The topic of my blog is the role of school leaders in enhancing inclusion of children who display disruptive behaviours. I want to share a true case study that has led me to raise some questions in the hope of initiating substantive, honest dialogue about what it means when we call a school “inclusive.”
The case study is about a mother and her son. I have known the mother for last three years as I worked with her and the family on a parent training project. We trained the family to use positive behaviour support strategies. The mother is well educated and is working part time in a high profile banking job. She called me last week and sounded very upset about the way the school is dealing with her son. Anthony is a seven year old first grader in a Catholic Primary School, and has mild symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The mother admitted Anthony into the school because she had known the staff for a very long time as her elder son, who is in Grade 5 this year, is attending the same school. Also the school is located in close proximity to their house. When I asked her about what was the issue, she told me that her son has started behaving inappropriately more frequently (e.g throwing temper tantrums) in the last few months. On many occasions the school has called the mother to pick him up to calm him down. It has clearly been upsetting for the teacher and the family. During all this time an adult aide has been working with him. The school has advised that it would be best for Anthony to attend a different school where the staff is well trained to handle children like Anthony. The mother does not like this solution and is keen to ensure that Anthony is fully included in the school. The journey is not so encouraging so far! She told me that she feels as an excluded child herself when she walks in the school building. When I asked her how the school leadership has responded on the issue so far, she told me that both principal and vice principal support the teacher and has indirectly asked her to look for another school. The mother finds it highly disturbing considering that the school is not only considered inclusive by many parents but it also promotes itself to be a highly inclusive school.
I am pretty sure the story that I presented here is not new but I have a series of questions which could be new for you. If they are not new and if you have been asking these questions and have done something productive about them, then your school should be highly inclusive and perhaps you can share some insight on your school’s journey to become inclusive. If you have not asked these questions, then this may be a time for you to start asking these questions. You may like to reflect on my case study and think of similar children and their parents in your school. It would be good if you reflect on a personal level (rather than on a theoretical level) when answering these questions. The questions are:
- What have you done to welcome such children and their parents?
- How many times have you walked in the classroom and spent time doing something positive with such a student? Remember, your behaviours are highly symbolic and they convey an important message to everyone in the school.
- What have you done so that the parent of such a child doesn’t feel ashamed and feel empowered when he or she walks in your school? How many times have you asked them to join you for a coffee?
- What have you told your teachers informally when dealing with such children and their parents?
You may also wish to reflect on your school’s policies and whether you think that your school policies support inclusion of such children. You may want to read the articles by Heineman, Dunlap, & Kincaid, (2005) and Sugai & Horner, (2002) before responding. I would also like to hear from parents about:
- What do you think about the school leadership?
- Do you feel welcomed in the school?
- Are there any incidents that you would like to share reflecting positive (or not so positive) stories about your child’s school?
- How did you react and what did you do?
I am looking forward to reading your reflections.
References:
Heineman, M. Dunlap, G. & Kincaid, D. (2005) Positive Support Strategies for Students with Behavioral Disorders in General Education Settings, Psychology in the Schools, 42 (8), 779-794.
Sugai, G.M., & Horner, R.H. (2002). The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 24, 23–50.
Author Biography: Umesh Sharma has been working as a Senior Lecturer in the area of Special Education and Psychology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia for the last 8 years. His research focuses on teacher training for inclusive education, attitude measurement, and positive behaviour support. He has been organizing and conducting training activities for trainers, teachers and researchers both nationally and internationally on inclusive education.