The Illusion Of Inclusion - Society

Inclusion - the inclusion of children with disabilities (HH) in ordinary classes of ordinary schools - is a fairly new phenomenon for our country, therefore it is unusual for many: today we will talk about how to approach such a difficult life situation.

Previously, for children with physical (for example, diseases of the musculoskeletal system), mental (speech, as well as general mental), sensory (vision, hearing) or mental (autism, personality disorder, etc.), there were several basic strategies for learning: at home, in specialized classes in ordinary schools and in special schools, where they got in accordance with their characteristics.

Today, in any class, there may be a “special child” whose parents consider it necessary to socialize him. And the trends of recent years suggest that inclusions should be. More and more children with disabilities will come to regular classes. Therefore, everyone should be ready for this.

Be different from others and let others be different

Henrik Jagodziński

As it is

“There was a boy in my daughter's class: he understood the material well, but crawled under the desks during the lesson, tried to take off his classmates' shoes, could sing or shout, was aggressive. To the honor of the teacher, there was no bullying, and they constantly looked for approaches, involving parents and a psychologist. But nothing helped. When they moved, everyone sighed calmly."

So far, these are the words that can describe the situation with inclusion. Everyone becomes hostages of an ill-conceived process: special children, ordinary children, teachers and parents.

Even a formally trained teacher has a poor understanding of how to adapt the program without making it easier (for example, a student with a speech development lag can not be asked at the blackboard, in assessments focus on written work and tests). And the school does not have money for a tutor (accompanying), and the specialist himself in our country still needs to be looked for.

And it's good if the situation is relatively “easy”: for example, a child with intact intelligence and no particular problems in behavior and emotional regulation. And if not?

Children, seeing "something is not right," begin to laugh, get angry, and withdraw. And a special child may begin to show inadequacy in behavior: crying loudly, shouting, swinging or buzzing regularly, crawling under the desk, walking around the classroom, bullying classmates. The teacher tries to hold on to the situation, applying methods that would work with an ordinary child, and at best they do not affect the special one, and often worsen the situation.

The learning process goes down the drain, the parents are shocked. Who is guilty? Inclusion. What to do? “Ask” a special student from the class, inclusion is not needed, harm from it to healthy people. “Let him go to his special school or study at home,” the parents' chat buzzes. But is this a way out?

It should be

Among my acquaintances, I managed to find the following story of the future in the present:

“Max had a guy with cerebral palsy in his class, his intellect is preserved. So the guys took over him an imperceptible tacit patronage (if they tried to patronize clearly, he was very offended). And so they fly out into the street, push, bully, like all boys. I just look: one of them, larger and stronger, is imperceptibly behind Alyoshka's back to catch him if his legs can't hold him. And the rest are shoving without indulgence."

The guy successfully graduated from school, and the parents of the students still remember this experience of joint education with special warmth. For this beautiful picture to become ubiquitous, it is necessary that both adults and children learn to behave with an unusual classmate, as with an ordinary one - but at the same time respecting and taking into account his characteristics, so as not to offend.

Once again, I focus on the position of adults: it should be a norm for teachers and parents that there is a student with disabilities in the classroom. They believe that this is very good, because it teaches the children tolerance, compassion and mutual assistance.

How will this miracle happen?

1. Teachers will be trained

It really takes time. You can unlearn quickly, in six months, but experience and skills are a long matter. But in a few years, a child with special needs will be placed in a class where there is a teacher trained in a specific profile.

2. Technology issues will be resolved

Adapted programs have been worked out, manuals and recommendations have been written, that is, the experience will be systematized.

3. The topic of tutor support will be worked out

The attendant is in the classroom next to the child, immediately adapts any task of the teacher, monitors the moments when the student is saturated with the process and needs to rest. Communication with other children also takes place through the tutor, if the student experiences difficulties in this (socialization begins).

4. More flexible forms of inclusion will appear

For example, attending a class with a tutor on some days, individual lessons on others.

5. Methods of including children with disabilities in the team with the help of psychologists will begin to be applied

Ordinary children will be "led" to understand that this child is special, he moves, speaks and communicates a little differently. And you can help him in this way.

6. Parents will be calm

Seeing such comprehensive support for the process, parents of ordinary children will stop worrying about the learning process and will be able to really maintain in their children the spirit of tolerant and patient attitude towards a child with disabilities. And parents of special students will get the opportunity not to “defend themselves”, but to feel good, knowing that their student is getting what he needs.

Steps forward

All this is good, parents will say. But our child learns here and now! Here is an invented exclamation: "While the socialization of difficult children is going on, my son is passing through his childhood." It is hard, as already mentioned above, for all the participants in the process. But this does not mean that the idea of inclusion should be abandoned. I think that parents can help move the process towards a "bright future."

For this it is desirable:

• Unite

  Parents of ordinary and special children must work together. For example, asking (demanding) a tutor for a special child. It is not at all necessary to introduce a tutor into the state and pay for his services from the school budget. There are boards of trustees that can decide to create a special fund, the funds of which will be spent on such assistants. Also, the school can seek sponsorship. There are opportunities and they are different.

• Accept and realize

  This is perhaps the most important step. Judge for yourself: a good half of the children in the class can be considered special. Is asthmatic special or not? He has experienced the fear of death more than once, and he cannot even laugh out loud, that is, violently express the best emotion! A child with problems of the cardiovascular system: looks quite healthy, but he is forbidden to compete, but he wants to. Allergy sufferers who look at the holiday treat with sad eyes. Children with diabetes mellitus who walk with an insulin pump … Many children have health limitations.

Each of the parents would like the characteristics of their child to be taken into account by the others. If we talk about school, they are accepted by the teacher and classmates. Probably, for this you will need to start with yourself, finding the strength to accept that people with disabilities will be around. Try to convey a patient and accepting attitude to your children.

Here are the words of one mother: “I would very much like my children to grow up next to children with health difficulties. To understand that anything can happen in life and no one is safe from the fact that tomorrow something will happen to you. For me, inclusive education is not a minus. This is a plus."