The introduction offers guidelines for initiating and implementing the program, including getting administrative support and recruiting students. The 20 lessons combine disability-specific information with interpersonal skill building and practical experience in community settings. Among the topics covered by the lessons are: how people are alike, myths and misconceptions, quality-of-life issues, friendship, communicating with others, characteristics and needs of persons with autism and mental retardation, characteristics and needs of persons with physical and other disabilities, enhancing sensitivity, teamwork, legal and human rights, being an advocate, and self-determination.
Lesson plans typically include an objective, a statement of key learning, a list of needed materials, suggestions for instructor preparation, a detailed lesson plan, and activity sheets. This inspired me to search for a program that would help the peers get to know, understand, accept, and befriend Tom, and other kids like him. It helps junior high and high school students with disabilities and non-disabled peers get to know one another, develop friendships, and enjoy common interests.
The program can be offered as an elective class for credit, integrated into an existing class, or run as a campus or community club. I was convinced that Yes I Can would be an excellent program for my son and for our local schools. To get started, I contacted administrators and teachers in the William S. The Hart District includes all the junior high and high schools in the Santa Clarita Valley of California, a community of , people northwest of Los Angeles.
After training, Yes I Can began as a pilot program for academic credit at two schools. It has now expanded to several other school sites in a variety of formats. Happily, many of the anticipated benefits of Yes I Can are now being realized. All of the participating students have learned about disability issues and about themselves. They have formed friendships that last today, and that includes time together outside the classroom. The program is now integrated into two classrooms of students with ASD that meet once a week for a full class period combined with the lunch period.
Yes I Can is considered an essential element of the social progress of these students. One class is run by a psychologist with two counseling interns from California State University, Northridge. The second class is run by a special educator and an educational assistant who changed school districts so that she could be part of the program at La Mesa Junior High School.
The Yes I Can model is flexible and can be an elective on its own or integrated into other electives. The class at Saugus High is taught five days a week for a full year by a resource specialist and supported by a speech and language pathologist who offers instruction in social communication that benefits all the students.
It is run by an English teacher and the school psychologist. After meeting five days a week for an entire academic year, the students have formed strong friendships. They recently relied upon each other for support during the tragic loss of a classmate. There is a waiting list to be part of this group that has learned so much and meant so much to one another.
Key Features of Inclusive Education. The Benefits of Inclusive Education. Over the years, the benefits of providing an inclusive education to all children have been shown. Inclusive education when practiced well is very important because:.
Inclusive Education and its Benefits Inclusive education is about looking at the ways our schools, classrooms, programs and lessons are designed so that all children can participate and learn. Beliefs and Principles All children can learn All children attend age appropriate regular classrooms in their local schools All children receive appropriate educational programs All children receive a curriculum relevant to their needs All children participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities All children benefit from cooperation, collaboration among home, among school, among community From Best Practices for Inclusion , New Brunswick Department of Education, Does Inclusive Education Mean That All Children Should Never Leave Their Regular Classrooms?
Key Features of Inclusive Education Generally, inclusive education will be successful if these important features and practices are followed: Accepting unconditionally all children into regular classes and the life of the school. Providing as much support to children, teachers and classrooms as necessary to ensure that all children can participate in their schools and classes. Looking at all children at what they can do rather then what they cannot do.
Teachers and parents have high expectations of all children. This means that children do not need to have the same education goals in order to learn together in regular classes.
Designing schools and classes in ways that help children learn and achieve to their fullest potential for example, by developing class time tables for allowing more individual attention for all students. Having strong leadership for inclusion from school principals and other administrators.
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