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Inclusive Solutions
Free Ezine for People working on Inclusion
February Edition 2002
Published termly. Publishers: Colin Newton and Derek Wilson Email: inclusive.solutions@ntlworld.com Web Site: http://www.inclusive-solutions.com
Dear Friend,
You are receiving this Ezine because you are a friend of Inclusive Solutions, or you have directly requested a subscription. Subscribe and Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this Ezine.
PRIVACY STATEMENT: This Subscriber List is a private mailing list and will not be made available to other companies or individuals. We value every Subscriber and respect your privacy.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 2. What's New? 3. Web site 4. Book CD and Video Resources 5. Scottish Review of SEN 6. International Inclusion Newsgroup 7. Training opportunities 8. Work with young people 9. Consultation and evaluation work 10. Inclusion - Links of Interest 11. Back Issues of Ezine 12. Share This Ezine 13. Suggestions & Comments 14. Copyright Information 15. Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information
1. INTRODUCTION Hello. Welcome to our latest Ezine inspired by the work of Inclusion Press. We hope you like the new look. This should make it easier for you to locate the parts you wish to read. Let us know if it works for you.
2. WHAT'S NEW?
* The Los Angeles Unified School District is starting a dramatic overhaul of its special education programs, aiming to place into regular classes 35,000 disabled students who now are segregated. The reforms will end separate schools for disabled children over the next four years. Story at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-013102special.story
So when you start to feel as if you are a total dreamer, losing all connection with reality in your hopes for full inclusion, be reassured, the world is changing!
* Well in the UK we now have a new Code of Practice and a linked Disability Discrimination Code, both of which strengthen the drive towards increased inclusion of pupils who are different and a reduction of the numbers of children who are actively placed in special schools and units.
* There is a wonderful new resource available from Jack Pearpoint of Inclusion Press, Toronto containing all kinds of inclusive tools that he and Marsha Forest have created over the last decade. Jack describes this new CD Rom as follows:
‘Tools for Change - NEW CD-ROM - After three plus years of production - you can now join in this new training venture. Stay posted for training events that will be linked to the new CD-ROM. If you would like a brochure or a demonstration disk, please e-mail us directly. mailto:inclusionpress@inclusion.com You can also visit our web site for hints about the CD-ROM and to preview the licence agreement. http://www.inclusion.com/PI-CD.ROMS.html’
* What’s new? Well… I’m new!
I’ve just started working for Colin & Derek as an ‘inclusive administrator’. You’ll see my name & email address dotted around the place for various things relating to admin, the website & eventually the ezine distribution. I’m a graduate Graphic Designer & a keen gardener. So…how did I ‘get into inclusion’? I have two children: An autistic 10-yr. old son named Joseph, & a 15-month-old baby daughter named Poppy. (My husband, Peter, & I call ourselves a ‘disabled family’). It was important to us that our family was part of our community. In Joseph’s early days, I naively thought that would still be the case. I can only guess what it’s really like for Joseph, but I do know, through experience, that for a ‘disabled family’, life is often one long compromise, a constant battle caused by those who believe in the medical model. I also have an autistic brother. When I was growing up, I believed that ‘inclusion’ made sense even before I knew it had a name! What would my motto be? ‘Be yourself & be accepted!’ Best wishes, Sharon Scoffings.
* A big welcome to Sharon!!
3. Web site. We are in the process of revamping our web site to make it richer and even more accessible. In our ‘Ideas Workshop’ we have a number of unpublished articles and resources, which are free for anyone to download.
We have some excellent links and our Circles of Friends section is filling up with heart-warming tales of successful inclusion plus practical step-by-step guides.
If you would like to contribute articles, tips, links of interest, interviews, special event dates or other resources to make inclusive education even more possible throughout the UK and beyond let us know.
4. BOOKS, CDs & VIDEO RESOURCES
We are currently working on:
Facilitators Handbook (see web site: Ideas workshop) Circles of Adults booklet (see web site: Ideas workshop) Behaviour Matters book
You are welcome to view work in progress or to contribute ideas that might fit in with such work.
We are in the planning stages of producing a Circles of Friends video for training purposes.
We have available for sale via our web site a range of books and CDs.
5. Scottish Review of SEN
SEN PROVISION REVIEW IN SCOTLAND They are carrying out a major review of special educational needs provision in Scotland during 2002. Pete Ritchie of the Edinburgh based organisation SHS (Scottish Human Services) made the following submission to the Review Body outlining what he feels are some of the key issues that remain to be addressed. We think this is a very powerful summary of the state of the SEN world on both sides of the border and of the organisational and other barriers that remain in the way of increasing inclusion in our education systems Pete offered the Review Body the following headers for their consideration
a.. The importance of local authorities planning for inclusion, and that education managers needed to think 'inclusion' in all their planning b.. That split placements make no sense (and are really expensive) c.. That they need to start a study now to see what happens to the 1000 children who are now being told that they won't be going to Year 1 in their local primary: what reasons are being given for excluding these children this year d.. That special units attached to mainstream classes/schools were not a good idea - although any individual child (whether disabled or not) should have the option of doing some work in another room, maybe 1:1 with a teacher, or with a classmate, or on her own as part of an individual learning plan e.. Someone needs to find out how the money for SEN training is being spent f.. That local authorities should not try to load all the costs of a building adaptation on to one child but should look at the number of children, parents, teachers and community members who would benefit from greater accessibility g.. That most disabled children do not use wheelchairs h.. That arguments about health and safety are mostly spurious, that special schools where several disabled children are in the same room with only one teacher are far more dangerous in the event of fire than an inclusive classroom where 20 other children are there to help one disabled child get out of the building (and how practising this would be a useful part of the curriculum) i.. That the other children in an inclusive school are the main resource, and I told them some stories about some of the pioneer children and families in Scotland j.. That the evidence overwhelmingly supports better educational and social outcomes for inclusive education in comparison to segregated education k.. How they should visit Norway to look at an inclusive education system (and Shetland on the way there) l.. That education and health argue over who pays for a toilet seat and that accessible toilets in a school are no more a 'health' issue than accessible toilets in a cinema m.. How bad an idea it is to designate certain primary schools as the 'accessible' ones - and that inclusive education means the local primary: and that once you know who's coming to the school you can figure out access even if it moves swapping the Year 1 class with the Year 5 class n.. How a decision to segregate a child at age 5 can have expenditure consequences of £250,000+ and yet is made in passing o.. How unhelpful it is to have the Record of Needs system (Scottish equivalent of the Statement), which does not really look at what the child needs: and that all children should have a personal learning plan (and a portfolio so they can demonstrate what they have achieved even if they don't get any A levels) p.. That for every child in Scotland in the segregated system there is a child needing similar levels of support being well included in a mainstream classroom q.. That grouping autistic children makes no sense r.. That many 'special school' teachers have no special qualifications s.. That attendances, absences and exam results are not published for special schools t.. That the figures for leaver destinations are distorted because 'further education' often means a segregated college course doing more of what the young person did at school u.. That inclusive education had to be part of all teacher training
If you would be interested in contributing ideas/experience at this stage, e-mail (Pete Ritchie) - pete@shs.sol.co.uk
‘Our fight for inclusion is a fight for empowered parents, empowered teachers and empowered young people. What an attractive goal to have’ Micheline Mason 2002
6. International Inclusion Newsgroup
If you wish to join an international email /newsgroup forum on inclusion then follow these instructions:
Instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing are located at the following URL: http://www.ualberta.ca/htbin/lwgate/INCLUSION/
or Send an e-mail message to: majordomo@majordomo.srv.ualberta.ca and in the body of the message type the following two words only subscribe (unsubscribe) inclusion To send a message to the inclusion list, simply forward your message to: inclusion@majordomo.srv.ualberta.ca
7. Upcoming Training Opportunities
Supporting Students with Autism in Mainstream Settings May 2nd and
3rd 2002 - this will be a 2 day residential event providing intensive
training in the inclusion of pupils with autism. 50 professionals
and up to 10 parents (hugely discounted rate for parents) are invited
to attend this opportunity to take part in a very focussed training
event which will provide a mix of keynote inputs and small group
work to develop strategies for supporting students with autism in
their schools and families. Inclusive Solutions in collaboration
with Carol Tashie and Cathy Apfel from The Institute on Disability
at The University of New Hampshire will facilitate this unique event. Inclusion Now Summer School, 15th-18th July, 2002 (Nottingham, East
Midlands Conference Centre) This amazing 'first of its kind in the
UK' conference is being organised jointly between DEE, Alliance for
Inclusion, Parents for Inclusion and Inclusive Solutions. Click on
the Alliance for Inclusion web page for full details: http://www.allfie.org.uk/
8. Work with young people We have been working directly with young people in some new ways over recent months.
PATH for Year 10s for their dream school in Derbyshire later compared
with the PATH (with the same theme)generated by school staff. Great
way to inform management planning 9. Evaluation and consultation work We are currently offering to audit the inclusive practices of LEAs who have the highest levels of segregation in the UK. We are keen to examine in detail the administrative and professional processes and decision points which can trigger special school or unit placement instead of allowing more creativity around local mainstream placements. If you can help us get inside such doors, let us know!
We have completed three major evaluations of LEA Inclusion projects and a Behaviour Support Project. If you are interested in our findings or our recommendations for increasing inclusive practice let us know.
10. INCLUSION LINKS OF INTEREST -
1) INCLUSION PRESS! http://www.inclusion.com MAKING INCLUSION WORK This is still the place to start!
2) Inclusion Distribution UK - books and videos including Inclusion Press materials - plus http://www.inclusiononline.co.uk E-mail: mailto:kreeves@inclusiononline.co.uk
3) 11) Alliance for Inclusive Education – UK’s leading campaigners for inclusive schools and communities. http://www.allfie.org.uk
4) http://www.parentsforinclusion.org/ Parents for Inclusion are an excellent UK source of support and advice for parents and professionals on inclusive education. They walk the talk
5) Disability Equality in Education - UK Training Network for Disability Equality Training. Email- r.rieser@btinternet.com
6) 4) Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE)- UK source of information and advice about inclusive education and related issues http://inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/csiehome.htm
7) Restorative Justice http://www.rjkbase.org.uk/ is an essential ingredient for the inclusive school and education system. We have been supporting the development of Robin Tinker's work in Nottingham focused on secondary schools. Check out the links on this national UK site. Transforming Conflict http://www.transformingconflict.org/ is an excellent site developing the practice of restorative justice still further
11. BACK ISSUES OF "INCLUSIVE SOLUTIONS EZINE"
To read back issues of Ezine, visit: http://www.inclusive-solutions.com
12. SHARE THIS EZINE
Share this Ezine by email - forward it to your friends & associates. This Ezine may be reprinted with permission. Email us at: inclusive.solutions@ntlworld.com
13. SUGGESTIONS & COMMENTS
Send any comments, suggestions, questions or advice to: inclusive.solutions@ntlworld.com
14. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Copyright 2002 Inclusive Solutions
15. SUBSCRIBE & UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION
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Our thoughts are with you all.
Colin Newton and Derek Wilson
Co-Founders
Inclusive Solutions
Our mission is to create fully inclusive mainstream schools, organisations and communities where all belong
http://www.inclusive-solutions.com/ email: inclusive.solutions@ntlworld.com |