Social
1. Why do we as a society exclude people?
2. How do we exclude people?
3. Who do we exclude?
A Story of Inclusion
(This is a guest post about special-education inclusion written by Michelle, a Florida resident and mother of two. Her 23-year old daughter Brittany was diagnosed with autism when she was three.)
Inclusion is like a well-choreographed dance, everyone has to know and do his or her part and it can be something of beauty and grace. On the other hand, if everyone isn’t doing his or her part, it can be awkward and downright difficult to watch.
Inclusion is merely an illusion without the proper supports. I’ve seen “inclusion” where the included student in reality is the pariah of the classroom. Sitting in front of the class, doing their autism thing while the kids would laugh at or get annoyed by the constant disruptions. The teacher is miserable and not able to meet the student’s needs effectively, the classmates are disconnected from the student and the student with autism is physically there, but getting little to nothing out of the placement and anything but included. Sometimes we have to be careful what we ask for.
My Brittany has classic autism. She is nonverbal and her receptive skills are profoundly impaired. Britt has severe sensory and social impairments, OCD off the charts as well as all the other bells and whistles that come with classic autism. She was a perfect fit for a small, self-contained classroom somewhere in our school district, but fate and circumstances had other plans for my special girl.
Brittany ended up in an amazing, well-orchestrated inclusion model from kindergarten throughout HS. It was unanimously decided in Pre-K that she would be a good candidate. We began the long journey by carefully choosing a kindergarten teacher that was excited about the prospect of having her very first student with autism in her classroom. To help assure mainstream success, Brittany was assigned a 1:1 aide in kindergarten. It turned out that Britt kept the same aide (more accurately, her Guardian Angel) throughout the entire19 years and three schools (elem., middle & HS). I’m quite certain having the same aide for 19years is a world record and if there’s one thing I know for sure, a Godsend.
Brittany was always set-up for success by the language in her IEP, everyone being on board and most importantly, by Brittany’s cooperation and obvious love for being exactly where she was. Britt had a modified curriculum and homework in order to make her placement doable and successful. We were carefully guided by Britt’s progress each year and we would tweak her inclusion model if and when necessary.
Typical peers were a gift in Brittany’s life in countless ways and their constant presence helped her develop strong coping skills that today are invaluable. We never asked the kids to modify their behavior to meet Brittany’s autistic limitations; we let them be guided by their hearts and instincts under the careful and considerate guidance of Britt’s aide and teachers.
Britt’s differences were vast but the kids accepted and met her exactly where and how she was and consistently treated her with kindness, understanding and acceptance. Britt participated in every class trip, field trip, PE, sports, etc.…all in her unique way, keeping in mind Britt’s story is success with autism, not one of cure/recovery from autism. Britt loved every single day of the 19 years she attended school, the true litmus test of the success of her unique placement.
As graduation day was approaching, I was proud that there were several requests to walk Britt onto the stage to get her diploma. I felt Britt’s aide should have the honor for obvious reasons, but her aide, always the selfless one, insisted Britt walk with one of her favorite peers.
On graduation day, Brittany and the other 1,200 graduates entered the open-air stadium. Britt and her peer walked the long walk to the podium when Britt’s name was called. The crowd cheered and people that knew Brit from preschool came to watch her take that walk, which was symbolism for so much more.
I will always remember the sight of the two girls, so young, beautiful and full of hope, dressed in their caps and gowns. I cried. Tears of joy and gratitude for the wonderful years Brittany loved so much and sadness of the reality that this amazing chapter was officially over, almost two decades gone by in what seemed like a blink of an eye.
Brittany’s inclusion was a perfect storm of timing, people and circumstances…the planet aligned for my beautiful girl. I will be forever thankful that Brittany ran with the opportunity and never turned back for a moment.
The phrase “It Takes a Village” accurately describes Brittany’s school years to the letter. We all worked together and teamwork prevailed. Brittany was our Team Leader even though she was totally unaware of it and the hand of God was present throughout her journey.
Most gratefully,
Michelle
What does “RADICAL INCLUSIVITY” mean to you?
Physical Spies
Scripture and the Body
Incarnation –
Orthodoxy –
Orthodox View –
Heredoxy (Heresy) –
2 Heresies Confronted By the Church
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2)
Trinity – What Do We Believe?
The one God is manifested/expressed in 3 ways (3 persons in one)
Father –
Son –
Holy Spirit –
1 Corinthians 6:15
Paul tells us that our bodies are part of the body of Christ. They deserve to be respected and protected. Part of loving Christ is taking care of our bodies, and taking care of others people’s bodies because we are all parts of Christ. Anytime we show a lack of respect for the human body, we show a lack of respect for Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:19
God is present in all Temples and Churches. By telling people that their bodies are temples, Paul is saying that God is present in all of us. As a result, we must honour and respect our bodies, and the bodies of others. If we truly believe that our bodies are filled with the presence of God, we cannot say “it’s my body, I’ll do what I want with it.”
Ephesians 2:10
A true work of art is original and unique. Paul tells us that we are God’s works of art, therefore we are all original and unique. All of us together help to reveal the vastness of God. We all use our unique gifts and talents to honour God. In order to fully use our gifts we must first accept and recognize their value to the whole community.
Emotions Assignment
The statements below mean different things to different people. Some individuals support the statement and believe them to be true, while others will argue that they are false. You will provide your opinion for each statement, and provide an example if you can.
1. Violence as an expression of anger is sometimes good.
2. Love can never be destructive.
3. Satisfying all human desires is natural and therefore good.
4. Fear paralyses.
5. No good can come from sorrow.
6. If it gives me joy, it must be good.
7. Hatred can never lead a person to God.
Spiritual
Creed – a statement of belief; a profession of faith
*Your spirituality is based on your beliefs, values, how you live your life
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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