Have you got attitude?

1. Debra Mayer MA SpeciaLink: The National Centre for Child Care Inclusion Have you got attitude? December 6, 2010Inclusion in the Early Years: Promising Practices Provincial Symposium Edmonton AB

2. Who are we? • SpeciaLink's goal is to expand the quality and quantity of opportunities for inclusion in child care and other early years programs, recreation, education, and other community settings, to young children with special needs and their families. • We are working for an inclusive Canada, beginning with the early years.

3. Adapted Handout for “Have you got Attitude”

4. disabilities delays disorders family situations: e.g. refugee status physical social intellectual communicative emotional behavioural Who are the children with special support needs? These children require some level of additional support to assure full participation in community based early learning programs.

5. Personal Experience with Persons with Disabilities • Do you know someone with a disability, (extended family member or friend)? • Have you ever actually discussed their disability with this person (or persons) at some point? How did that go for you?

6. Personal Experience with Persons with Disabilities • Many Canadians have some degree of exposure to persons with disabilities. • 75% know someone with a disability (extended family member or friend). • > ½ claim to have actually discussed the disability with this person (or persons) at some point.

7. Personal Experience with Persons with Disabilities • 3/10 are aware that a person with a disability is currently employed in their workplace. • NO evidence such contact exerts a significant impact on how Canadians without disabilities view persons with disabilities and the issues they face.

8. Perceptions About Barriers Facing Persons with Disabilities • Prejudice is the most significant barrier to inclusion facing persons with disabilities (49%)

9. Prejudice & Discrimination • Prejudice seen as the principal cause of discrimination against persons with disabilities • Canadians suggest • public awareness….. • increase public acceptance

10. Canadian Association for Community Living’s No Excuses Campaign

11. Discussions: Government legislation & policy • What government legislation, policies and/or programs that support persons with disabilities are you aware of? • (local, provincial, federal, international)

12. Government legislation & policy • Canadians know little about government legislation, policies and programs currently in place that support persons with disabilities • Only 2% name the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms • 1% Canadian Human Rights Act!

13. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms • Reflects the principles of liberty, equality, accommodation of a wide variety of beliefs, respect for cultural and group identity, and human dignity that define us as Canadians. • All individuals must be treated equally, regardless of their race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

14. Canadian Human Rights Act • Amendments in 1998 to the Canadian Human Rights Act require employers and service providers to accommodate special needs short of undue hardship, including those of people with disabilities.

15. What is Inclusion? • According to the Government of Alberta’s Inclusive Child Care Program (Children and Youth Services): • A child is a child first • All children have a right to participate • Their parents should have access to the same child care choices within their communities as all other parents; • A quality child care program can meet the needs of all children regardless of ability.

16. What is Inclusion? • Alberta’s Setting the Direction framework • a way of thinking and acting that demonstrates universal acceptance of, and belonging for, all students. • a values-based approach to accepting responsibility for all students. • equitable opportunity to be included

17. What is Inclusion? • Alberta’s Setting the Direction framework Strategic Direction #10 • Develop and implement a model of support for young children who experience at-risk factors that enable programming and supportin the most natural pre-school environment along with a seamless transition into grade 1.

18. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child • The rights of children worldwide are now better understood and protected. • Article 23 addresses the human rights of children with a disability • promotes dignity and self-reliance • facilitates the active participation of children with disabilities in their communities.

19. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • The Convention recognizes that a change of attitude in society is necessary if persons with disabilities are to achieve equal status. • Many Canadians believe full citizenship begins with children’s entitlement to inclusive early learning programs.

20. Have yougot attitude? • Research shows that • attitudeis the most significant influence on the effectiveness of an inclusive program • and the quality of education and intervention provided.

21. Where do our attitudes come from? • Prevailing social messages • Our own childhood experiences • Current encounters, predicaments, feelings • Some are conscious • Some are not

22. People First Language • The words you use reflect your attitude and beliefs to the person with a disability and all people around you. • Speak of the person first, then the disability. • Say “child with a disability” rather than special needs child.

23. Language • Emphasize ability rather than disability (strength based model). • Choice and independence are key. Allow the child to choose for himself (as appropriate). • Do not patronize or condescend.

24. Discussion: Back in the day…. Why do you think they changed their names? How does language shape the way we think about the value that people with disabilities hold in our society? How are these ideas reflected in prejudice and stereotypes? Does some of our language still exist that implies messages we do NOT wish to share?

25. Social Model of Disability Another way of thinking about this change Barriers and exclusion experienced by people with disabilities are the result of societal attitudes rather than being inherent within the person. As our attitudes have changed, so too has the kind of language we use.

26. Attitude continuum Used by permission of State (Ohio) Support Team, Region 7 (formerly North Central Ohio Special Education Region Resource Center) Accepting/ tolerating Romanticizing Rejecting Celebrating Awareness Understanding Attitude Shift Change

27. A British study of early years inclusion and special needs • “providers who promote positive outcomes for children with special needs see inclusion as a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging” • requires recognition that they must often “change cultures, practices and above all attitudes”. • Government of Great Britain. Office of Standards in Education. 2005. Removing barriers: A can-do attitude www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications

28. A British study of early years inclusion and special needs • Common characteristics of the most effective providers • know individual children well • build respectful relationships • work closely with parents • have high expectations of children with special needs • enable children to make choices, and where possible, plan their activities

29. Common characteristics of the most effective providers • Hold a positive can-do attitude to solving problems • Effective leadership that planned ahead and monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of the setting.

30. Common characteristics: • Promote benefits of an inclusive culture • more job satisfaction for staff • better understanding of individual needs and how to meet them • a richer and more tolerant play and learning environment that benefits all children

31. www.specialinkcanada.org Overarching Values

32. Inclusion Principles • Zero Reject • Naturally Occurring Proportions • Same Days / Hours of Attendance Available to All Children • Full Participation • Maximum feasible parent participation at parent’s comfort level • Leadership, Proactive Strategies and Advocacy for High Quality Inclusive ECCE

33. Underlying Values in Inclusion Measurement Scales • Families need to acquire information about their child’s disability and become empowered as Advocates Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

34. Inclusion Principles • Full Participation • To score 7/7, all staff work as a team and demonstrate a positive, celebratory attitude in their modifications and adaptations for children with special needs.

35. Inclusion Principles • Zero Reject • Naturally Occurring Proportions • Same Days / Hours of Attendance Available to All Children • Full Participation • Maximum feasible parent • Leadership, Proactive Strategies and Advocacy How does your own early learning site reflect these principles? What implementation challenges do you face?

36. IPPs Parents of Children with Special Needs Involvement of Typical Children Board of Directors or similar units Preparation for the transition to school Inclusion Practices • Physical Environment and SN • Equipment and Materials • Director’s Role as an Inclusion Leader • Staff support within the centre • Provisions for staff training • Therapies, collaboration

37. Underlying Values in Inclusion Measurement Scales • Effective opportunities for children with disabilities to make friends • Well-designed IPPs

38. An Individualized Program Plan Cycle

39. Pay particular attention to Practice #9 Involvement of typical children • To score a 7/7—excellent: • Children with special needs included in group social play • Systematic use of techniques to promote social inclusion • Cooperation • the barometer of whether inclusion is working

40. IPPs Involvement of Typical Children Inclusion Practices How does your own early learning site reflect these practices? What implementation challenges do you face?

41. Discussions • What has changed for children with special support needs who attend the early learning and care programs you work at? • What environmental changes have you seen made? • What are the other changes you have seen made in practice? • How were your intended goals for children with special needs met? • Where are they now?

42. Discussions • What inclusion strategies have you used that have been particularly successful when working in an early learning environment with these or other groups of learners:English language learners, learners with special needs, gifted/talented learners, low achieving learners, male or female learning groups. • Describe one strategy, from your practice, you consider to be a promising inclusive, early learning practice, including the impact on the learning of the children and the evidence you used to determine the strategy was successful.

43. What makes it work? • A range of children are meaningfully included • All staff feel equally comfortable in working with children with special needs • Best use of available funding and multi-disciplinary consultants • Parents are key partners • YOU act an advocate

44. Government of Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Early Childhood Education Program Standard What about the ECE? • PLANS and IMPLEMENTS individual programs and curriculum to meet the developmental needs of children

45. What about the ECE? • UTILIZES a variety of observation techniques to enhance work with children, families and co-workers

46. Better understanding of individual needs Discovery Children’s Centre, Winnipeg MB

47. Reflect on individual needs • What do we provide for children on a daily basis & how independently can all children involve themselves in what we offer? • What constitutes quality programming for those of us our program for children, & what are the implications for all families/children enrolled here?

48. Reflect on individual needs • Can all children participate in activities that assist them in making friends & feeling good about themselves? • How do all interactions in the centre look, feel, & sound? What is the tone of this centre? • Do we see the strengths of all children & do we see the child first & the needed support second?

49. When you are committed to working with allchildren…. • Work to embed the child's individual objectives into the classroom activities & routines. • Identify, implement & evaluate appropriate opportunities & strategies for fading involvement & stepping back to let children interact without adults. • Build bridges between children with disabilities & typically developing peers.

50. Five A’s of Anti-Bias Virginia O’Connell, CCCF Interaction 1998 • Accept • Acknowledge • Accommodate • Adapt • Advocate