Inclusion is a right not a privilege.
Inclusion is not only socially just, but research shows it improves academic outcomes for all students.
Inclusion is not only socially just, but research shows it improves academic outcomes for all students.
"I am here to make a difference for my people. I hope that you listen to what I have to say. I want people like you to stop judging me." Tres Whitlock
" Talk to people with disabilities. As many as you can: Adults, adolescents, kids. These people are the real experts on disabilities. These are the people that can tell you what life with a disability is like." Renee Salas
"Equal access, level playing field, dignity, respect for my son and all his community. No separate classrooms separate doors or isolation from others. See I’m a woman of color. When I began my education you could still see the Colored Only bathrooms in the Deep South. If you put my son in one room and say he is not good enough to be where the law says he should be, with his peers, then red flags of segregation fly up at me. Many parents of color feel the wrongness of it organically, but they have been convinced that their neurodiverse children are not good enough for their neighborhood school and that their children are a distraction or threat to typical children in some way. The different operating system in their child’s brain throws them off, particularly when maladaptive behaviors are in the mix. It leaves them feeling guilty, helpless, afraid their kids will come to harm, and they listen to anyone, even if their gut tells them the advice is unjust. I am and advocate of Universal Design for Learning. I think my son can be with his peers in age as well as ability and everyone can benefit." Kerima Cevik
"No one affects a child's day, dreams and future like a mother. Of course we are never perfect, but perfect is never the goal." Tonya Whitlock
"It means living in a society that embraces the diversity of human beings. It means inclusion is a way of life and manifests itself in every aspect of our culture, from the schools and education, to the work place and everything in between… It means paradise!" Ariane Zurcher
It's that time of year .... Mother's Day Week! Is there a song that makes you think about why you love being a mom? Or a song that just reminds you of your family? Share it here.
Presumption of competence combined with support and collaboration from team members helps the learner with complex communication needs have a voice in the classroom.
Sara Winter answers our Change Leader Questionairre. Sara is the founder of Squag™ - a wonderful curated, online space that offers kids on the autism spectrum as well as other disabilities (and their siblings) a safe, beautiful corner of the web.
Great video on Kathleen McClaskey's Scoop It site, UDL- Universal Design for Learning about accessible instructional materials.
I love Larry Bissonnette- artist and disability rights activist. If
Stephen Kuusisto on the ableist article about autism and neurodiversity on Slate.
No Limits: People With Cerebral Palsy v Condescending Tools.
"Acceptance. I wanted everyone to treat him with respect and dignity, just like any other child". Jenny Long
Jeffrey Wright to his students ,"There is something a lot greater than energy. There’s something a lot greater than entropy. What’s the greatest thing? Love ."
Mr. Hughley, we think you can do better than using the r-word. You said your son doesn't mind you using the word, but there are so many people that do. Words like the r-word perpetuate negative stereotypes about people with disabilities, please don't use it.
We went to see Anne Hamilton's: the event of a
This very sweet video, 'Fireflies' by The Jubilee Project is about two kids that connect in a beautiful way.
Henry met Tracy, Larry, Harvey Lavoy, and Pascal Cheng on June 9, 2011. It was a very special day, one that would change Henry's life forever.
Sir Ken Robinson on education reform. "Changing Paradigms in Public Education" covers the importance of thinking differently about human capacity , recognizing the benefits of collaborative learning, and changing the culture of our institutions.
Henry wrote about inclusion for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network,
' With a little help from his friends'. Henry's inclusion is truly a group effort led by this determined 13 year old self advocate .
Paula Kluth's strategies for teachers who might be reluctant or don't know where to begin with inclusion on The Inclusive Class Roundtable, as well as some of our favorite things from her website, PaulaKluth.com.
The guests on the show are leaders in the inclusion community. They all brought something unique to the table, but they had one thing in common- respect and dedication to all learners.
How did we get here? How did we get to a point that our 13 year old son has to fight for the rights that are already his under federal law? How did we get to a place where a pretty reserved kid has the courage, the will, to do this?
Henry takes his bi-partisan message of inclusion and civil rights for all to the Republican National Convention.
Thursday Henry decided he wanted to write something
"All of these children have one thing in common. They were always having to prove themselves, over and over and over again." Ray Ellis
Connect and learn with other parents like Tonya who presume competence and celebrate their children for being exactly who they are. #allofakind
Change Leader Marianne Russo of The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Talk Radio answers our questions. We talk to her about why she started the Coffee Klatch interactive network and she answers our Ollibean Questionairre.
Richard Attfield, a contributing author to "Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone", is passionate about the rights of children with disability labels to have equal access to education and communication supports.
Our three week Roadtrip has begun. Syracuse, then on to New Hampshire and the Autism Summer Institute.