International Day of Education - Inclusive Education

Mary_Scope

It's International Day of Education today and in this post we will talk about the importance of inclusive education for disabled children and young people.

Inclusive education is crucial for disabled children because it creates confidence, empowerment and boosts their self-esteem.

Inclusive education is more than just placing disabled children in mainstream classrooms. It is about creating a positive learning environment where they feel valued, respected and supported.

So how can classrooms become inclusive of disabled children?

• Understanding diverse learning styles and giving flexible support, accommodations and modifications to meet individual needs - with or without formal plans like EHCPs or IEPs.
• Ensuring the school and classrooms are physically accessible such as ramps, elevators and accessible toilets and other necessary adaptations.
• Creating a classroom where participation is encouraged, individual contributions are celebrated, and bullying is never tolerated.
• Providing teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to effectively support disabled children. This could be ongoing professional development.
• Building collaborative partnerships between home, school and other support services to make sure there is ongoing communication and a mutual understanding of each child's needs.

How inclusive are your children’s schools? And what could other schools learn from them?

ljd88

Hello everyone I don't know where to post this but I guessed with this post being about international education day and awareness that people have disabilities be it noticeable or not.

I recently joked an art group in my local age UK it's my second class I pay each time as well

Well I am considering to pack it all in already because of the passive aggressive comments from not only the clique of older woman that go but also the woman who gets paid to take the class.

Honesty I am nearly 50 and I know how being disabled can effect educational and development in young children and what I want to say is thank god that I have the ability to recognise discrimination and the cognitive ability to express it some don't and we must all get together and keep watch on this for a children and adults alike who need that extra support and love and guidance. Be it in education or when having free time

birdwatcher

That's interesting Mary.

My grandson has always been slightly ' different ' for want of a better way of putting it. It was suspected he might be dyslexic so we paid for the test. Turned out he isn't . Autism was suggested too, he's got a lot of ' typical ' traits. Assessed for it but the assessor said unlikely. That really surprised me. Suggested. ADHD. Back in a queue for tests for that now. He has had input from the ed psych(?). they've said he's got moderate learning disabilities. What worries me is that as time passes he'll just get left behind. He's 8 in a couple of months. It would be nice to think that if we can get an ' official ' diagnosis we can ask the school for more help. But that will come down to their budget. It's difficult. I just want my grandson to be happy and do as well as he can. Don't think that's unreasonable. Looking back ,his Dad,my son, was a nightmare when he was young. Very disruptive at home and school. Mainstream school didn't work for him, he was lucky he got a place at special school. It was a massive help. Had he been born a couple of years later he'd have been diagnosed as ADHD. But that wasn't a thing back then.

Re-read your post too ljd. .It's bang out of order the way you're being treated. Is there anyone else in the group you could perhaps befriend? As for the woman who takes the class? Words fail me! She could do worse than bear in mind that her students are the people that keep her in a job. She's there to help, not make snide remarks. Wonder if it's worth taking further? I'd hate to see you give up something you enjoy for the sake of a few idiots. What's that saying about mind over matter? You don't mind cos they don't matter.

Mary_Scope

Hi @ljd88

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing such discrimination at the art class. That is not nice at all and you would like to think a class ran by an organisation like Age UK would be free of such behaviour!

Would you or somebody you trust and knows about the situation feel comfortable reporting the behaviour? Especially the behaviour of the lady who runs the class. As you said the group is run by Age UK so it's important to report these sort of incidences as the organisation should have policies in place to address discrimination and can take appropriate action.

Do you have anybody else in the group you can befriend? Or even, possibly taking a friend or a family with you to the class so you're not alone? Or a support worker if you have one?

Like birdwatcher said above, it would be a shame to give something up you enjoy and get a lot out of due to a small group of people so I really hope this was helpful and the situation improves for you soon!

Mary_Scope

Hi @birdwatcher

Thank you and thank you for sharing your story.

It's definitely not unreasonable for you to want your grandson to be as happy as he can. You are his grandparent so it is perfectly normal for you to wait him to be happy, healthy and to do well.

Do you know if your grandson getting support in school at the moment?

Schools can provide support through reasonable adjustments for children with SEN regardless whether or not the child has an official diagnosis. If not, then it may be helpful to ask to the speak to the SENCO about your grandson and what support he is currently having nd what other interventions may be available to him such as applying for an applying for an EHCP.

If the school think that your grandson would benefit from an EHCP(educational health care plan) then you don't need an official diagnosis to apply for an assessment. This is because an EHCP is about the needs of the child not the diagnosis so if your grandsons needs are significant, he may still be eligible for an EHCP.

Hope this was helpful, please reach out if you have further questions or would like more support😀

birdwatcher

Hello Mary and thank you for your reply and advice. I think my grandson has had a bit of help in school. SENCO rings a bell. Is the ECHP what used to be statemented? His Dad was at that age. Thirty plus years on he's still like a power ball! In a way it's worked for him as he's done very well in the career he went into. Took some getting there but he did it.

They live the other end of the country so I don't see a lot of them. But when he gets on the phone I get 45 minutes of his latest fixation! Still makes me laugh, on my last birthday my great nephews sang a lovely rendition of ' happy birthday ' . My grandson spent three quarters of an hour telling me about mantises! And jumping spiders! I didn't even know there was such a thing😄. It's just the way he is.

zizi23

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience navigating the education system as a parent of an autistic, nonverbal child and continue to hear from others about their journeys.

When my daughter, was in nursery, we were lucky to find a setting that truly understood how to support her and me as a new parent learning to navigate the system. They guided us through the process, and I felt hopeful. But when she started primary school, things changed.

She attended a mainstream school that claimed they could meet her needs, but in reality, they weren’t equipped to do so. She was isolated from her classmates, given no real chance to engage, and was deeply unhappy. Every morning became a struggle—she would try to run away on the way to school, take off her uniform, and hide it. Staff members even told me they felt the school was intentionally failing her.

Eventually, we moved her to a school with an ARP (Autism Resourced Provision), and the difference has been incredible. She’s making real progress, has clear learning goals, and is supported both in school and at home. While she doesn’t love the journey, she genuinely enjoys being there, and that’s something I never imagined before.

But I also know that finding a school like this is far from easy. Many children, like mine, are placed in settings that claim to be inclusive but lack the training, resources, and mindset to support them truly.

Looking forward to hearing your experiences!

Mary_Scope

Hi again @birdwatcher

You're right, an EHCP is what used to be called a statement. It's good that your grandson is getting some support at school which is a positive sign!

It's lovely that your grandson has found something he's passionate about! A future entomologist perhaps?😀 It sounds like you have a close relationship with him and it sounds like those phonecalls put a smile on your face!

It sounds like you are all a very supportive and loving family 😀

Mary_Scope

Hi @zizi23 and a warm welcome to the community!

It's heartbreaking to hear about your daughter's experience in mainstream school.

Unfortunately, what you describe is sadly a common experience for many families of autistic children. The gap between what schools say they can offer and the reality of their resources and understanding of neurodiversity is a huge problem right now for lots of different reasons.

It's wonderful to hear that you were able to find a school with an ARP that is a better fit for your daughter. It must be so lovely to see her have such a positive time in school, it sounds like she is doing really well!!

It sounds like you are a wonderful and strong advocate for your daughter😀

Thank you for sharing yours and your daughter’s story. Hopefully your story will give hope to other parents who are facing similar struggles and remind them that they are not alone.