Inclusive Schools

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Language We Use

I recently was in a social gathering with professionals (some friends) who all work in the disability field. We all had been educated as graduate students to be progressive, positive, "person-first" in our thinking. Yet it was shocking to hear reference from a couple of my colleagues to a "downs student" and apologies for segregated schooling. Huh? It is NOT ok for neuro-typical people to refer to others by a disability label as their main identifier! In the autism community, people who have an autism spectrum disorder label refer to themselves as "autistics." And it is the right of anyone to call themselves anything they want. But I still hold fast to the notion that those of us who do not have disabilities must use person-first language. It's sort of like complaining about your mother. You can do it, but no one else can. For a take on the feelings about this, especially for those who have an intellectual disability label go to:
The R word: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112479383

Question: how do we react in community settings, social gatherings, and schools when someone uses language that we feel is offensive, demeaning, or just depersonalizing?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Creature Discomforts

UK ads about disability and attitude: http://www.creaturediscomforts.org/play/?v=9
Does this help to change attitudes?

Changing attitudes about inclusion

Sometimes talking about including students with significant disabilities in general education is like talking politics or religion. No one wants to appear to be "exclusive" or negative or mean. Belief systems of educators based on a tradition where students are successful after being sent to "programs" for specific disabilities may cloud the vision for inclusion - and close the mind to trying a different way.

If we look at this in a behavioral manner: attitudes have been formed by fear of (or direct experience with) negative consequences for inclusion and a lack of belief in (or no direct experience with) positive consequences for educating students with significant disabilities in general education academic classes. Educators may have seen students fail or be bullied; teachers may be frustrated and don't see the value of inclusion. The only way to change attitudes is with new experiences: providing positive consequences such as academic progress and friends for the student, happy parents, and teachers who feel successful.

How to do this? If change agents are going to actually bring about this change, talking alone is insufficient. Positive outcomes through experience is necessary, or at least a belief that there will be positive outcomes. This means we need to establish a relationship in which educators' fears are heard, motivations are discovered, and the practical barriers identified. We need to LISTEN. If we want to educate others about inclusion and promote change; we must listen before we speak.