion

It is so nice to be able to come to this conference!  For many years now, my district has been promoting a change in culture.  Part of the change in culture is the adoption of PLC or Professional Learning Communities ideals.  The idea is to get teachers, students and community to slowly change the way they view public schools and education.  Many of the general education teachers have been sent on conferences over the past 12 years of my tenure, but it seems now that Special Education teachers are also being considered.  I for one am very happy for the opportunity to collaborate, learn and bring back new research and ideas to my district.  It gives me hope in my profession as a scholar and in the reality of a professional learning community.

The historical, conventional ideas of education are based on Henry Ford type of learning, which emphasized a factory line type of approach.  Students were expected to memorize facts and figures to prepare themselves for a professional career. 

However, this universal type of learning is no longer efficient or effective (was it ever?).  There is simply too much information to memorize and with the advent of technology, there are new discoveries every day.  Students today have access to more information now than at any other time historically.  The problems of tomorrow will require solutions that do not exist today, hence students of today need trouble shooting skills that allow them to think and act like scholars.  Students need to be able to absorb new information and maintain critical thinking skills, not memorized facts that will probably change and be antiquated in six months.

The old paradigm of teachers expecting students to "sink or swim" is also supposed to be changing.  It used to be (still is in some classrooms) the idea that the teacher sets the bar and the students strive to meet the expectations of the curriculum or fail the class.  Memorization of a bunch of terms and ideas was assessed and then quickly forgotten.  However, in the real world people don't learn like that.  Individuals are driven to learn based upon their self motivations, which differ from person to person.  What matters to us and how we experience life is what we remember and learn along the way. 

The new (old) paradigm is one that is more student centered.  Historically, this is how education began in the United States and other places.  Children were raised at home and learned at home. Learning was individualized.  It was only until the United States began to grow with immigrant populations that the ideal of a universal education was considered as a means to create a shared national identity.  A public school system also helped to address the growing concerns over child labor and provided parents with the ability to work full time while their children were in school.  Equality is another ideal that was introduced into the public school system.  The idea that not all areas in the country have the same resources and students in some areas don't have the same quality of education.  Hence the need to provide federal and state support to try and help schools, groups and districts that were impacted and clearly not capable of providing an appropriate educational experience for their students (this ideal has yet to be realized, even after years of funding approaches.  It is call the Mathew effect, "the rich get richer and the poor continue to be poor."  People of means will always have access to more resources than those without, hence equality is never achievable).

But what about students that have disabilities?  Historically, any student with a learning disability was excluded from public education.  The care and education of students with disabilities was considered the responsibility of the "institutions" or families, not of the public school system.  Parents and families were expected to take care of their children with disabilities with no help from the government or state.  Families that with children with disabilities did the best they could, but were challenged in caring for individuals could bankrupt them.  It wasn't too long ago that having children with a disability was stigmatizing and many parents would send their children off to institutions to be cared for, once they became available.  However, here again mistakes were made.  Individuals were warehoused and mistreated.  The segregation of individuals with disabilities was a dark spot in our national history.  With the civil rights movement, more parents began to advocate for change and inclusion.  The right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (Along with some other laws and court rulings like: IDEA and Brown vs. Board of Education) came into being.  However, society still struggles with the question of inclusion of students with disabilities and to what extent?  Students that attend school without disabilities also have a right to an education.  Many general education teachers will try to include students that are different, but if there is too much of a disturbance to the academic environment, other placements are generally found, only because the setting is not "appropriate" or conducive to the needs of the student and the general class.  Hence the debate about inclusion and "LRE" or least restrictive environment, which each student with a disability has the right to.


Today, I attended a lecture on research that wanted to know what research existed on the academic achievement of students that were included in general educational settings.  The researchers found out that there were only eight studies done on this question and that the findings were inconclusive.  Most of the studies done on inclusion are on developing life skills not on improving academic achievement in students with moderate/severe disabilities.  In the 1980's, a movement to "mainstream" took off that encouraged districts to do away with isolated "special day programs" with the promise of improving socialization and other skills of students with disabilities (oh yeah, and reducing the costs to districts in the expense for operation of separate programs).  However, this turned out to be a myth.  Students that require services are still going to require services and the challenges still exist in including each student with an Individualized Educational Plan still existed.

This makes sense and reflects my own experiences.  The challenges are that most public schools operate from an idealistic perspective rather than a pragmatic one.  Ideals can't always be reached, but studies exist that if you set "rigorous" goals for individuals, more will rise to the occasion.  The problem with this approach is that others will fail (hence "sink or swim"); an environment/ culture of winners and losers is created.  In the case of students and their families with disabilities a school system that has the sole objective to graduate every student to go to college, they are left feeling isolated, excluded and left on the sidelines. 

In a recent staff meeting, an administrator told the story of how she responded to a parent that approached her and told her "Winning isn't everything!"  The administrator responded, "WINNING IS THE ONLY THING!"  

I  found a plaque that I think is more pragmatic, which says, "Winning isn't everything....trying to win is....".    

I like this because it is more inclusive and functional.  Students and their families with disabilities can be included in this expectation and ideal.  Everyday they are alive is an attempt to improve and just survive.  The act of being human is just this.....surviving and for individuals with disabilities that can be a huge achievement!  I have known some students that weren't expected to live past their 18th birthday, yet they still survive by taking one day at a time.

Inclusion is not a simple issue to resolve.  There are many considerations.  Most general education teachers and administrators, I've met don't get it (the outcome) and lack the training to create a successful inclusion program (success meaning quality of life post academically).  Each student with a disability presents a unique challenge and requires close collaboration between the general and special education teachers.  Environment, differentiation and practice all make a difference, but it takes a lot of work, time and a shift in paradigm.

One reality I've come to accept after this convention is that many of the lectures and focuses of individuals in special education is on "moderate" disabilities.  I went to one lecture that stated the word "all" in the title.  When I asked if this included students with severe disabilities, I received a statistical response: "60% of students with disabilities will spend 80% of their time in general education classes".  The implication was that the government and most administrators are focused on the needs and improvement of those special education students they can help to improve academically, the other 40% simply will not, due to their medical conditions, or severity, be able to achieve academically to the point the system sets.  The implication of this realization is that the school system is not perfect and potentially continues to isolate and segregate the students and families that do not fit the mandates of the government.  It is almost like admitting that some people are different, or coming up with an alternative program is not in the best interests of the majority of students, because it would go against the concept of "raising the bar" and getting students to have more "rigor". 

My concern is with the 40% of students with disabilities that are in programs that continue to stress them out, contribute to no change in their outcomes and contribute to a negative learning experience for them, there parents and the system.  Educational programs should formally adopt an understanding and acceptance that there are two systems that exist in our public schools.  One system is of "rigor" that sets bars and expectations for "all" students that are capable of working in this system to show improvement and participate.  The second system that exists in public schools is for the population of students with severe needs that won't be going to college and will most likely require assistive services when they age out.  This system is more flexible and has an adjustable bar that is student centered (IEP).  Teachers go to where the student is and works from there, with the ideal that meaningful learning can take place for everyone, regardless of their disabilities.  The outcome we all strive for is to graduate individuals that will have better outcomes as a result of their experiences in the public educational system.

The final outcome should be the focus of school.  General education students have the mandate to go to college, so there are lots of resources and programs to support them to that end.  If students fail this there are vocational programs or employment they can seek out.  Students with profound disabilities, in my experience, tend to go to group homes or be cared for.  What is the purpose of academic achievement for such individuals?  The majority of researcher and resources is all about improving academic achievement.  Not all individuals will write, read or understand to the level that others do.  Figuring out what they can do should be the priority, but of course schools would need to accept this.

Aside from socialization and life skills (listening to directions, being patient, interacting, communicating, acting appropriately, etc.), the students with disabilities and their teachers are working on documenting, skills and correcting behavioral challenges that will allow them to qualify for post-academic programs.  Many of these programs will not accept individuals that can't follow directions, act inappropriately or require a lot of supervision.  Parent's of such children are faced with decisions on how to advocate for their adult children after they have graduated the public school system of "entitlement".

The question of "inclusion" does not go away after individuals leave school.  I was hopeful when I attended some presentations on the programs that are working on having transition programs in college settings for students with special needs, or are working on the outcomes of students that don't succeed to meet the expectations of the public school system.

One has only to visit a nearby city to see how many of the homeless people with disabilities end up.  There is a financial and social cost to all of us when society refuses to deal with the reality of diversity.  We  can do better and improve our system of helping individuals become productive members of society, but it will first require a change in paradigm.  It isn't about "leaving children behind", it is about meeting the needs of the individuals that require support that an idealistic system can't accept.

Commentary on the Death/Suicide of Robin Williams and Mental Illness

In the book "The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference", author Malcolm Gladwell (2000) writes about the impact a famous person committing suicide on an island community had upon the culture of the young people there. The rate of suicide jumped from zero to an accepted act that has claimed hundreds of lives over the years. "The central observation of those who study suicide is that, in some places and under some circumstances, the act of one person taking his or her own life can be contagious.  Suicides lead to suicides."  Gladwell goes on to credit the work of David Phillips, a sociologist at the University of California at San Diego, who had done several studies on suicide.  "In the case of national stories, the rate jumped nationally.  (Marilyn Monroes's death was followed by a temporary 12 percent increase in the national suicide rate)" (p. 222).  The purpose of this blog is to inspire others to speak out about the act of suicide and to reflect upon how we view it.

Robin Williams was and always will be appreciated for his work and contributions, however, we should worry about the message his act may send to others who find themselves depressed or ill. As a culture and society, we need to address the obvious lack of attention mental illness has in our society. We all will become ill eventually at some point in our lives. Millions of people live all around us with disabilities and endure in their struggles contributing to our lives and communities. 

The choice of committing suicide simply because the quality of our life has been and will be diminished is something that humans seem to struggle with.  Is there ever a time when it is okay to take one's own life?  Is there really any way to stop someone or to help an individual that is intent on ending their life?  What are the consequences upon the rest of us that remain behind after the individual has passed?

Life is not permanent and we all will eventually meet our demise. One of the most humbling aspects of life can be to learn to accept help from others and the reality of both the fragility and the endurance of the human condition. Life should not be simply a matter of checking out when the quality of life no longer suits us, but rather dealing with the curriculum that is part of the human experience.  Gladwell (2008) in his work "Outliers" points out "...our notion that it is the best and the brightest who effortlessly rise to the top is much too simplistic" (p. 30).  No one successful achieved success solely on their own merits.  We've all had help along the way; we all rely on each other to survive.  It is in our relationships that we prosper.  To "climb the ladder of success" and to reach the top only to decide life is no longer worth living simply because one must descend back, has a flavor of selfishness and egocentricity to it.

When my parents died, they made it clear that they wanted to do so on their own terms.  They had severe medical problems.  They endured them up to the end.  They were proud and independent people.  I always regret not having been more mature and aware of the opportunity at the time of being there with them and helping them.  I lived far away and was just making my own life.  Afterward they died, I felt I missed something in not having experienced caring for them.  I missed the experience to care for them, as they had cared for me as a child, but maybe that is exactly what they wanted to avoid.  In the end, they chose to die at home.  Not everyone wants to be surrounded by friends and family in their final moments, as hard as that may be for some of us.  How people die impacts us all.  I know it made me stop and consider my own death and mortality.  Working with individuals that have disabilities is humbling and it makes me appreciate the abilities I have and that my own children have every day.  In the end, the lesson here may be that none of us have control and we must accept the fact of transitioning to life without control.

Life is difficult.  To care for others is challenging.  To accept to be cared for by others is probably one of the most difficult of all experiences in life, but millions of people do so each day.  Death and suffering used to be a common experience, but today, in the United States death and suffering seem to be more sanitized and shocking.  To be sick almost equates to being isolated.  Is this the Western European cultural inheritance that Michel Foucault (1965) spoke of in his work "Madness & Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason" (p. 64)?  Are we all condition into this idea that being sick is a sign of weakness that requires us to cut ourselves off from others?  In my experience, I have found sickness to be one of the greatest examples of human strength.  I am constantly amazed by my students and parents that have no other choice to endure their circumstances and to push on.

Robin Williams in his final act ended his life on his own terms, leaving us all behind to deal with our own challenges. He will probably be remembered as one of the greatest actors and comedians in our history, who ended his life, and thus will be immortalized. One can only hope that his work with the mentally ill and disabled will be remembered as a commentary to encourage others to help and recognize the variety of forms humanity exists all around us and not as something that is a reason to end one's life.

Isn't it ironic that those born with a disability and no choice tend to accept their conditions without protest; yet individuals who develop a disability later in their lives will most likely struggle with the transition. More discussion and awareness of mental issues and disabilities needs to take place. If the result of Robin's death results in a change of paradigm for the positive, then perhaps his death will mean something more than a sad loss of life and talent.

Resources:

Debate about Suicide and Robin Williams Death


Foucault, M. (1965). Madness & civilization: A history of insanity in the age of reason.  Random House. New York, NY. 

Gladwell, M. (2000).  The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. Little Brown and Company. New York: NY. ISBN: 978-0-316-01792-3

Book Review of Michel Foucault's: "Madness & Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason"

In today's society, there are accounts, as recently as 2013 and going back to at least 2007, of Nevada hospitals "shipping" off mentally ill patients to California by bus or train (Bellisle, 2013).  Up to 1,800 individuals or more were given some snacks, medicine and a one way ticket and told to seek treatment in California.  As a result California sued Nevada and Nevada's legislature suddenly increased its budget by $3 million dollars to deal with the lack of resources (Mukherjee, 2013).  What makes this revelation poignant is the historic and cultural practice that is documented in Michel Foucault's work entitled "Madness & Civilization" (1965).   

Foucault's work is considered by many as a significant contribution to the history of disabilities because of the primary research Foucault conducted and because he took the unique approach of  describing how people and societies of the past viewed and dealt with the issues of "madness".  As a result, Foucualt's work provides us with an insight of how European civilization changed over time in their perspectives and actions with populations of individuals that were considered "mad", "insane" or disabled.  One reads accounts of early European civilization, in which individuals were considered part of the community and integrated, but as populations increased and societal expectations changed due to religion or technologies, individuals with disabilities became more isolated and marginalized, cultural legacies that we evidently still carry on today in parts of the United States. 

What makes Foucualt's work such an important contribution is the documentation of how cultural perspectives and society can impact the lives of individuals and further stigmatize them for hundreds of years.  The reader of this work will be interested in reading the accounts of how people with disabilities in various town ships throughout Europe were put on ships and sent away to rid the towns of beggars or individuals that simply were sick.  Today, the saying  that has been used in a variety of songs and poems,"ship of fools",  is a surviving relic from this time period (p. 8).  Foucault describes how the creation of hospitals that were designed originally for lepers returning from the time of the crusades eventually became the solution for dealing with the sick and mentally ill (p. 7).  At one time, the General Hospital of Paris, after one year of being created, held more than six thousand individuals, or one percent of the population of city at that time (p. 45).

Religious convictions framed many beliefs that we still carry with us in present contemporary times. In earlier attempts to try and understand the source and purpose of disabilities, individuals turned to the bible for answers, coming away with cursed souls, or demonic individuals who were less than human and needed to be saved (p. 61).  Concerned with saving the souls of the damned, the churches influenced and were given responsibilities to treat and care for the mentally ill from a perspective that was based on biblical interpretations, rather than scientific knowledge.

As times changed along with technologies, European society found not only ways to keep individuals with disabilities isolated but busy as well with routines and work.  Hospitals continued, but "work houses" were now created to provide revenue and routines.  Accounts of individuals being sequestered,  chained and isolated were common; treated more like "beasts of burden" than as human beings, these individuals were obviously cast down into the lowest depths of a class society that frequently feared the conditions they did not know how to explain or wanted to deal with (pgs. 48- 63).  In the 18th century, medical beliefs contributed to the idea that individuals with disabilities needed to be "cured".  The establishment of medical institutions to which individuals were sent to and "cared for".  Doctors started to develop medicines to treat the ill, of which more than one physician would die from "their own remedies" (p. 192). 

Luckily, in addition to the darker descriptions Foucault discovers in his research of European history with "madness", he also comes across moments of illumination that document more human and effective practices.  There are several accounts of the positive impact upon individuals with mental issues being outside in "natural" environments and given the freedom to exercise".  The practice of routines and activities to distract and help to train a sick mind was also suggested in helping individuals to overcome their challenges with mental illness.  "If one can discover objects or persons who may be able to distract the attention from the pursuit of deranged idea and who may be able to fix it somewhat upon others, they must be presented often to maniacs; and it is for this reason that advantages may often be obtained from travel, which interrupts the sequence of former ideas and offers objects that fix the attention" (Cullen, W., 1785 as cited by Foucault, p. 175).

"Madness & Civilization" is a relevant work to read for anyone seeking perspective on "madness" or any disability for that matter.  Foucault's work provides the reader with an opportunity to see what impact society and culture has had on individuals with illness.  It offers present society a chance to compare how we deal and treat individuals today and brings to question why as a culture and society still may fear and isolate those who may be strange to us?   Foucault's work can offer us a glimpse into the past, in the hope that we do not repeat the same mistakes and accept the responsibility for caring for our human family members, rather than conveniently disposing of them to places of isolation and suffering.

Resource:

Bellisle, M. (2013). Nev. hospitals accused of shipping mentally ill patients to Calif.  Nevada. Gazette Journal.  Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/21/nevada-california-patient-dumping/2681593/

Foucault, M. (1965). Madness & civilization: A history of insanity in the age of reason. New York. Vintage Books.

Mukherjee, S. (2013).  Nevada gets sued for dumping homeless patients onto buses. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/09/11/2602391/san-francisco-sues-nevada-patient-dumping/

Moderate/Severe Isolation in School

Am I wrong in feeling isolated as a moderate/severe special day class case manager?  Am I unique in my experience that to work with marginalized students is to be marginalized yourself?  I love the challenges that come with working with students that have moderate/severe challenges and their parents, but in the past ten years, I've frequently found myself isolated simply because my students are so different than the other students, even withing the special educational groups.  My students are 14-22, non-academic, destined for group homes or living at home.  Their medical and behavioral challenges make it difficult for them to have opportunities to be included.  How many staff meetings have I attended that are focused on API or common core standards that really have little to do with students that are just trying to survive another day?  It stings and hurts every time I go to a a meeting and someone says, "All students will go to college."  It is like a denial that my students even exist.  It took me years to realize that my students and I are different and most teachers and staff haven't a clue as to what we do or why we are even in the school. 

Over the past ten years, I've seen a lot of change at my school, not directly from any suggestions I've made, but from just being there and advocating for my students.  There is a lot to be said for sitting at a table that isn't exactly the most welcoming.  If you sit there long enough, others have no other choice but to acknowledge you and offer to pass you some of the food on the table.  

I wish that there were post academic programs to work with for students that have severe challenges and I wish there were more support for their families.  By writing and advocating, I have found that the class is not so isolated and that we receive more help and attention than if nothing was ever shared.  It is a tough job advocating for students without a voice, but it is only by doing so that they can have one.  One day at a time; one year at a time; one decade at a time and we make progress along the way.

Inclusive Practices: Braga 2014: The Right to an Inclusive Education: Arlene Kanter

July 11, 2014

I am presently attending a conference in Braga, Portugal with a theme of International Special Education Practices.  Arlene Kanter is a professor at the Syracuse University College of Law and the opening speaker. She has served on many committees domestically and internationally designed to improve conditions for individuals with disabilities.  She has written over 100 articles and chapters in books.  The purpose of this blog is to share some of the information I gathered at the conference in hopes of improving the outcomes of students with disabilities and their families.

Mrs. Kanter pointed out that according to UNESCO over 776 Million adults have not been taught to read or write; 100 million don't attend school, 2/3 of which are girls, 1/3 of the 67 million are children that don't attend school.  Some of the reasons why students with disabilities don't  attend school include:

• Stygmatization
• Families that hide their children
• Governments that aren't aware of the existence of individuals with disabilities

Over the years, international attempts have been made to improve conditions for individuals with disabilities by creating international laws.  International development has come to agree on the following points:

1. Education is a human right
2. United Nations have affirmed this right
3.  Prohibitions

CRC. Article 29 of the U.N. emphasizes the development of the child to the fullest potential.  According to Ms. Kanter, most countries have agreed to this point and signed to support it, however, the United States is one of the few exceptions.  The argument made by the United States has been that existing laws go above and beyond the U.N. agreements, however, the real reason, according to Ms. Kanter is political.  A small, but influential right wing group of Americans advocate for less government control and more freedom of individuals to determine school selection for themselves.  This argument has no basis according to Kanter, who points out that whatever agreement the federal government makes regarding schools, states have their rights to decide whether or not to allow charter schools, home schools or any other type of educational program to meet the needs of their citizens.  As a world power, it is a shame for the United States not to sign and agreement with the majority of other countries to support and uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities to an education.

Students with disabilities should be integrated.  The point of an education is to improve the outcomes of individuals.  If people with disabilities are denied an education they lack any chance or opportunity for a more independent life.  The more care they require, the more expensive it is to all of us as a nation.

There are many international documents that support inclusion of the people with disabilities into the educational system, however the reality of most countries is that many or most people with disabilities are not included.  One reason for this is the present paradigm of education that is based on an 18th century model.   Most teachers that are presently working in education lack the training and experience required to include students with differences and as a result, students with differences frequently fail to succeed in general educational settings.

Historically, the United States is attempting to change its system of educating people with disabilities from from a "medical model" to a "social model".  The medical model is one that tends to see students with disabilities as challenged by their disability, whereas the social model sees the same students as being challenged by their social environment.  Changes to the school culture per training and resources can improve student outcomes as well as educational practices.

Important outcomes for countries that engage in inclusive practices include:

1. Their societies become more accommodating towards individuals with differences.
2. Money is saved by reducing the cost of separate facilities and redundant resources.
3.  Society overall benefits from an increase in individuals that have more independence and less reliance on help from the state.

Some proponents of inclusion cite the wishes of the parents over those of the child, however the legal rights to an education are with the child not with the parent.  Efforts to improve inclusive practices in schools that educate students for improved outcomes must be given priority.

Every individual with a disability has the right to live with their family and not an institution.   Helping students with disabilities learn and transition helps students to develop independent skills outside of the home and to become stronger advocates for themselves.  Syracuse University merged its general education and special education programs together as one.  Teachers that graduate as teachers from this school are expected to be able to teach to student with challenges and not just to the ones without.

One professor at Syracuse University has gone as far to offer her help to school districts that are willing to change their systems to more inclusive ones.  Her promise is that the changes will not cost any more than is being spent on a schools present system.  However, in order to receive such help and guidance, the professor requires that 99% of the staff and teachers must agree they want to commit to such a change in culture.  Emphasis is placed on "Universal Design Instruction" that supports all learners in a classroom.  This is something that may be hard for some schools to commit to, especially if their staff is set in its ways and unwilling to change.

Barriers to inclusive education internationally and domestically include:

1. Attitude
2. physical environment and communication
3. Poverty

4. Lack of funds that support families and encourage children to stay at home
5. Teacher resistance
6.  Lack of accommodations provided by schools
7.  Absence of legal mandates

Kanter is a professor of law at Syracuse that specializes in special education.  She points out that "Laws are just words and unless we [people] advocate for change, nothing will change."  People can make a difference locally by writing to their local school boards.  Internationally, one can help by writing to one's local senator and congressional representative to encourage the United States to agree to the United Nations' articles on inclusive education for individuals with disabilities.   More information can be found below.

Resources:

http://www.mdac.info/en/olivertalks/2013/09/03/why-should-united-states-ratify-un-convention-rights-persons-disabilities

http://www.law.syr.edu/deans-faculty-staff/profile.aspx?fac=72

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2109768