Making Room for All Kids to Thrive

On a cold, dark evening last winter, in the centre of a small gymnasium in the heart of Edmonton, drums began to beat. A large group of us - together to celebrate the accomplishments of a friend of Indigenous heritage - formed a circle around the beating drums, hands entwined.

As the music of the Round Dance began, I rode my wheelchair up to the dancers. Without hesitation the circle opened. Arms reached out, embracing, welcoming me into the whole. Together we danced the night away. I wasn't just watching. I was a full participant, dancing in my own way on my wheels alongside others on their feet.

Through my own journey with disability and in mothering my two kids with disabilities, I've discovered that inclusion doesn't always happen without effort. For a child, there is little more excruciating than the pain of not belonging, of sitting alone on the sidelines watching everyone else have fun.

While most people have good intentions to foster belonging, they may struggle to make it happen. To learn more about creating a welcoming atmosphere for all kids, I turned to some experts for suggestions.

1: Start with belief. "Always believe inclusion can happen. Always treat each person with respect and dignity. Always believe in their potential and value," says Simone Chalifoux, '92 BEd, a kindergarten teacher and a fierce advocate for her daughter with disabilities. "Don't be afraid to think outside the box or do things differently."

Thinking outside the box could begin with noticing what a child can do instead of what they cannot. A class of preschoolers might ride tricycles during gym time, for example. While one child might not have the gross motor control to pedal a trike, he or she might have the ability to use a ride-on toy instead. In fact, a few ride-on toys could be mixed in with the trikes so all the children can choose what to ride.

2: Look beyond physical presence. "Just having the doors open and saying, 'We're inclusive,' is a sellout. Participation, belonging and being part of things is what inclusion is about," says education professor Lynn McQuarrie, '80 BA(RecAdmin), '92 BEd, '95 MEd, '05 PhD. She says that presence without participation teaches the wrong message to the child about their identity, worth and abilities, and it teaches the wrong messages to other children, too.

McQuarrie says it's important to recognize that inclusion isn't another word for special education. "Inclusion is about respecting diversity and equity for all students. Special education is about providing specialist instruction for any student whose disability has educationally relevant implications for instruction," she explains. "Inclusion has nothing to do with classroom placement."

"We must be careful when using the terms inclusion and special education interchangeably," agrees education professor George Georgiou, '04 MEd, '08 PhD. "They do not mean the same thing. Inclusion is necessary but not sufficient to improve children's performance when these children have specialized needs."

Inclusive practice isn't just proximity, it's meaningful participation - and special education is part of it.

At my son's school, even though he has a cognitive disability, he doesn't just sit in class next to the other students. He participates fully, with certain modifications. In a recent music class focused on guitar skills, he sat with the other students in a circle holding a guitar. His music sheets contained simplified notes, so when all the students played guitar, he was able to happily play along.

3: Think beyond 'one size fits all.' Strategies that work for one child may not work for another. It can be easy to see two children in wheelchairs, for example, and assume they have similar needs. But one child may have typical dexterity and strength and be able to draw and write in the same fashion as most kids, while the other may have a condition that affects their arms and makes writing and drawing a challenge. The second child might benefit from easier-to-hold pencils and other tools, or from using a computer.

The needs of the students in Chalifoux's class vary from year to year. "My teaching is always modified for my students," she says. "Each year I change my physical space, activities and overall plans to accommodate all my students." Inclusive practices respect diversity and equity - and everyone can strive to get better at that.

4: Design for accessibility. "Focus on what makes the environment accessible to everybody," McQuarrie says. She looks for spaces that have been created with universal design in mind - environments that are made to be accessible to as many people as possible.

I think of the many small cafés near my home that I can't visit because they have a step at the entrance. While the owner of my favourite bakery kindly comes to the door and sells me her wares right on the sidewalk, a universally designed doorway without a step would mean I could go inside the café to enjoy its cosy atmosphere and wheel right up to the counter to order my favourite walnut raisin bread, just like everyone else.

Physical space is just one part of accessibility, Chalifoux says. What we do in the space matters, too. This year, she has a student with a condition that precludes vigorous physical activity. "In the past we'd go outside for tag-style games, which would exclude or endanger this student. Instead, we have picnics and story time outside." When the class goes to the playground, she sets up a games table, too. "The student stays there and others choose to play games as well. It's open, safe, fun, inclusive fresh-air play." Something like this would be easy to incorporate into a birthday party or play date among children.

5: Teach self-advocacy and celebrate strengths. "Teach kids to talk about what they need. Empower them to ask for what they want," says McQuarrie. She explains that often children don't understand why they find certain things challenging. Instead, they internalize negative beliefs. She says that when we teach kids about their needs, strengths and abilities, they become confident self-advocates, able to request assertively what they need to be successful. And all children should learn how to advocate for their own needs.

Differences don't always equate to deficits, and kids should understand that they are powerful. Above all, it helps to focus on strengths and on what a child can do, says Georgiou. "We often make the mistake of overemphasizing weaknesses and forget strength."