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Best Practices on Serving Student with Disabilities: A Conversation with Ms. Luther from KIT
Y4Y recently caught up with one of our favorite advisors, Anna Luther, MSW, curriculum director at Kids Included Together (KIT). We asked Ms. Luther to share some best practices on serving students with disabilities, especially in the current environment of hybrid or fully virtual learning.
Y4Y: As inclusive practices have evolved over the past decade or so, what would you say are some of the growing pains? What differences have you noticed in how this evolution has played out in school vs. afterschool settings?
AL: Over the past decade, we have seen interest in inclusive practices gaining momentum. More parents are interested in inclusive education, and societal attitudes toward disability are shifting. The body of research confirming that inclusive education is beneficial to students with and without disabilities has grown, and we now know a lot more about what effective teaching looks like. One big growing pain, as I see it, is that as the adoption of inclusive practices has increased at the individual practitioner level, they are bumping up against systems and structures that were not built for it and are not easily dismantled. For example, we know that successful inclusion depends on collaborative teaming. Strong working partnerships between general educators, special educators and paraprofessionals are crucial, but not often supported by the system. Collaboration among the adults needs a formalized co-teaching model and adequate time for planning. Strapped budgets and overburdened educators make it challenging to spend more time on preparation. Because of systemic barriers to inclusion, we haven’t seen much improvement in the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in particular over the past 10 years.
This is where afterschool settings may have the edge since there isn’t a general afterschool program and a special afterschool program. Students with disabilities attending these programs have the same opportunity for enrichment, supportive relationships, academic support and recreation as their peers without disabilities. The afterschool program administrators and staff may face challenges in learning to implement inclusive practices, but they can likely do it with fewer barriers to overcome, especially if they are creative and resourceful.
Y4Y: How have efforts to implement best practices solved (or not solved) these growing pains? For example, we’re thinking of things like universal design for learning, differentiated instruction, Response to Instruction (RtI), and multi-tiered systems of support.
AL: There are a host of strong, evidence-based models for implementing inclusive practices, and you mentioned the major ones. If any of these models — and they are all more alike than different — are implemented with fidelity in a school, they should support inclusive practices. The reason why a model (or even several) hasn't solved the challenges is mostly due to fragmentation. Educators report feeling overwhelmed by the number of school improvement initiatives they are tasked with learning and implementing each year. There is little cohesion among all the initiatives schools are taking on, and that leaves teachers feeling stretched too thin. For a model to have a transformational effect, it would need to be aligned with a schoolwide vision of inclusion, and it would require laser focus from administrators to provide the resources and support needed at the classroom level. It would take patience from the entire school community, and an understanding that change takes time. Too often we don’t have the focus or the patience, and we jump to the next promising model that catches our attention. Where inclusive practices have become the norm in a school or district, it’s because of sustained effort and attention over time, along with the necessary resources and support provided at the classroom level.
Y4Y: Can you tell us about what you think are the greatest benefits to including students with disabilities? Who benefits in addition to students with disabilities, and how? We’d love to hear any great specific accounts you could share.
AL: Including students with disabilities benefits everyone connected to 21st CCLC programs, not just students with disabilities. I think one of the greatest benefits is in discovering that an accommodation used to support one student with a disability is helpful to the entire group or program. When program leaders are forced to think creatively about how to facilitate meaningful participation, amazing things happen. A young participant in a program I observed had sensory processing challenges that led to low participation in group activities and sometimes meant he ran away from the group if he got overwhelmed. The program started letting the child watch the first round of a new game or activity before requiring him to participate. A staff member sat near him and explained what was happening. They talked about how he could participate and feel comfortable. This creative thinking not only decreased the number of times he ran away from the group (eliminating a huge safety concern), it also helped him meaningfully participate. And, it turned out, this accommodation was helpful to the younger children in the group who were not familiar with the games or activities. When accommodations are made, nondisabled students recognize that each person needs something different to be successful. This kind of thinking can be turned into powerful lessons in which all students are asked to reflect on what they need to succeed. They will likely realize they all use accommodations of some sort, whether it’s having a checklist to ensure they complete all of their homework or having both pictures and written instructions to complete a task.
I also believe that our programs should reflect our communities. People with disabilities are part of every community. Their inclusion in 21st CCLC programs is a reflection that everyone in the community belongs. This sense of belonging benefits students with and without disabilities. All students will see that there is a place for everyone and every person matters.
Y4Y: As virtual learning has increased due to school closures, what have you learned about challenges that are unique to students with disabilities?
AL: I think we are all learning that virtual school poses great challenges for most students. It’s becoming clear that it is a poor substitute for in-person instruction with a capable and caring teacher, surrounded by peers who help each other learn and grow. Students with disabilities and English language learners are probably the most disadvantaged by remote learning. The most obvious challenge for many kids with disabilities using technology to learn is the lack of accessibility. In a traditional classroom, assistive technology devices are often used to support students, and low-tech accommodations like physical placement, larger font sizes on print materials and adjustments to the sensory environment can create an inclusive learning environment. With the sudden move to remote learning, accessibility has become more crucial and less available. Videos and slides aren’t captioned, for instance. Visual images are not accompanying text to support vocabulary or illustrate concepts. Educators and parents can use universal design for learning to help by sharing content in multiple ways (a captioned video and a written-out story, for instance), and by allowing students to demonstrate their understanding in a way that is accessible to them, according to their strengths (for example, creating a collage or recording a podcast).
The next big challenge for students with disabilities is the feeling of disconnection from school and community. This is true for all kids, certainly, but we are hearing from parents of children with disabilities that their social and communication skills are regressing from not being around their teachers and peers all day. This is one of the big benefits of inclusion that is not available to students who are remote learning. Also, many students with disabilities who receive various forms of therapy, like occupational, behavioral or speech, have been without this form of support for months. For this reason, some districts are prioritizing students with disabilities in their re-opening plans and working to meet their needs first.
A rich resource for parents and teachers is the new Educating All Learners website, which is a collaboration between many education and disability rights organizations.
Y4Y: What best practices have you discovered for helping these students navigate the many changes in their lives brought about by the pandemic?
AL: Schools, teachers and parents are working incredibly hard to take care of children’s many needs. It’s almost unbelievable that overnight parents had to become teachers and teachers became technologists. The creativity everyone is exhibiting during this historic time is inspiring. I think as a society this experience has helped us understand the outsized role that schools play in a community. They do so much more than educate.
A best practice that I have seen is schools working to keep a sense of belonging and connection to their students and families in creative ways. One method I like is a great schoolwide read-aloud. Storytelling is a wonderful way to build community. Stories can help us connect and share in joy, laughter, and even sadness and fear. A powerful shared experience like this, where everyone in our school community is invited, can help us come together in a time when we need connection more than ever. Here at KIT, one of our colleagues initiated and led virtual story time twice a week for our staff and their children. Over 35 sessions we told stories, played, danced, waved to each other over Zoom and deepened our connection to each other. It has been one of the bright spots of the pandemic.
Y4Y: What do you see as the most important things that 21st CCLC programs can be doing right now to support students with disabilities?
AL: All families are stretched thin right now in terms of emotional and physical energy. This is the norm for many families of students with disabilities and, depending on the school district in which families live, their children may be attending virtual school for the remainder of 2020. This means that the crucial family support 21st CCLC programs have historically offered is even more important now. Whether 21st CCLCs are providing programming virtually or in person, families need safe spaces for their children. I think one way to provide safe spaces is to create emotional safety. With all students experiencing so much time away from peers over the past six months, 21st CCLC can be a place for students to reconnect with each other and with additional supportive adults. Students with disabilities tend to be isolated and have fewer opportunities for social interactions than their nondisabled peers. I’ve heard stories of students and adults with disabilities who have felt even more isolated during quarantine and are struggling to stay connected. 21st CCLC programs can continue their outreach efforts to students with disabilities so they, their families and teachers know that 21st CCLC programs are fully inclusive. This way, students with disabilities have a safe space to attend (virtually or in person) to establish (or re-establish) social connections. To be truly inclusive, we must go beyond students with and without disabilities simply being in the same room. Programs must be intentional about planning social opportunities, especially for students who struggle with initiating and maintaining interactions with peers. Social interactions are much easier when students feel comfortable. Planning a variety of activities that speak to the diverse strengths of students helps all students feel competent and confident. When students have choices about the activities they can participate in, they are naturally drawn to peers with similar interests, which can also foster connections and friendships.
Y4Y: Any last advice for 21st CCLC practitioners, whether it’s related to inclusion, the pandemic or their program in general?
AL: The best piece of advice I’ve been given lately (but sometimes struggle to follow) is to give yourself grace. Few of us have lived through a pandemic of this magnitude before. We are all trying our best to navigate our worlds right now. Sometimes inclusion is challenging. Adding the stressors we are currently experiencing may make it feel like a low priority. Now is not the time to give up on inclusion. But it is okay to say “This is hard. I’m not sure how to do it all right now.” And it’s okay to not have all the answers. Keep taking it day by day (or minute by minute if it’s that kind of day). I have certainly faced pitfalls along my inclusion journey — tried accommodations that did not work and had contentious conversations with families. These are all learning opportunities that will help you refine your approach so you can keep moving forward.
Anna Luther, MSW, is the curriculum director at Kids Included Together (KIT), whose mission is to teach inclusive practices to people and organizations that serve children. Ms. Luther’s commitment to building inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities within their communities has led to an almost 20-year career as an inclusion practitioner and advocate.