Yesterday in class we had two speakers join us from BCEd access to talk about tech and inclusion.
They discussed how important IEP’s are for students to get the support they need at school but that getting an IEP only happens once a student can be assessed, which often takes incredibly long.
They also discussed the term ableism, in other words, the idea that people with disabilities need fixing. As a teacher, being aware of the way in which we treat our students with disabilities is so important to make sure they feel welcome and understood within the classroom. We should never assume that the goal is for a student to be independent of the use of technology or other aids and we should make sure that students with designations are not being excluded from activities or opportunities. The speakers also noted that we as teachers can help our students by making sure we fully read the IEP’s as well as ask the student and family how to best meet the students needs.
Some other tools they mentioned to help students with designations where to:
-use movement breaks
-foster peer support
-play to the students strengths and interests
-look for available district and provincial resources
Overall, I found the talk to be very informative!