Subject: Re: Inclusion

In a message dated 96-09-29 02:49:48 EDT, you write:

<< I asked the teacher on Friday and she said they don't have to let Matt go into another class because he is not functioning at the same level as the other 4 year olds. >>

Ask that !@#&? "teacher" if she is familiar with any of the US laws regarding disability and if she thinks that HI is part of the US......DAMN her!!! Deanna

PS: I know this really doesn't help you, but there must be a way to reach her... just hearing about how narrow-minded she is is very frustrating for us and makes me realize that you're still going through hell despite your successful lawsuit!

Subject: Re: Inclusion

On Harold's website there is a link to a lot of material from a teacher in Hawaii who is really involved in inclusion and offers a lot of information and advice.

Martha

Subject: Re: Inclusion

For those who are interested in inclusion, try this web site"

http://www.inclusion.com

Another good web site is:

http://www.nhgs.tec.va.us/SpecialEd/sped_resources.html

You'll find a tone of just what it says: Special Ed resources.

Deanna

Subject: Inclusion

Recently Jill wrote:

>>>>For this reason: when a child gets to be older (9,10...on up...), children tend to shy away from the child who drools or wears a diaper. This is the time when children are starting to act "cool". <<<<

I have to disagree, Jill. My son is 9, is toilet-trained (at least at school), has been included in our public school since 3, and is considered to be very "cool" by the other kids. One advantage of starting the total inclusion process early is that as the child gets older all the kids already know and accept him. In Ben's case it is considered very "uncool" to not be his friend. Those who don't know him get pretty clear explanations from the other kids.

I happen to be a firm believer in inclusion, and as more kids are fully included (with all kinds of disabilities) this will become the norm, and just part of school -- any school -- yes, even high school. Actually, middle school and high school are in a way easier to make inclusion work because there are different teachers and different subjects and often different levels of work. For example, Ben will probably not take French, but I can certainly see him in Shop, Geometry (he is good with shapes), and Science (which gets even more "hands on" as kids get older). The way inclusion works is that Ben would always have an aide helping him. His participation in the class enables him to get the therapies he needs while constantly exposing him to new stimulation and people (an integral component of learning and brain stimulation).

It takes a leap of faith to make the initial inclusion commitment, but I am convinced it is a good thing for all involved. Think about what a good impact an adolescent with a disability has on other adolescents, especially if they have known him since he was 3, have shared his successes (they saw him walk for the first time, they saw him sign for the first time, they saw him hit his first home run). Adolescence is such a hard time for many, as they become obsessed with what the culture instructs them on how they should be...I would think it would be rather a refreshing outlook if adolescents and teens were constantly exposed to peers with disabilities...(can you tell I'm almost finished reading "Reviving Ophelia, Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls?")

Anyway, these are just some thoughts...

Best wishes,

Jeanne, mom to Ben, "Mr. Cool" at school

Subject: Inclusion

Until Jennie was 7 years old, she was in a classroom with only severe/moderate children. Her behavior was pretty bad. Not only was her behavior bad, so were the behaviors of some of the other children. So they fed off each other. None of the other children had speech either. So she had no role models for normal behavior and no role models that spoke except aides and teachers. They all sat a table alone in the cafeteria, and went as a little group everywhere. Everyone was nice to them and said hello and smiled, etc., but the normal kids never had the opportunity to really interact with them.

It wasn't all bad. They went on some nice field trips, had some nice Christmas programs, and the families and teachers and therapists had get togethers outside of the school setting. They went to all the school programs and sometimes went to recess with the regular kids (weather permitting, etc.)

Then along came integration/inclusion. Jennie was third grade level. She went to art, recess, homeroom, programs, lunch, gym, music and field trips (when appropriate) with a third grade class. She also went to her therapies (speech, OT, PT and adaptive phy.ed. and swimming) and spent the rest of the time in her special ed. class and going out into the community. Her teacher invitied regular children to come in her class to play games and interact. Jennie learned to sit and attend longer. She felt proud to be making the same projects as the other children. Her behavior became better. She never was really to stay the whole class period, though, because her attetion span was just not long enough or whatever they were doing bored her. The regular children learned that when Jennie drooled, you wiped her chin or told her to swallow, and when she pinched, to ignore her, and when she pulled hair, move or grin and bear it. Jennie was happy.

Then in middle school, they only mainstreamed, so we had to have a few meetings to get Jennie into some appropriate classes. She went to shop, music, lunch, & home ec. she continued to swim, go into the community and go on special field trips. But in middle school, there were very few programs and they were always at night. There were very few field trips that I wanted Jennie included in. I knew she would just be bored and cause a scene. I don't believe she should go somewhere just to be included, if she doesn't want to. Also at recess, there wasn't anything on the playground for her to do. Sometimes kids would play ball with her, but they were usually into their peer things. It seemed like the kids that took to her were pretty needy themselves. Had trouble making friends, loners, etc. We didn't need this. I really don't know if Jennie was happy there or not. At this point, all the severe kids were moved into their own school districts (we had had a county program where all severe/moderate were in one school)and Jennie was the only severe child in her whole school. The rest of the kids in her class were mild and it seemed like all activities were geared to them and Jennie was kind of in the way. Even with her aide, the work was very hard to adapt. I think she liked the field trips, swimming and community outings the best.

Now we are at high school. I don't want full inclusion. Jennie has too many needs that can't be met in the classroom. She can't sit that long either. She had enough exposure to regular kids and still gets plenty. She goes fabric arts, band, and sometimes lunch with them. They have no field trips. She needs to get out of that building and be on the move. She loves the Pep rallies though. The kids all know her now and accept her and they have all learned a lot from each other. I jumped on the inclusion bandwagon (as it was then). I don't think FULL inclusion is necessary for every child. Some is definitely important...especially in the early years, including day care and pre-school. Normal children learn about special kids and visa versa. As this generation of children grow up, hopefully they will remember our kids and include them in all phases of life.

Jennie has some needs that are pretty important to us, that cannot be met in an inclusion type setting. She needs more excercise than she would get in the amount of gym offered at high school. She needs to prepare for life after high school. She needs to continue to work on social skills that don't happen in a structured school setting. When we go places with Jennie, we don't have an aide!

I think everyone should go for inclusion and make your own decision. How much you want or get will depend upon you and your child. The important thing is that they are happy and thriving and all their important needs are met. School districts, teachers and aides can make a big difference how successful inclusion is. If they are against it, you can have some pretty bitter people to work with. This isn't good for any child. You need to look at what you want for your childs future too. If he or she are going into a group home, sheltered workshop, staying with mom and dad, etc. you need to work towards that direction. We want Jennie at home as long as possible, so we work very hard at her fitting in here and everywhere we go. Jennie spends many hours in our town, enjoying our restaurants, shops, events, and recreation sites. These are also great ways to accomplish inclusion-inclusion into the community.

Just my opinion! Janice Daley (Jennie 15+)

Subject: Re: Inclusion @tbag.osc.edu Organization: RPS INC To: angelman@tbag.osc.edu References: 1

Jim & Janice Daley wrote:

> > Until Jennie was 7 years old, she was in a classroom with only severe/moderate children. Her

Janice,

Thank you for writing about your experience. Many of us have young children, and your experience is helpful. I am just approaching the placement fork in the road, and I'm truly torn about placement. Your point about working toward your ultimate goal for your child is a good one for me to think about. The future is one of my primary concerns.

Cindy Scutt (Mom of Daniel 4 3/4 AS del+)

Subject: Re: Inclusion

Dear Janice,

I am excited about the possibility of inclusion next year for Sara, and I needed to hear what you had to say. I think your concerns were and are very important and quite sensible. This is a scary prospect for me, and I appreciate all the information pro and con I can get to prepare us for what might happen. Thank you very much for sharing Jennie's experience.

Martha Sprowles (mother of Sara, 10)

Subject: Re: Inclusion

Dear Jeanne,

Thank you for your opinion about this subject! As you know it is a hard decision but one that has to de decided and soon. We are military and move every 3 years so it will probably be harder for Matt than it was for your son....as far as knowing the same kids throughout his school career. On the other hand Matt ( all AS kids are) is a very loving child that people seem to love him instantly so maybe this will help!

We have already started to warn the DOE that this is what we want for Matt so they better start getting use to the concept. Of course there is quite alot of resistance from the DOE already. They don't see how Matt will learn anything from being inclusioned but we feel differently! we just need alot of ammo before we push any harder! Which I'm in the process of getting. I guess the biggest fear the DOE has is the Unknown!!!! They don't have any inclusion in the school district Matt is in.

Nobody knows if the decisions we make everyday will be the right one or not!!! We just have to make them after looking at all the options.

Linda

Subject: Re: Inclusion stories

Heikki, My biggest worry about placing my daughter in a regular classroom is that there be a qualified teacher who will be determining the instructional modifications that need to be made for Emily, especially during times when academic subjects are addressed. I want her time speant meaningfully.

My other worry also concerns life skills like toileting, eating appropriately, etc. If Emily hasn't mastered these things, will it be stigmatizing for her to be working on developing these skills in front of her "typical" peers.

I know in high quality inclusion programs that there are answers to these concerns, but there aren't many where I live. Marianne (Emily,6.11,del+)

Subject: Re: inclusion

Dear Everyone,

It sounds like we're going to try to flood the public schools of the US with Angelman kids! I'm gathering ammo for Sara's IEP in November. I'm planning to request heavier mainstreaming (into academic classes) for the rest of this year and full inclusion for next September. The reason for this two-stepper is that we are working with two school systems. The school district we live in is very small and has no special needs resources; they send Sara to a neighboring, huge district (the school is only 20 minutes from our house, so that's OK). She wouldn't be changing just classes, but districts as well.

The drawback is that I will have two administrations etc. to win over. I think the large one is OK with this; they may even have some kids included already. The director of special ed. for our home district, however, did not even know what the word "inclusion" means. He will have to be educated.

Does anyone have any strong feelings about the efficacy of this two-step plan? Any suggestions or ideas? I am furiously scrounging up material to send to this guy (and for us to bolster ourselves with).

Harold's website has links to many sources on inclusion. I've printed out a lot. I think anyone considering inclusion might want to take a look.

Martha (Sara, 10)

Subject: Dr. Calculator

Jeanne & Sue,

I also saw Dr. Calculator in Florida and was very impressed. Do you mind my asking what he charged for the consultation at your children's schools -- and whether you or the district paid it? Also, I can't remember where he's from, but did you have to pay for his travel expenses or did the school? I'm wondering about the feasibility of bringing him in for Emily next year.

I'd like to know what you think about something. Right now Emily spends a half day in a self-contained class and a half-day fully included in a K-1 class with an aide. Since the kindergartners only go a half day anyway, I preseume that the children in the typical classroom just assume Emily is only in their class. Emily is only one of three children in the school who are doing this -- the rest of the special ed kids are only mainstreamed for art, music, lunch etc. at their parents' request. Next year, however, I must decide whether I want Emily to be in a regular 2-3 classroom (Kentucky has an ungraded, multi-aged primary system) or in her special ed classroom with some mainstreaming. I've really liked having the "best of both worlds" for the past two years, and I'm worried that -though well-intentioned- both the regular education and special education teachers won't know how to help Emily meet her goals in a regular classroom setting. So, therefore, I think it would be best for Emily to still do both next year. Unless Dr. Calculator (or someone with similar experience) could help - but I don't know if I could afford him. Thanks for your advice. Marianne (Emily,6.11,del+)

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator

We paid for Dr Calculator to visit Danna's school several years ago (4) and he was wonderful! He is really responsible for getting Danna fully included-rather than partially included- into the second grade. However, he won't consult with a school anymore at the families expense....he will only do it if the school calls him and is willing to have him come. This removes all possible conflict between family and school. He will, of course, consult with any family on home issues. I'm not sure what he charges...somewhere between $500.00 and $700.00 a day plus travel (I think). We are thinking about having him come down again to work with the middle school...if we can convince the school that is is worth their $$$. I have his resume if you want a copy. He really is terrific.

My comment on a split class is that when Danna was torn between special ed and regular ed, she had a lot of behavior problems that Steve Calculator termed " a kid without a classroom". He said to give her just one and of course, bring all the services to her in class. It worked out beautifully and many of Danna's negative behaviors decreased. Hope this helps a little.

Sue

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator

Thanks Sue, yes I would like to have a copy of his resume. Marianne

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator

Marianne..give me your address and I'll put it in the mail this week. Sue

>Thanks Sue, yes I would like to have a copy of his resume. >Marianne >

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator

Sue, Do you live in VA? I live in Stafford County and am very interested in how you were able to get Danna fully included. I don't think that our county has full inclusion. I know that they have started collaborative teaching because my son was in a collaborative class last year (fifth grade). They also have reverse mainstreaming in the preschool program. There are a number of children that attend a special ed class part of the day and a regular ed class as well. In most of these cases, the children go to the regular ed classes for "specials" (art, pe, library, lunch, etc.). I really want to pursue inclusion for Taylor. She is having a great year in preschool and is modeling after the reverse mainstream kids. Our angels are so social, I think they need to be with children there own age. Whose idea was it to develop an inclusion committee? Was it received well? Who selected the committee members? I would love to have any info that you have.

Thanks, Robbin Clark (mom to Taylor, 4 1/2, del +)

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator

Robbin, I know I won't be able to give you all the details in writing but our child find specialist surveyed all the parents of preschool & elementary special ed kids in our city (Falls Church, VA) and found that many wanted their children in the neighborhood school with neighbors and siblings. We wanted s sense of community and also knew that everyone would learn more if fully included. So the parents then got together -- there were seven families and eight children who were mentally retarded, determined our goals and approach to the school and the community and then went to the Superintendent. He set up a meeting with the leadership team (principals, central staff etc) and recommended that we all create committees on each school level (elementary, middle etc.) and come up with a plan and budget that would then be submitted to the school board. And we did! It took a year and was well worth every minute. Many people were very reluctant at the beginning to think about having our kids in school -- but by the end of the year, almost everyone was in favor of it and in fact, anxious to have them come. Of course, elementary school works very well--middle school and high school need a lot of work. Steve came in during Danna's first year and really helped out -- and now one of his specialities is middle and highschool. We're hoping to convince the school to bring him down this year. Both Hal and I would be happy to share more with you.

Subject: Dr. Calculator/Inclusion

Marianne recently wrote:

>>>>> Next year, however, I must decide whether I want Emily to be in a regular 2-3 classroom (Kentucky has an ungraded, multi-aged primary system) or in her special ed classroom with some mainstreaming.<<<<<

Marianne,

Your school system sounds quite enlightened. With preparation and some guidance which Dr. Calculator could provide the school personnel, I'd opt for full inclusion. Our school system paid for him to come see Ben, but he is only a 1-1/2 hour drive from us (he's at UNH -- the University of New Hampshire at Durham). I really have no idea what they paid him -- somewhere around $500 for the day I think, but I think they negotiated his normal fee, which I believe, but don't quote me on this, is $1,000/day.

He is well worth it, though, because he really helped everyone understand how inclusion can work. Ben was being "mainstreamed" when he came to visit, only everyone was under the impression it was inclusion. Whenever he laughed "inappropriately":-) he was pulled out; whenever he needed OT, PT, etc., he was pulled out. We started seeing a lot more "behaviors," which made everyone even more skeptical that Ben could actually "attend" and "focus" while actually being in the classroom all day.

It was basically a leap of faith on everyone's part, but once the matrix system (all services are built into the regular curriculum) was given a chance, we were ALL amazed at how well Ben -- and the other children -- responded. Miraculously those "behaviors" disappeared. Ben never "disrupts" the class anymore because he is now a full-fledged class member.

I am only speaking from our experience, and only you know what is right for Emily in your school system. The teachers need to feel supported, too. There needs to be an inclusion teacher working with the entire team (aide, OT, PT, ST, and teacher) on Emily's day-to-day participation.

Good luck and best wishes,

Jeanne, mom to Ben, AS, 9

Subject: Re: Dr. Calculator/Inclusion

Hi everyone, I need for anyone that has gotten Dr. Calculator to go to their school system and help set up a program to e-mail me a letter on how it has helped. I also need his number. We are going to try and get him to help us with Christopher's school. Thanks in advance.

In Christ, Sam Henderson In Jesus I can

Subject: Inclusion/aide

Marianne and others interested in inclusion,

I forgot to mention that Ben has his own dedicated aide; however, sometimes his inclusion teacher, his regular teacher, his OT, PT, or ST, will be with him as opposed to his aide. The point is -- someone is always with him in the regular classroom.

Two other points about the aide:

Dr. Calculator recommends that the aide be one, two, or three different people so that the other children don't tend to communicate through the aide (who grows to know the child very well), but rather talk to the child himself/herself.

We had to compromise on this issue as our school was only willing to hire one fulltime aide for Ben, but because lots of other people alternate being the adult with him, this has worked out ok (notice I say "ok" because of course the ideal would have been nice...)

The other recommendation I would personally make is to require that the aide be fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) or at least learning it and practicing it with your child. Ben's aide last year used signs all the time and it was so successful this is now a requirement for all future aides.

Best regards,

Jeanne, mom to Ben, AS, 9 [seltzerfam@aol.com]

Subject: Re: Inclusion/aide

Jeanne, Do you sign with Ben too? We used to use a few with Emily, but got out of the habit.(We're not fluent in ASL) Do you think signing increases Ben's receptive language skills or are you trying to teach him to sign? We haven't had much success teaching Emily to sign for things, but maybe it's time to try again? Marianne (Emily,6.11,del+)

Subject: Re: Inclusion (long "sorry")

Hello everone,

After reading so many comments on inclusion, I decided to share my story:

Kelsey has been in a special ed setting since she was three. From 3-6 she had a wonderful teacher, who was able to address all of Kelsey's special needs but challenge her as well. "Sandy" was also capable of helping two very scared parents adjust to placing a young "disabled" daughter into a public school system. We saw immediate progress just from the consistency of Kelsey's programs.

At age 6, Kelsey needed to be transferred into the next "stage"; this meant a different school; a new teacher; and different kids. By this time, we had a diagnosis of AS and had shared all of the "standard" literature with the teachers, therapists, etc. Her first year was miserable. Most of the children in her class were very low functioning. For whatever reason, Kelsey and her new teacher just did not hit it off. Almost everyday, I had to literally peel her off of me and leave a sobbing child while I went off to work. I seriously considered quiting so I could home school Kelsey. At the end of this year, in the middle of an administrative "political" battle, the special ed program for 6-7 year olds was moved back to Kelsey's old school. Her teacher left on maternity leave and a replacement for the next year was hired. This young, innovative teacher did not have her certification in special ed, but was one of the best teachers Kelsey had to date! It was a fairly good year, but Kelsey still was not developing a rapor with any of the other disabled children. We started "mainstreaming" her into a regular Kindergarten class about 1-2 hours / day and she loved it.

The special ed program for 8+ was located in a very old school building. So, at the end of the year, I checked it out and was DISGUSTED!!! Everyone was crowded into a large, open classroom. Higher functioning children were reading on their own; while others worked on a computer with a voice synthesizer; another small group listened to a recording and used flash cards; I walked out of there feeling like I had just left "band" practice where each section was practicing some different piece of music. Not only could a concentrate, I couldn't focus or even hear!!!

I was also tired of Kelsey being forced to move every year or so and never establishing those neighborhood school connections. We went to the neighborhood school first, then to the administration, then to the special ed department. Without too much fuss, they agreed to fully include Kelsey with a full-time aid. I was scared to death!!

Kelsey has been in a regular first-grade since September. We have seen many subtle improvements and two significant ones. First of all, she started pointing to animals in the fields when we would take weekend drives. Then instead of pulling everything out of the refridgerator, she started selecting items and even brought me a small cup of pudding that she wanted opened. Kelsey would never pedal her "tricycle" until this year. Her aid put her on it and brought her out to recess. She wanted to keep up with the other children so off she went! Just this week, Kelsey (who is 8) walked independently the entire length of the gym. Everyone was so excited, they even pulled her older sister in from recess to witness the event. Little first graders were cheering, teachers and therapists were crying, and her sister's fifth grade class even got to write a short story about this "historic event."

Every morning when I drop Kelsey off to school, she is greeted by MANY children and an echo of hellos, Hi Kelsey, How was your weekend Kelsey.... Each child in her class, now signs hello, please, thank you, and many other words. They now greet her with the sign along with verbal greetings!! We were unable to attend the schools open house, and all the kids and even some of the parents missed us and Kelsey. The kids do not spoil her.... they tell her to be quiet during story time (and she listens to them!!) they tell her to quite running over their toes when she is cruising in her walker, and they treat her like she is just one of the gang!

Two children have taken a special interest in Kelsey: a beautiful little girl (Sarah) who wants to know if Kelsey would be able to go to her birthday party and a rough and tumble little boy (Shane) who watches her like a hawk during recess. We have been soooooo pleased. The staff (especially her aid) are all angel in disguise. I'm sure we will have difficult times with each new change and each new teacher, but this year is already a SUCCESS.

Sorry, I went on for so long..... I hope everyone has similar success stories!

Subject: Re: Inclusion (long "sorry")

Kathy, Thanks so much for sharing your story...I guess the hardest thing is acquiring the blind faith to give it a shot...I'm still not there yet but I can't ignore all this evidence of success and am definitely moving in that direction. I just don't want Emily hurt or ignored...Did you have these fears?

A question for all of you experienced in inclusion... Which of these full inclusion scenarios do you think is optimal: 1. Neighborhood school with an aide but no on-site special education teacher. Special ed. consult would be done by an "itinerant" teacher serving several schools...or 2. Out of neighborhood school (where Emily now goes) with excellent special education teacher, but the school has no real experience with inclusion and may be against it. (They do a lot of mainstreaming, but not in anything academic.)

What do you think? Marianne (Emily,6.11,del+)

Subject: Re: Inclusion success story

Dear Kathy Isn't this just BEAUTIFUL. Especially the part about Kelsy's walking. I hear (very loud) Vangelis' music reading and visualizing this. I don't know about inclusion-possibilities in Holland yet, but I've learned from this list and especcialy your story that inclusion and being around with 'normal' children is essential for AS children. I do wonder though about 'fulltime aides'. What does this mean, are they professionals, and are they 'supplied' by the school? Is this person in the classroom all the time? You see I'm a real nitwit on this subject.

Anyway, thank you for sharing this beautiful story. Lisette

Subject: Re: Inclusion (long "sorry")

Marianne...what a choice! I think I would pick the neighborhood school but not without a great deal of planning before Emily goes there. Back in 1992, when Danna was finally included in our neighborhood school we had spent almost a full year planning for her entrance (and the entrance of six other children with special needs). It made all the difference in the world! We formed an inclusion committee with representation from the administration, teaching staff, daycare, community and parents. We met once a month, often dividing into teams to discuss such issues as curriculum modification, facility modification, disability awareness activities for the "typical" children, methods of adapting play activities...how to talk with the other parents in the class, how to talk with the community etc. When we first introduced Danna to the school, the kids were quiet, in fact fearful....once we spent our time planning, the kids were fighting over whose class she would be in....she became a prize. Great and worthwhile experience!

Sue (Danna age 13). PS Steve Calculator's vitae is in the mail!

Subject: Re: Inclusion success story

Just a short note to thank you for sharing your wonderful story with us. Given the tone of recent exchanges I had decided to unsubscribe from the list for a while. Your letter is a perfect illustration of the value of the list. Thany you again.

Nigel Livingston

Subject: VS: Inclusion

Dear Heikki,

I too have liked all the inclusion stories. I've printed them out to take with me for Sara's IEP meeting as ammo for my request that she be included next school year.

I don't know of course about other parents, but Jeff and I resisted the idea of inclusion for Sara because first of all, we wanted her to learn self-care skills like feeding and toileting that we weren't having much luck teaching her at home ourselves. In the special ed. classes she's been in, that stuff takes up a lot of the day.

Another reason is similar to your concern about Liisa's academic ability. We couldn't imagine Sara getting any benefit from being in a "normal" class and thought she would be only a nuisance, making noise and not sitting still, so that the other students couldn't concentrate.

This past summer with a full-time teacher/therapist changed our minds. Sara has learned her self-care skills at home with her teacher. I feel this is better because this is where she should be learning to eat and dress and so on. I feel now that the time at school devoted to these areas are a waste of Sara's time. Because she has the AS stubbornness, she is not always willing to demonstrate her skills under pressure at school (this is why you see so often parents here talking about videotaping their kids to show the school what the kids can really do), and her teachers think she is very low-functioning in self-care, when she is actually almost independent.

This summer was when we first realized that Sara is indeed talking all the time, that we just don't have the skills to understand her speech. When we changed our attitude and stopped ignoring her "remarks" and gave her the respect she needed, many of her aggressive behaviors stopped and her expressive skills in speech and using her communication boards shot up. We also found this summer at the "normal" day camp she attended with her teacher that she is able to sit quietly and at times take part in activities of other children her age. She did many of the arts and crafts activities at camp, took part in nature experiments and of course swam with gusto. She sat and watched attentively while the other campers did their archery and had physical games. Not once did she disrupt anything.

So now we feel that because she does not need the special ed. emphasis on "life skills" she does not belong in her special ed. classroom. We believe now that, like all AS kids, her receptive language far outstrips her expressive language, so that she can benefit from sitting in an academic class even if she is never able to demonstrate what she has learned. We know that her behavior meets the expectations of the group she is with, and that she learns best from imitating other children.

I was interested to hear about Liisa's program. Do you have an early intervention program in Finland? From age three on, disabled kids in the US must receive remediation at public expense.

Your pal, Martha (mother of Sara, 10 yrs., UPD)

Subject: Inclusion

Martha Sprowles wrote:

Another reason is similar to your concern about Liisa's academic ability. We couldn't imagine Sara getting any benefit from being in a "normal" class and thought she would be only a nuisance, making noise and not sitting still, so that the other students couldn't concentrate.

This past summer with a full-time teacher/therapist changed our minds. Sara has learned her self-care skills at home with her teacher. I feel this is better because this is where she should be learning to eat and dress and so on. So now we feel that because she does not need the special ed. emphasis on "life skills" she does not belong in her special ed. classroom.

I was interested to hear about Liisa's program. Do you have an early intervention program in Finland? From age three on, disabled kids in the US must receive remediation at public expense.

Dear Martha,

We are not so concerned about Liisa's academic ability - it is the school principal who is. But don't get me wrong: of course we would be delighted to see as much progress as possible. Liisa has learned self-help skills both at home and in the kindergarten. She is expected to be very much independent whenshe goes to the School for the Deaf. That is one of our main challenges now.

I understand that our early intervention program very much resembles yours - and many of the ideas have originated from the U.S., where, as usual, a major part of the research is being done.

Your pal,

Heikki Taimio, dad to Liisa (6, del-) Finland

Subject: Re: Inclusion stories

In a message dated 96-10-05 19:49:50 EDT, you write:

<< is it because you fear that the teachers and aides are incapable of handling the situation ? >>

Yes! We cannot picture Katie getting all the services she now gets-quality wise-in a full inclusion setting. Also she is still very distractable, and would probably be overstimulated there. Deanna PS, Heikki: I have seen Katie learn many things by imitation or modeling, especially the behaviour of other children. My question is this, how much "normal" speaking will be happening in a deaf class for Liisa to mimic? ( Please, don't anyone take this as my being prejudiced against deaf people! If Liisa is surrounded all day by abnormal speech, that eliminates her model for "normal" speech for a good part of the day.)

Subject: VS: Inclusion stories

Deanna Cavalucci wrote:

PS, Heikki: I have seen Katie learn many things by imitation or modeling, especially the behaviour of other children. My question is this, how much "normal" speaking will be happening in a deaf class for Liisa to mimic? ( Please, don't anyone take this as my being prejudiced against deaf people! If Liisa is surrounded all day by abnormal speech, that eliminates her model for "normal" speech for a good part of the day.)

Deanna,

No, the children in Liisa's class would not be deaf at all. Rather, the dysphasic (and possibly other but similar) children would have somewhat abnormal speech - how much and in what sense remains to be seen. All teachers would of course speak but perhaps in a bit slower and more simplified way. Starting from the premise that Liisa would never be able to speak anyway, why would she have be exposed to "normal" speaking for the purposes of imitation or modeling ? However, I would think that a problem might arise if she doesn't understand much of what the other children say.

I have thought about the possibility of starting a big battle to get Liisa included in a typical class with a signing aide. To get myself motivated for this, I still need to be convinced that full inclusion would be viable for her when she gets older, say, 12 or 15 years old. And of course I would need even more backing in order to be able to turn the heads of the school principals.

Heikki Taimio, dad to Liisa (6, del-) Finland

Subject: Inclusion/more ammo

Dear Linda,

Recently you wrote:

>>> They don't see how Matt will learn anything from being inclusioned but we feel differently! we just need alot of ammo before we push any harder! Which I'm in the process of getting. I guess the biggest fear the DOE has is the Unknown!!!! They don't have any inclusion in the school district Matt is in.<<<<

I had forgotten about this, but about a year ago I think "20/20" did a very engaging piece on inclusion. There is a principal in a Boston public school whom they profiled (he happens to be blind). Everyone is clamoring to get their kids in his school because he has rallied behind the cause of including ALL children, with many types of disabilities. (He is also a great role model himself.) Apparently, they have also studied the test scores of the children in the school, and found that since inclusion ALL the students in the school were doing better academically and socially.

I'll dig out the address (I have it somewhere) if you want to send for the tape. I've been wanting to get it myself, as it was such a moving story.

On a related note, I think you do have to take into account the school system and personnel that you are working with. They may not be ready to implement inclusion for Matt, and who knows, they might just have a very good program for him. And perhaps you could also offer them consultants and/or models for them to look at, too. It is quite a dilemma moving every 3 years, as in our experience, sometimes it takes that long for the school to really understand AS and what your child needs:-(

While school is important, don't underestimate all that you are giving Matt at home. That is equally important.

Best wishes,

Jeanne, mom to Ben, AS, 9