Inclusion Archives – Page 6 of 19

October 24, 2018December 3, 2019

Bethel University Fails to Keep Promise of Inclusive Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Imagine spending $46,550 a year to send your young adult child to a university. For most typical college students, this price tag would bring with it a full college experience with a wide range of academic courses, dorm life, and internships. Now imagine that you’re spending that amount on your adult child with an Intellectual Disability (ID), and the university you sent them to fails to deliver on promises of a real, inclusive college experience. The family of a student with ID sues Bethel University alleging their son did not receive the inclusive education the program promised.

As of February 2019, the matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

This seems to be the reality for at least a handful of students with ID who attended Bethel University Inclusive Learning and Development (BUILD) program in Minnesota. 19-year-old Antonio left the program after his first year, when his parents noticed the BUILD program did not provide enough inclusive classes or internship hours. “I wasn’t happy when the BUILD staff told us Antonio wouldn’t be taking any inclusive classes his first semester so he could ‘adjust’ to life on campus, but I went along with it with the understanding that he would have more inclusive courses in following semesters. Then 2nd semester rolled around and the only inclusive classes he was given were badminton and tennis. He would never be able to make it to 50% inclusive classes by the end of his 2nd and final year after viewing his schedule, so we left the program,” says Antonio’s mother, Jennifer Luebke.

Read Related Post: InclusiveU: What College Should Look Like for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Luebke and other parents filed an official complaint with Bethel University. From it’s own academic catalog and website, the BUILD program sells itself as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP), which means that it must provide students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) at least 50% inclusive academic courses and internships. In return students with ID can receive federal grant and work-study money to make up the cost of tuition (if they qualify). When the school denied the claims late this summer, Luebke and one other parent filed an appeal.

“I feel like my daughter missed an entire college experience, because she never got to live in the dorms with someone of her choosing or take classes of interest to her like art and ballet,” says a mother who wishes to stay anonymous because she fears retaliation on her daughter if she speaks out. “None of the classes were inclusive. The program staff tried telling us that study hall was inclusive because they were at the library or that the ‘wellness and fitness’ classes were inclusive, but the typical students who worked with them were getting lab credit. In fact, she received a certificate in education, but never took one education class,” she explains. “I hope they’re making changes, but a parent friend whose child is in the program currently says they’re still upset with paying all this tuition for badminton.”

Read Related Post: Legislation Could Continue to Increase College Opportunities for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Another mother of a BUILD program graduate who now wishes to remain anonymous, also corroborates these problems: “Students were supposedly placed in community settings, but the actual outcome was very limited due to poor planning, lack of understanding of transportation and minimal relationships with the internship site leadership. This resulted in minimal employment opportunities coming out of graduation from the program. In addition, requests for ‘repeating’ the internships fell on deaf ears, with both Bethel and the state sponsor who paid the tuition for the class and vocational ‘mentor’. When Bethel indicated that study time/independent study was inclusive, it made me realize how defensive and baseless their positions were. They have never promoted inclusion in academic classes, other than one drama class. It would have taken effort and substantial belief in inclusion for the program design to have success in that area; I don’t believe that ‘belief’ existed within the leadership at any level. Students were included in the Dance Team (non-academic) and many social activities, which led my daughter with Down syndrome to really enjoy the program in many ways.”

In an October 2018 response to the appeal, Bethel University President, Jay Barnes, admitted wrongdoing occurred in access to academic courses, but denied any wrongdoing in the housing and social aspects of the program. Barnes proposed some changes to the program and additional academic classes for the 2019-2020 school year. He also offered Luebke’s son 20% off tuition in their final year of the 2-year program.

Bethel University declined my invitation for an interview. The Department of Education official responsible for oversight of post-secondary education programs for students with ID also did not return my request for an interview. In fact, it seems there’s no oversight at all. “It’s important to understand the complexity of all of this. The consistency across all of the programs at this stage is very variable. What is required is quality assurance. Until there is an accreditation process there’s going to be problems,” explains Think College Co-Director, Meg Grigal.

So, what are parents and students with an intellectual disability to do when searching for a post-secondary program? How can they ensure that the program delivers on promises? Visit www.inclusionevolution.com tomorrow for a follow up and call to action for those seeking out a credible post-secondary experience.

What has been you or your student’s experience with post-secondary education? Please share your experiences with me below. Share what makes your child’s program successful, or how they can improve the program.

October 2, 2018October 2, 2018

From Awareness to Advocacy at the Buddy Walk

Our local self-advocates proved how important advocacy is at our 15th Annual Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association (MVDSA) Buddy Walk.

Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Often good-intentioned parents and loved ones create fundraising events like the Buddy Walk to spread awareness about Down syndrome, but don’t include actual people with Down syndrome in leadership or advocacy roles. This mind set has got to change

Down Syndrome Affiliates in Actions gave me the idea of having our local self-advocates lead the Buddy Walk with a advocacy table. This idea started six months ago with a Self-Advocate Communications Workshop that you can read about here and here. At the workshop, teens and adults with Down syndrome learned the skills they need to become self-advocates and lead our Buddy Walk.

Have any questions about our Self-Advocate Table or want to start your own? Comment below and I’ll be in touch.

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018

4 Resources to Help Teachers Include Students with Down Syndrome in the General Education Classroom

So, you have 35 years of evidence-based research and federal law behind you. Your child with Down syndrome has a teacher with an open heart and willingness to include him or her. But it’s the actual act of inclusion day in and day out that’s stumped teacher. It’s the “HOW” and “WHAT” to teach students with Down syndrome in the general education classroom that can often be difficult.

Let’s be honest, most general education teachers do not receive the proper training or support to include a child with an intellectual disability in their classroom. I have a Master’s in Education and only took two graduate level classes on special education. I received no hands-on training. So, I can empathize with teacher’s who are at a lost as to what and how to teach our children.

Related: 5 Tips for Including Students with Down Syndrome in the General Education Classroom

The link above walks parents through 5 tips to help their child with Down syndrome be included. We know parents are the expert of their child, but it’s the teachers that need support. It’s a fact, that including a student with an intellectual disability takes some preparing and a village of support. Although following the law and having an open-heart is half the battle, teachers also need evidence-based resources that they can use tomorrow in class.

Here are 4 resources to help teachers include students with Down syndrome in their class:

1. The National Professional Resources, Inc.

I took a fabulous inclusion workshop by Richard Villa this past summer at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention in Sacramento. He helped me find NPRinc, which is a treasure trove of professional development products for teachers. This is a the “HOW” of teaching students with Down syndrome.
Villa just published a quick-reference laminated guide to “Differentiated Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom.” You can find it here. NPRinc. also has hundreds of other books and quick reference guides to include students with disabilities. Look at the “Products by Topic” on the left, or enter “Down syndrome” in the search engine. You’ll find books on teaching students with Down syndrome to read and do math, as well as dozens of other topics.

Related: Federal Appeals Court to Decide if Student with Down Syndrome Can Stay In General Education Classroom

2. National Center on Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning is the wave of the future. This approach takes into account the fact that all students learn in their own unique way. It’s another “HOW” in teaching students with Down syndrome. The National Center on UDL has teacher toolkits and great examples and resources that teachers can implement right away. There’s 3 basic ways to reach all learners according to UDL:
Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and
Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners’ interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.

Related: Promoting Inclusion through Universal Design for Learning

3. Common Core Essential Standards

In answering the “WHAT” of teaching students with Down syndrome, this is a great place to start. Common Core is a controversial topic, but some amazing educators took the standards grade-level content and broke it down for students with disabilities. “The purpose of the Essential Elements is to build a bridge from the content in the Common Core State Standards to academic expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.”
You can check out essential standards for grades kindergarten through high school right here.

4. Down Syndrome Education International:

I usually don’t like Down syndrome-specific learning techniques, because I think students with Down syndrome can learn like other students if the appropriate accommodations and modifications are used. But I do love Sue Buckley’s literacy and math techniques.
Buckley is the creator of Down Syndrome Education International, and she has educator online training. These one to two hour webinars offer research-based techniques, practical advice, and work examples. I’ve seen Sue Buckley in action at several conventions, and she’s amazing! Click here to register.

If you’re an educator, share your biggest challenge in teaching a student with an intellectual disability below. If you’re a parent, what do you wish your child’s teacher knew more about? Share your journey with me below or send me a private email!

September 23, 2018September 23, 2018

A Letter to the Teacher of My Son with Down Syndrome

Dear Teacher,

Tis the season for organizing classrooms, lesson planning, and memorizing new names. When I was a teacher, this time of year brought a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Those emotions remain the same now that I’m a parent to a child with Down syndrome.

Instead of fearing that I would be ill-equipped to deal with a whole new group of students with different needs, I now dread that my son’s teacher will fear Down syndrome and what it means for his or her classroom.

I know, from personal experience, that even a Master’s in Education does not always fully prepare teachers to meet the needs of all learners. Teacher training can sometimes be a one-size fits all approach, until the student-teacher is thrown to the wolves (I mean, students LOL). But here’s the most important thing you need to know to meet the needs of my son who has Down syndrome:

You don’t need a Master’s in Education to care and have an open-mind. Those two characteristics alone can lead to my child’s (and every other child’s) success in your classroom.

5 Things to Remember When Teaching a Student with an Intellectual Disability:

1. He’s more alike than different:

Troy (left) with his typical twin brother, Hunter (right)

Imagine if the color of your eyes was the determining factor of whether you were cut out to be a teacher. Not cool, right? Troy has a right to the same educational opportunities as his typical twin brother. But the instant a teacher looks at my two boys side-by-side, many have already made a judgement that Troy just can’t cut it in a regular class.

“Different” is all about perspective. To you, my son may not fit the typical model-student mold, but to me he’s just as inquisitive and bright as his typical twin brother. Stop looking at those gorgeous almond-shaped eyes and his cute toddler-like stature; this kid wants to learn. Expect that he wants to act and learn like his typical peers, and you may be surprised at what he can achieve.

2. He needs you to believe in the power of “yet”

Our mindset determines the way we see the world. I want Troy’s teachers to have a “Growth Mindset.” This is the power of believing Troy can learn and improve. I’m not delusional. I understand my son has an intellectual disability, and will likely not “keep up” with his typical twin brother. But with a growth mindset it’s ok if he doesn’t keep up, because he has the power of “yet.”

He may not read and write when his typical peers do, but that doesn’t mean he’ll never read and write. It also doesn’t mean he deserves low expectations and subpar educational experiences. Whenever you feel the urge to say: “Troy can’t _______,” instead say “Troy can’t __________ YET.” This will change your entire perspective about Down syndrome and what my son can achieve.

3. He understands when he’s being segregated

Even with 40 years of federal law and research to back up full inclusion for students with intellectual disabilities, schools continue to segregate students like my son in “specialized” classes. Teachers and administrators say this is what’s best for these “special” students, but the research proves it’s not.

Listen, I understand that inclusion is hard and scary. But my son doesn’t deserve the path of least resistance. He’s smart enough to know that he’s being segregated from his typical peers, and he’ll live up to whatever expectations you set (low or high). We must prepare him for life, and as far as I know there’s no “special” grocery shops, apartments, or jobs when he graduates.

4. His typical peers have a lot to gain with his presence

Many teachers argue that having a student with intellectual disability in their class will be detrimental to their typical students. I disagree wholeheartedly! In fact, research shows that typical student achievement either stays the same or increases with the presence of diverse-ability students. The reason is simple and has been known for generations: The best way to understand a concept is to teach it.

What a wonderful opportunity to teach empathy, and increase achievement levels of all your students. In a meaningful inclusive classroom, all students feel valued for who they are. High achieving students can reinforce what they’ve learned by teaching others, and students like my son can teach those same students that life is about more than just high grades and test scores.

5. More than anything, he needs an open-minded teacher

You can know all the latest teaching strategies to optimize an inclusive classroom: Universal Design for Learning, Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Lessons, Reality Pedagogy, etc. But if you don’t have an open-mind none of these fancy strategies will work. I’d rather have a teacher who’s clueless about all of the above, but truly accepts Troy and believes he can learn than the smartest teacher around who thinks my son is helpless.

It’s up to you to teach other students that my son’s disability is not to be feared. They’ll be watching you!

And remember, the parent of students with disabilities want their child’s teacher to succeed. Come to us for advice. We are the expert of our child, and we can be an invaluable asset to your classroom success. We appreciate you!

We know you may be scared, but our child and your students are worth it! Take the challenge and be the change that’s needed in this world!

With Much Appreciation,

The Parent of a Child Who Wants to be Included

August 29, 2018

Using a Recent Federal Court Case at Your Next IEP Meeting

Last week 15-year-old Luka won a years long fight for inclusion in his Tennessee public school. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Luka’s right to a Free and Appropriate Education in the Least Restrictive Environment was violated when Hamilton County School District attempted to segregate Luka in a separate school for part of his school day. Luka’s family eventually decided to place him in a Montessori School, and the federal court also ruled the district must pay the family for the private school tuition.

Read Related Post: Teen with Down Syndrome Wins Inclusion Case in Federal Court

The decision is a watershed moment for students with Down syndrome in particular seeking to have an inclusive educational experience. Luka’s mother, Deborah Duncan, now wants other families to use the court decision to fight for inclusion at their child’s next IEP meeting.

Below are tips from Deborah Duncan on how to use the case at your next IEP meeting:

“L.H. v HCDE reaffirms the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA) strong preference for mainstreaming: “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, . . . [must be] educated with children who are not disabled,” and separated “only when the nature or severity of the disability . . . is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” § 1412(a)(5)(A). The ruling of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is the “law of the land” in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan and is “persuasive authority” to the other circuit courts covering all other states.

Here are the important points affirmed in this case that can apply in any IEP discussion:

Parental participation in the process of developing the student’s IEP “must be more than a mere form; it must be meaningful.” Parents’ views of the appropriate educational supports and services must be reflected in the IEP.

A free appropriate public education (FAPE) has two requirements that are relevant here: the school must prepare an “individualized education program” (IEP) for the disabled student, § 1414(d)(1)(A); and that IEP must provide the FAPE so as to educate the disabled student in the “least restrictive environment” (LRE) possible, § 1412(a)(1), (5).

Students with disabilities are not required to “keep up” (work at the same pace or on the same materials) with non-disabled peers in order to remain in the regular education classroom.

“The three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit affirmed: “What the IDEA implies, the case law makes explicit: a child need not master the general-education curriculum for mainstreaming to remain a viable option. Rather, the appropriate yardstick is whether the child, with appropriate supplemental aids and services, can make progress toward the [] IEP[’s] goals in the regular education setting.”

“. . . a placement which m[ight] be considered better for academic reasons m[ight] not be appropriate because of the failure to provide for mainstreaming.”

“Special education” is supplemental supports and services that allow students with disabilities to access the general education curriculum. “Special education” is not simply an alternative to the general education curriculum. The use of a peer-reviewed curriculum and instructional approaches is required by the IDEA.

“The new curriculum [used in the segregated setting] was different qualitatively as well as quantitatively . . . The Unique Learning System (ULS) program follows Common CORE standards but it is not peer-reviewed, as the IDEA requires. . .”

“Special education” is not a separate location, and schools that require students to attend a separate location to receive special education services may be violating the IDEA.

“The LRE is a non-academic restriction or control on the IEP . . . that facilitates the IDEA’s strong “preference for ‘mainstreaming’ handicapped children,” Rowley, 458 U.S. at 181 n.4. “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, . . . [must be] educated with children who are not disabled,” and separated “only when the nature or severity of the disability . . . is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” § 1412(a)(5)(A).”

The segregated Comprehensive Development Classroom (CDC) special education setting was found to be specifically “non-mainstreaming” (“intentional segregation”), lacked a curriculum that was peer-reviewed, “set very low educational expectations,” was not tied to any state standards, “provided no report cards or homework, and it had certain teachers in uncertified roles.”

Parents “surely know the student the best, regardless of any expertise.”

“If the law were that a court must defer to the opinions of [the teachers and staff] who spend the most time with the student and presumably know him best, then there would be no place for experts. Moreover, parents could never prevail because the student’s teachers will always spend more time with the student or know the student better than the parents’ hired experts. On the other hand, the parents spend more time with the student and know the student better than any teacher. Taking HCDE’s argument to this ultimate end, the district court would actually defer to the student’s parents, who surely know the student the best, regardless of any expertise.”

Read Related Post: Endrew F. In Action

If you find yourself in an IEP meeting with school system administrators who are unfamiliar with the requirements of the IDEA and its supporting case law, it may be best to suspend your IEP meeting and request a meeting with the director of special/exceptional education for your school district along with your child’s school principal to discuss your common understanding of the requirements of the IDEA. If you find that they have a different interpretation of the law, you may refer them to the state department of education to confirm its understanding. If you still cannot secure a common understanding, contact a local special education advocacy center or a special education attorney. (See the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys (COPAA) website.) Having a common understanding of the basic rights and responsibilities of all parties in the IEP process will result in a smooth IEP process and a successful educational program for your child.”

Read the full decision from the Sixth Circuit here.

Have you or someone you know had to fight a similar battle for inclusion? Are you frustrated that we’re still fighting this fight more than 30 years after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed? Tell me about it below.

Category: Inclusion