Ashley 6 years old, a public speaker and self advocate!

The Quest 2011

It was such a privilege this week for Ashley and I to share her road to inclusion story,  at an international conference for educators called "The Quest" hosted by York Region Public School Board.

I was emotional delivering this speech as this was truly a tribute to Ashley's entire team of teachers, aids, and therapists and only with them working together and believing  in my little girl is this such a success story.  There was a 1000+ educators in the room they gave us quite the audience. Public speaking was new to both Ashley and I but we were both very passionate about our message. 

Ashley's road to inclusion.  A road I hope many other kids will travel.

Myself and Ashley getting ready to speak!!  We were all so excited!

My words;
My daughter you're so amazing.
You were born into a storm. Coming into this world, so tiny, and yet instantly fighting for your life.

I hope this world can see how wonderful you are.

Your life started in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for months followed by daily therapy to learn to do what comes so easy to most, walking, communicating, eating and even holding a toy. 

Instead of playmates you had dedicated nurses and therapists.  Instead of walks in the park and rides in a stroller you went to therapy, doctor visits and experienced long hospital stays

Ashley speaks - 

 I just want to run and play. 

 I have something to say. 

Then I continue to share...

When Ashley entered Mrs. Gambino’s kindergarten class, she had her challenges but was welcomed by her teacher just the same as her classmates.

September Junior Kindergarten

Ashley’s speech therapist Mrs. Visconti brought her augmentative communication devices. She gave Ashley a voice for the first time!

And if that wasn't great enough that she now has a voice! 

Mrs. Visconti also worked with 

Ashley's teachers on appropriate IEP goals that were measurable and attainable.   She helped Ashley's teachers find the appropriate curriculum even beyond communication but for language and math. 

So Ashley has a fabulous IEP!   Ashley's teachers and Aids were excited with this guidance and modified teaching methods they followed thru and worked hard with Ashley each day. Ashley was able to make progress with all this support and has had her IEP expanded. This team work is the KEY to successful inclusion. 

Dream team meeting!!!

Her   classmates connected when Ashley was able to comment and ask them questions.

Ashley was embraced by neighbourhood friends and blossomed through the encouragement of her teachers and classmates. 

Seeing Ashley doing so well in kindergarten, her father and I decided NO special classes, NO limits, No labels!   She like her brothers has so much potential and the sky is the limit.

We feel it’s important that she learn how to interact with the real world and not be sheltered.   Most importantly we want her to believe in herself, and all of her abilities!

Ashley needs to be surrounded by able-bodied peers and this is hard to provide in a separated special education classroom. We feel she will do best if she exposed to typical classroom environment where her peers can be her friends and role models.

Ashley - At school they gave me a voice. My name 

is Ashley.  Will you be my friend?

 Inclusion in education for Ashley is the beginning of inclusion for the rest of her life. Just as we all want to belong, Ashley wants to belong and Ashley wants to be included. 

I don’t want the school to focus on guarding and protecting her. I want the school to focus on giving her lots of chances and choices.

They have assisted her to walk daily and in response, she led her entire class into kindergarten graduation with her walker.

She was given a simple step-by-step communication device and is now learning to use an iPad with even more options to communicate.

Ashley has been given the opportunity to stay for grade one, and we are so appreciative of the incredible support she has received in Ms. Bloom’s class.

We hope to see Ashley’s at this year’s primary skate days and were excited when Janice Lee the school’s physiotherapist suggested of course Ashley could skate with a sledge.

Who would have thought when Ashley was born that she would be up here giving a speech to all of you.  Ashley loves music and I’m sure would be thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in primary choir. I don’t see anything as impossible for my little girl as long teachers and support staff, are open minded and welcoming Ashley can do anything!

I’m confident Ashley will be successful at her home school for all of her elementary years.

I look forward to seeing how OUR family, OUR resource teams and OUR school will continue to collaborate.

With careful planning and resource management Ashley will benefit with greater access to the full curriculum throughout elementary school and even high school.

How will YOU help me to make this happen?

Ashley's closing words; 

I love being in Ms. Bloom’s class.

I love books. I really want to learn to read. 

I enjoy going to birthday parties and playing with my friends in the yard at recess.    I just want to be a kid.

And will you be my friend?   Please

We received a standing ovation from all the educators in the room. !!!

My public speaker  just 6 years and advocating for herself and others in her position look what she can do!

I'm so thankful for this opportunity.  I hope we inspired at least one parent or teacher in the room to see a child with a number of needs as an active learner and raise their expectations for all children to the sky!  

Special thank you to Erin S. one of Ashley's friends and a neighbour who recorded Ashley's thoughts for this presentation on Ashley's step by step.  It was very sweetly done.    By the way Ashley's story was just one of 5 stories shared in this dramatic presentation.  I will do my best to find out when this will air on ROGERS TV channel 63 if anyone is interested in watching this. 

The ABC's of IPRC - Wonderful advice for Ontario students I learned from Janis Jaffe White

I was lucky enough to go and listen to Janis Jaffe White from Toronto Family Network a few weeks back when she visited my daughters local treatment centre.  CTN (Children's Treatment Centre has been doing an amazing job of keeping us parents informed and educated on everything from the best bike or how to access camp or recreation programs and best of all how to work co-oportiviely with your school to ensure your child's needs are met and they are set up to succeed.

I want to share here some tips I learned form Janis. If you live in Ontario and your child has an IEP you will likely find some great information here.

A) Aware - be involved and aware with what going on at school for your child. Be informed on the current education law.  Highlights of  Regulation 181/ Section 98  also read this document here in all it's detail Education Act 181/98

B) Be there!  - never pass up on an IEP or IPRC  meeting at school.   It's your chance to ask your questions, advocate for your child and sing your child's strengths, affinities and needs. Some schools may tell you that the these meetings are not needed after the initial meeting but there is usually value in sitting down even if placement for your child isn't changing at least once a year.

C) Communicate.  Share your ideas, ask questions and listen.

If your child has additional needs she  requires good teaching, differentiated instructions but they also need able bodied mentors. All these things can be provided at your home school with your child's siblings and neighbourhood friends by their side.

You should never waive your annual IPRC meeting, you should use this time to discuss your child's strengths and needs.   With your written permission the IEP can also be discussed at the IPRC meeting.
According to regulations 181 section 98 an educational assessment can be done annually prior to the IPRC meeting and the results can also be discussed at the meeting.  Your school my say this is impossible as there is a big wait list for that type of assessment but it does not always have to be  formal physiological assessment. It could be a simple math or writing assessment completed by the home room teacher or SERT.   This meeting should be more then 15 minutes if it's set up that way and you didn't finish you have a right to ask to have the meeting reconvene. You may want to tell them that you looking to have a longer discussion if they initially set up a 15 minute meeting.

Also according to 181/98 you are required to get a copy of all documents 10 days prior to the meeting.
At the meeting you will also meet and decide if your child should be an exceptional student.

Your allowed to bring a support person with you, if your child has complex needs there is likely someone on your child's team that supports you that could come with you. This support person could be a neighbour or friend even.   You can even print out the education act and bring that with you.

You also have a right to ask for an alternate time if they date and time the meeting is set up for doesn't work with your schedule. I won't want this meeting to happen without myself present for my daughter and I'm sure you won't want to miss it either.

If your told your child should be in a community classroom and you have a choice or classroom A classroom B. PLEASE know there is always another option your home school is also your child's right and is always an option to your child!

Probably the most important thing I learned is don't be shy to tell the school you know your rights sometimes that is necessary to share.  Goes a long way although most educators want to do right by our kids there is a lot of pressure in my daughters school board for these kids to attend  community classes whether or not it's part of the child or family vision.  This pressure was their even though she was making great strides right here at her home school in kindergarten.

Hopefully your still reading this long post as this part is great.

Undue Hardship Standard

Under the Code, every student with a disability is entitled to accommodation up to the point of undue hardship. The Code sets out three factors that may be considered in assessing whether an accommodation would cause undue hardship: cost; outside sources of funding, if any; and, health and safety requirements, if any.

Consultees told the Commission that school boards frequently cite limited resources as a reason for not being able to provide appropriate accommodations to students with disabilities. The Commission’s Disability Policy makes it clear that “whether an accommodation is ‘appropriate’ is a determination completely distinct and separate from whether the accommodation would result in ‘undue hardship’.”94         The legal duty of a school board to accommodate students with disabilities is not discharged unless the school board can make out an undue hardship defence based on costs. In order to claim the undue hardship defence, the school board has the onus of proof. As stated in the Commission’s Disability Policy, “The nature of the evidence required to prove undue hardship must be objective, real, direct, and, in the case of cost, quantifiable. The person responsible for accommodation must provide facts, figures, and scientific data or opinion to support a claim that the proposed accommodation in fact causes undue hardship.”95

The Supreme Court of Canada has said that, “one must be wary of putting too low a value on accommodating the disabled. It is all too easy to cite increased cost as a reason for refusing to accord the disabled equal treatment”.96 The cost standard is therefore a high one.

Regulation 181 / 98

 The undue hardship law applies to all accommodations so even if your child has an intellectual disability and needs an EA they can not tell you the reason is due to limited resources or funding.

Here's another good link too "The Blame Game"  Are school problems my kids fault?

Isn't this great stuff.   I found this information to be so valuable to me.

Grade one planning already - Benefits of Inclusion

Yesterday my husband and I met with our local school to plan for Ashley's 1st grade.  The school feels she will need a one on one aid next year and they would like to send her to a community class. We feel strongly that she is excelling and progressing here at home with her friends and brothers by her side.    I was very thankful  to have CTN supporting us at this meeting.  I'm also  extremely  thankful for the thousands of parents that fought for 30 years before Ashley was even born to ensure kids with special needs had rights  to attend their home school, be safe and not be excluded.  

^{Benefits of Ashley’s inclusion at Public School}

Over the past two years while in  Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten  Ashley has blossomed in every way possible.  Ashley entered kindergarten unable to walk, talk or even eat. 

She is now walking unaided with her Kaye Walker, this would not have been possible if she didn’t get to practice multiple times a day here at school.

She is gaining a pound a month since last September and is now close to 30 pounds; 8 pounds more than when she began SK.  Eating with her peers has been extremely beneficial in her weight gain.   She is making nice progress on drinking with assistance too.  She very much enjoys lunchtime at school. 

Ashley always has many friends who want to sit at her table for lunch or snack.

She is now reaching and even pointing for her communication cards rather then using eye gaze.  This has opened up a whole new world to her.  She is hopefully moving to a dynamic voice shortly. 

Ashley has made progress on her IEP goals and has shown that she is able to identify, to her teacher, shapes, animals, some numbers and letters.  Her IEP goals have now been expanded.  She loves reading and is working very hard on literacy skills.  She is now able to grip a pencil to scribble and form lines.

Socially Ashley is able to attend school all day and is acting and behaving appropriately for her age.  She is welcomed and accepted by her peers.  Ashley often times can be seen surrounded by friends at  School and at the local park.  She is invited for play dates and attends their Birthday Parties.  She is truly accepted for who she is.  Her friends don’t see her limitations they see a little girl who smiles and enjoys their company and shares similar interests.

Ashley is patient, gentle with her peers, and enjoys exploring all the learning centers of her classroom.  

She is participating fully and successfully in the kindergarten program.  She demonstrates imaginative play at home and school.  She is also demonstrating to us more and more everyday that she is emulating her peers and brothers. 

We are very thankful to the school, staff and students for embracing our daughter and helping her to reach her potential. We feel Ashley will be successful in 1^st grade next year right here with her brothers and peers by her side encouraging her on.

Sincerely,

Mom and Dad

Ashley (pictured between her friends)

The benefits of inclusive education are numerous for both students with and without disabilities.

Benefits of Inclusion for students with disabilities

1. Friendships

2. Increased social initiations, relationships and networks

3. Peer role models for academic, social and behavior skills

4. Increased achievement of IEP goals

5. Greater access to general curriculum

6. Enhanced skill acquisition and generalization

7. Increased inclusion in future environments

8. Greater opportunities for interactions

9. Higher expectations

10.  Increased school staff collaboration

11.  Increased parent participation

12.  Families are more integrated into community
 

Benefits of Inclusion for Students Without Disabilities

1. Meaningful friendships

2. Increased appreciation and acceptance of individual differences

3. Increased understanding and acceptance of diversity

4. Respect for all people

5. Prepares all students for adult life in an inclusive society

6. Opportunities to master activities by practicing and teaching others

7. Greater academic outcomes

8. All students needs are better met, greater resources for everyone

There isn’t any research that shows any negative effects from inclusion done appropriately with the necessary support and services for students to actively participate and achieve IEP goals.

** Benefits of Inclusion was found here at Kids Together.inc  

Working on Shapes

Ashley school created a IEP for Junior Kindergarten, she is working on recognizing the numbers between 1 to 6, the letters in her name.A,S,H,L,E,Y. Recognizing two colours (blue & pink), Shapes (circle, square and triangle) as well as body parts mouth, nose and eyes. She is able to use her eye gaze effectively to makes choice and identify selections. They are reinforcing her choice making by helping to point and touch her choice she needs reminders to do this.

She has been able to identify six farm animals, and the numbers 1 and 2. She gets time working on the smart board where they are focusing on the letters A, S and H this term. She also uses her step by step communicator to talk to her peers at snack time or say hi to classmates. Her biggest challenge has been illness she missed 12 days of school this first term which is a majority of class time since JK is only every second day alternating between 2 day and 3 day weeks.

Here's a clip of her working on shapes at home with her occupation therapist. It is hard for her to visual focus on the shapes on the table. But she enjoys this activity with her Occupation therapist who always has a few new toys for her to play with.