INCLUSION ~ SEGREGATION ~ SECLUSION
I have been facilitating Inclusion Music Together classrooms for 25 years. Working closely with the Robinhood Association, the Connect Society, CAWS, CHARGE, PUF & CAS ~ it has always been an honour to provide these families with a safe space to learn and find joy.
With public education being EVERY child's birthright, it is our responsibility to provide all special needs children with a safe space to learn and be in community. Here are my views on the systems we currently have in place that facilitate our Integration Education.
INCLUSION CLASSROOMS
Like I said before, children possess a deep-rooted sense of humanity. Because of this, the sense of community that has the potential to grow in an Inclusion Classroom is a gift! Everyone benefits when a learning environment is injected with unconditional acceptance. However - certain environmental conditions have to exist in order for ALL children to experience the optimal learning potential of an Inclusion classroom.
- Everyone needs to feel safe. Therefore, if violence or highly disruptive behaviour falls within a child's spectrum, an Inclusion Classroom is not the ideal placement
- I believe the number of Inclusion students in a classroom should be capped at 2
- For each Inclusion student in a classroom there needs to be an assigned full-time Education Assistant
SEGREGATED CLASSROOMS
When a child's spectrum includes violent and highly disruptive behaviour, the learning potential of an Inclusion classroom cannot be realized. This is where the more focused attention from a team of specialized educators and therapists in a Segregated Classroom can provide the child with a more optimal learning environment.
SECLUSION ROOMS
Seclusion rooms are inhumane and should never be used at the discretion of any teacher EVER. The only appropriate use for a Seclusion Room is if it is a method the child's parents have contractually sanctioned as a way to keep their child safe. But even then - it should only be used as a last resort.
Personally I would rather just see them all turned into storage units.
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