Inclusion of children with special needs in a general education school system in Bangalore, India

1. CHRYSAL
ISThe
inclusion
community

2. “WHY INCLUSION?”

3. Section 26 (b) of “The Persons With Disabilities
(Equal Opportunities, Protection Of Rights And Full
Participation)Act, 1995 ” states that appropriate
Government and local authorities shall endeavor to
promote the integration of students with
disabilities in the normal schools.
(emphasis mine)
Indian
Law...

4. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which India signed
and ratified in 2007, articulates the following:
States Parties shall ensure that:
Section 2 (a) “Persons with disabilities are not
excluded from the general education system on the
basis of disability…”
(emphasis mine)
UNITED
NATIONS...

5. States Parties shall ensure that:
Section 2 (d) “Persons with disabilities receive the
support required, within the general education
system, to facilitate their effective education”
(emphasis mine)
Section 2 (e) “Effective individualized support
measures are provided in environments that
maximize academic and social development,
consistent with the goal of full inclusion”
(emphasis mine)
UNITED
NATIONS...

6. “WHAT (is) INCLUSION?”

7. INCLUSION
Bringingdiversestudents, families,educators, and
community members together to create aninstitution
based on acceptance, belonging and community.
Inclusion recognizes that all students are capable
learners who benefit from a meaningful,challenging
and differentiated curriculum.
** Effective inclusion involves sensitivity toand
acceptance of individuals strengths and challenges
and diversity **

8. SPECIAL EDUCATION
Deliveringresearch-based instructionaland assessment
practices to students withlearning,behavioral,emotional,
physical, health, or sensory disabilities.

9. “WHO INCLUSION?”
some definitions...

10. 1. The student with
the disability
DISABILITY
Indian Law
Section 2 (i): “disability”means-
(i) blindness;
(ii) low vision;
(iii) leprosy-cured;
(iv) hearing impairment;
(v) locomotor disability;
(vi) mental retardation;
(vii) mental illness

11. 1. The student with
the disability
DISABILITY
United Nations
Persons with disabilities include those who have
long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory
impairments which in interaction with various
barriers may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equal basis with
others.

12. 2. The General
Education Teacher
GENERAL EDUCATOR
The classroom or subject teacher who teaches ALL
students in the class and is aware of strengths and
struggles specific to each student

13. 3. The Special
Education Teacher
SPECIAL EDUCATOR
Has access to information on the student with
disability’s academic, behavioral, and social skills as
well as student’s responses to different teaching
techniques.

14. 3. The Special
Education Teacher
SPECIAL EDUCATOR
The special educator collaborates with the general
educator on the following matters:
- Class/School-wide Accommodations
- Learning strategies
- Classroom management strategies
- Grading alternatives
- Peer acceptance

15. 3. The Special
Educator
SPECIAL EDUCATOR
Head of Special Education at Chrysalis:
Sarah Misra
Special Educators at Chrysalis, Yelahanka:
- Mithun Gowda
- Abigail D’mello
- Shraddha

16. 4. The Resource
Room
RESOURCE ROOM
The classroom wherein students receive individualized
individualized remedial instruction specific to the skill
and instruction parallel to general education
instruction, so to fill the gaps in learning.

17. 5. Inclusion @
Chrysalis
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS
1. General education classroom placement with
specialist assistance:
Student participates in regular classroom
activities, additionally receiving support within
the same classroom

18. 5. Inclusion @
Chrysalis
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS
2. General education classroom placement with
resource room assistance:
Student participates in regular classroom
activities, additionally receiving support in a
separate classroom at certain time period(s)
during the day/week

19. “HOW INCLUSION?”
a case in point...

20. BINDHYA JOHNSON
and
Santhosh Mary’s
SENIOR K.G. CLASS
2013-14

21. Interrogation
Session
Question 1:
“which grade did you
teach in 2013-14?”

22. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 2:
“how many students did
you have?”

23. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 3:
“how many children with
special needs did you have
in your class?”

24. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 4:
“could you tell us
something about the
children with special needs
you had in your class?”

25. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 5:
“what challenges did you
face while working with
students with special
needs?”

26. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 6:
“what did you do as a
classroom teacher?”

27. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 7:
“how did your co-teacher’s
activities during circle time
play a crucial role in
successful inclusion?”

28. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 8:
“help me understand a
little more about anny.
How were you able to
identify that the child
needs additional
intervention?”

29. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 9:
“in your understanding,
how is it beneficial for you,
as a classroom teacher, to
have the support of the
special educators?”

30. Interrogation
SessionQuestion 10:
“what was the peers
interaction like with the
students with disabilities?”

31. Interrogation
SessionAnd finally...
“personally what
challenges did you face
this year with respect to
inclusion, and how do you
plan to resolve them in the
coming year?”

32. “HOW INCLUSION?”
promoting positive
classroom behavior...

33. 1. Employ
Relationship-Building
Strategies
a. Demonstrate a personal interest in
students (talk to students about their
families, topics that interest them etc.)
b. Listen attentively
c. Display empathy and emotional support
d. Compliment them and celebrate their
successes

34. 2. Develop Students’
Self-Esteem
a. Conduct meetings and use dialoguing
Understanding others’ perspectives is
essential.
Conduct class meetings where students as
as a group can share their opinions and
brainstorm solutions to classroom
class behavior problems, and any other
issues which concerns students.

35. 2. Develop Students’
Self-Esteem
b. Use conflict resolution and peer mediation
programs
Students can be taught to serve as peer
mediators using communication, problem
problem solving and critical thinking to
help students in conflict by face-to-face
meetings to discussion and resolve
disagreements

36. 3. Social Skill
Instruction
Social skills instruction comprises of teaching
students the following:
a. Working in groups,
b. Making friends,
c. Recognizing and responding
appropriately to the feelings of others,
d. Resolving conflicts,
e. Understanding individual strengths,
challenges and emotions, and
f. Dealing with frustration and anger.

37. 4. Give Clear and
Direct Instructions:
Verbal communication with students is
crucial in helping them understand how to
behave in a classroom setting. Compliance
to your requests can be fostered by
speaking to students in a ‘respectful,’ ‘firm,’
and ‘calm’ manner.

38. 4. Give Clear and
Direct Instructions:
Your statements can be phrased so that they
are:
a. Stated in positive terms and focus on
what students SHOULD DO rather than
what they SHOULD NOT DO, and
b. Presented to students in an appropriate
sequence of steps when giving multiple
commands.

39. 4. Give Clear and
Direct Instructions:
Use Cues:
Cues can be used to promote good classroom
classroom behavior. Verbal and non-verbal
cues help establish routines, remind students
of appropriate behaviors, or signal to
students that their behavior is unacceptable
and should be changed.
To learn more about this, go to:
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/t
ns/tipsheets/preschoolbehavior/cuing.pdf

40. 5. Follow Routines
Unexpected changes in routine can cause
students to respond inappropriately.
It is important to follow consistent and
predictable routines wherein students know
what to expect in the classroom each day.
They will more likely feel in control of their
environment which can reduce instances of
classroom misbehavior.

41. 5. Follow Routines
Establish, Teach and Enforce Rules:
When students are involved in developing
rules, they innately learn to take
for their actions because of a sense of
ownership, and so are more likely to follow
the rules.
Work with students to create reasonable and
attainable goals acceptable to both you and
and them.

42. 5. Follow Routines
Establish, Teach and Enforce Rules:
Phrase rules in way that they are concise,
stated in the students’ language, easily
understood, and usable in many situations
and settings (e.g. classroom, library, indoor
outdoor CHAMPS activities etc.)
Phrase rules in a positive way:
E.g. “Work at your table,” instead of
walk around the classroom” or

43. 5. Follow Routines
Extra Tips!
You can help students learn the rules by
demonstrating them via:
a. Role play rule following
b. Demonstrating rules by observable behavior
behavior actions
c. Posting rules at an easy-to-see location,
along with pictures corresponding to the
written instructions for students who
difficulty following them.

44. 6. Use Consequence-
Based Interventions
Use Contracting
A written agreement that outlines behaviors
and consequences of a specific behavior.

46. 6. Use Consequence-
Based Interventions
Use Contracting
Guidelines for creating a contract:
a. A statement of the specific behavior(s)
the student(s) is to increase/decrease in
observable terms
b. Statement of the environment in which
the contract will be used
c. List of reinforcers
d. A time frame for the contract
e. Signatures of the student(s) &

47. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring or Self-recording us a system
whereby students measure their behaviors
using a data collection system.

48. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Evaluation
Students can be asked to respond to a series
of questions that prompt them to evaluate
their behavior.

49. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Evaluation
Some questions could be as follows:
a. How would you describe your behavior in
class today?
b. What positive behaviors did you use?
What happened as a result of these
behaviors?
c. Which of your behaviors were problem?
Why were they a problem?
d. What are some things you could do to

50. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Evaluation
Students can use a self-evaluation yes/no
checklist which looks something like this:
• I raised my hand to answer
• I paid attention to the teacher
• I stayed in my seat
• I began my work on time
• I finished my work

51. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Managed Free-Token Response-Cost
The student is given a card with a certain
number of symbols. The symbols represent
inappropriate behavior. After each
inappropriate behavior, the student crosses
out one symbols.
If any symbols remain at the end of the
rime, the student receives the agreed-on
reinforcement.

53. 7. Use Self-
Management
Interventions
Self-Managing Peer Interactions
3-Steps
When students are being bothered by their
peers, they use 3-steps:
a. Telling the peers “Stop! I don’t like
b. Ignoring or walking away from the peer
that does not stop bothering them, and
c. Informing the teacher that they told
to stop and tried to ignore, and are now
seeking the teacher’s help

54. 8. Adapting the
Classroom Design
1. Students with behavior challenges may
benefit from sitting with good peer
models whom they feel comfortable with
and also help them learn appropriate
classroom behavior.
2. Minimize visual and auditory distractions
which would be helpful for students with
attention problems

55. Additional Pointers
1. Class teachers, along with the
coordinators, handling children with
special needs will be given a detailed
time table of the day/timing of the
special educator who will be handling
each child and whether or not the
special educator will be present in class
with the child or the child will be taken to
the resource room.

56. Additional Pointers
2. Teachers suspecting a child of having
difficulty in the class room either
academically, or behaviorally, which
affects the child and/or others’ learning in
the classroom, must inform the
coordinator, who via the principal, will
provide the information to the special
education department.

57. Additional Pointers
3. Classroom teachers having students with
special needs WILL WRITE their PUPA
anecdotes as they see and understand
the student in the class.
4. A ‘communication book’ is a record kept
for communication between the parent
and the special educator alone.

58. For any questions or comments that you may have
regarding Inclusion at Chrysalis, please write them
down and give them to me along with your email
address. I will write back to you within the week.
Or you can write to the special education team about
your queries or any discussion you may like to have
regarding Inclusion, any time during the year, at:
resourceroomchrysalis@gmail.com

59. Have a
wonderful
year of
teaching!