One year ago, schools shut down and shifted to the virtual setting. A year of Zoom calls, video meetings, phone chats, text messages, and emails. A year of challenges for our students, families, and us as educators. These challenges extended past our virtual schools to the real world. Through it all, I have seen the unbreakable human spirit. Love, compassion, hope, courage, respect, and curiosity. These Seneca core values appear innate to educators, and to me. They seem resilient to the adversity we face. They are truly unconditional. Our other core value, joy, seems to come and go. One moment it feels within my grasp, and the next, slipping through my fingers.

​As the days have turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months, and the months into a year, I seek out this joy. The teachers I work with seek it too, but it can be hard to find amid a sea of black screens. Administrators and service providers want to find it as well, but it can be daunting in the digital divide. We aim to solve a myriad of new problems in school structures and the student experience. Our school looks for opportunities to dismantle white supremacy in the education system, and I grapple with how to be an ally. It’s my belief that to move forward in these pursuits, joy is essential.

Seeking joy in times like this can be difficult. I admit in my work with students I’m quick to dive
right into an algebraic equation or to discuss providing evidence for a topic sentence. An area of growth for me is connecting with students virtually. I miss greeting students in the morning, eating with them at lunch, and playing basketball with them in the afternoon. This is also true for my connections with coworkers. Instead of chatting over copies and coffee in the morning, or debriefing at the end of a class, we are face to face in an online meeting with little time to spare. When our school delved into the hard conversations of anti-racism, we could not come together in the following days and lift each other up. I am nostalgic for those organic moments of togetherness within a school day, when joy was not hard to find and I didn’t have to search hard for it.

Without those natural humanizing moments, I’ve attempted to be more intentional about joy. When I check in with students, we discuss what we’re enjoying in and out of school. In my meetings with teachers, we talk about lessons, activities, and how to improve outcomes for students. I then take time to ask teachers “What would make a lesson fun for you?” We tinker and collaborate on how to bring joy to the classroom for them, and for the students. In my digital interactions, I strive to carve out a few minutes of lightness and laughter. 

​As I sit reflecting upon this past year, a different perspective emerges. These fleeting joys I seek are the simple byproduct of in person human interaction, which I miss dearly. Having those moments can re-energize us as educators and motivate students to keep going. There is a tremendous amount of value in keeping our spirits high. It is important, but there’s also a deeper happiness to be found which can’t be sought after or created so easily. The true joys of Unconditional Education come from within the work itself.
 
I recently had an IEP meeting with a freshman student. This student graduated 8th grade and started high school virtually, during a pandemic. I cannot imagine living through a pivotal time in such circumstances. The start of this school year was difficult for them, but this recent meeting felt more like a celebration. The student and their clinician were happy to report progress on a journey which enabled the student to recognize their thoughts and feelings, and to give them words. The team, the student, and their mother were thrilled to discuss the positive improvement in the student’s behavior. Their math teacher was ecstatic to discuss the student’s newfound confidence in solving problems step by step. The student and I made plans to tackle a new goal in self-advocacy, an area of challenge, but one that we are embracing in partnership.

​This cheerful meeting was no happy accident. It took daily effort from the student, their mother, their teachers, support staff, and a team of service providers. Small moments of joy did sustain all of us in this work, but they can be conditional. They depend on the environment, the activity, and how we as people are connected to each other, which are all challenges in a pandemic. Rather, it is the loving, compassionate, hopeful, courageous, respectful, and curious moments we pour into education everyday which leads to meaningful joy. It is this joy that empowers a young person on their journey. It fills the heart of their family. It is why we persist as educators. A sustainable joy, unconditional.

At the end of Black History Month, I have reflected on how much more I have learned about Black excellence, Black joy and Black futures.  It has been an inspiring month that continues.

A particular piece of information that made me pause was the studied impact of Black educators on students.  Here are some of those empirically evidenced statistics that I saw:

• Black teachers are more successful in supporting the achievement and well-being of Black children.
• Black students who have even one Black teacher during elementary school are more likely to graduate high school and consider college.
• Black students with Black teachers experience less exclusionary discipline.
• Students of color (in general) feel teachers of the same race hold them to high expectations and are more culturally sensitive than their white counterparts.​

​We reflected on why being a Black educator should not be a big deal, but the truth is they are important figures in this age and context.  Rose could not remember having any Black teachers growing up, and Lauren clearly recalls the three Black educators who made an impact on her and her school experience.  Now that both are in the education field, they find themselves called to the profession by having witnessed how students are often mistreated and overlooked in schools through exclusionary practices.  Lauren says, “if not me, then who” leads her to show up for students at school with a driving desire to never give up. The phrase, “Actions are stronger than words” leads Rose to think about all the seemingly “small things,” can support students to feel safe to do the hard work in front of them. Things like having visual cues, cultural references, utilizing different forms of learning, and holding mutual respect.  Both Rose and Lauren know that kids are intuitive and can read when leaders are avoidant or aloof.  “It’s a vibe!” says Lauren and echoes that students respond well to familial spaces and places where self-expression is accepted in different forms.

​Lauren noted that open communication and being receptive to feedback are key elements that help her remain engaged in the work in a diverse school setting with cross racial teams.  Rose identifies that “a balance” in education settings is crucial to not becoming too focused on test scores and pragmatic relationships.  Incorporating life lessons, cultural exploration and tending to mental health are some ways that help Rose feel that she is caring for herself and upholding to the values that propelled her to become a teacher in the first place.  She leans on the school community, including the principal and wider teams, to remind her to keep time for herself and to accept “planting seeds for the future” instead of chasing the elusive immediate solution.

​Rose and Lauren note the ongoing work that needs to be done to create an equitable space in schools and the teaching profession.  It starts with accepting that we hold biases from our own lived experiences in our homes, schools, and communities and scrutinizing our career training knowing that it doesn’t encompass all experiences.  We all must put in the same work to be accountable for our own actions.  Their leadership and voice give me hope that the statistics that I laid out earlier, can be forever changed with meaningful work from all.

This is one of the first and most common questions I receive as an occupational therapist. Generally speaking, occupational therapy is a healthcare service which helps people participate functionally in the occupations or activities that are necessary or meaningful to their life. Depending on the setting or the client, those meaningful occupations can vary. For children and adolescents, one of their primary occupations is being a student.

Occupational therapists adapt activities and create modifications to provide a “just right challenge” for students. This allows the student to feel successful in their schoolwork and activities while simultaneously continuing to build their skillsets.

In distance learning, we continue to do just that! Instead of using sensory tools at school to self-regulate, we are building a “tool-box” of sensory items at home (i.e. blankets, squishy balls, play doh, etc.). Instead of practicing copying sentences from a real whiteboard, we are practicing copying sentences from a virtual “Zoom whiteboard.” And instead of promoting socio-emotional skills through peer interactions on the playground, we are playing turn-taking virtual games and role playing how to react and respond to what a peer said over a Zoom. For me, this has been one of the more fun challenges of virtual occupational therapy, finding games that translate easily to Zoom like Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect Four, or “Snakes.”

True, the environment and resources have changed, but the service goal is the same: to help students access their curriculum in spite of any obstacles they face, including and not limited to, a pandemic.

​I am a School Psychologist. I received my degree in school psychology at a Historical Black College (HBCU) called Howard University in 2007. I began my professional career as a School Psychologist in a charter school in Washington D.C. and later in nearby Laurel, Maryland. The schools I had chosen to work at served students and families from lower socio-economic statuses, as well as predominately Black communities. Like my other School Psychologist colleagues, I administered IQ tests and other processing batteries, completed behavior analysis and plans, work reports on student performance and achievement, attended IEP meetings, etc. It wasn’t until I moved to California in 2014 and accepted a position as a School Psychologist that I first learned of the landmark lawsuit referred to as Larry P vs. Riles (1979).

For those that are unaware of this case or it’s significance, the Larry P v. Riles (1979) court case is a landmark lawsuit that changed special education for Black students across California and banned the administration of standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) tests for the placement of Black students in special education. The case represented a class action lawsuit of Black parents in San Francisco who challenged the over-representation of Blacks students in special education classes and programs based on standardized assessment. During the court case, the basis of the argument in opposition to IQ tests and standardized assessment for Black students were that the tests were biased, founded in Eurocentric “White supremacist” culture and were overall discriminatory. The court case concluded with a permanent ban on IQ testing of Black students within California and the ban continues to this day. California is the only state with such a ban. Therefore, you can understand my initial shock and confusion when I learned that as a school psychologist in California, I would not be allowed to utilize the familiar assessments I had previously learned in Washington D.C and Maryland.   

I’ve since lived in California for the last 5 years and during that time, I’ve had numerous debates on the validity of this law and its purported ability to reduce over-representation of Black students in special education. The California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) wants the ban lifted and notes that their reasoning is that the ban has not been effective in curbing the overrepresentation of black students in special education. As a School Psychologist and now Director of Special Education, I don’t need to see the hard numbers to know through observation that this law has not been effective in reducing the disproportionality of African-American students in special education, but simply banned the use of assessment tools, that while imperfect provide valuable information about an individuals' overall cognitive learning profile. It is my belief that the issue is less on the assessment batteries themselves, but instead the interpretation of the results by the individuals administering the assessment. 

While I understand you may not want to take my professional judgement and beliefs as truth, let me share some relevant data. Both nationally and locally within California, disproportionality of Black students continues - but now specifically, disabilities are more related to perceived challenging behaviors. According to a KQED article, A Landmark Lawsuit Aimed to Fix Special Ed for California’s Black Students. It Didn’t, Lee Romney shared, “But data released in 2016 show that Black students nationwide are still being placed disproportionately in special education—particularly in categories like ‘emotional disturbance,’ which are tied to behavior.” The author further shares, “Many black families find themselves navigating the system because nearly one in three black students in San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is in special education—compared to one in eight non-black students, district data shows.” The data suggests that disproportionality for Black student in special education is still rampant and reform is still needed to address the issue.

Inclusion of students with disabilities into the school of their choice is a civil right and should be thought of in that way. Students with disabilities may do things differently that may be apparent in the way they talk, dance, learn, smile, etc…. however they aren’t deficiencies. In fact, as human beings the one thing we have in common is that we are all different. Unfortunately, it is our society that has developed a hierarchical structure defining our differences with some differences being labeled positively and others as deficient. This is an antiquated paradigm plagued by prejudice. This prejudice has stratified our society and socialized us into only knowing how to connect with individuals with commonalities and excluding individuals that are different.

What makes this even more challenging is that most people don’t recognize this prejudice and often disguise it by compassion or pity. For example, people may be better able to recognize their racial or cultural bias but are less likely to recognize their prejudice against people with disabilities. The simple fact that as a society we continue to engage in a practice of segregating students and individuals with disabilities into “special” placements, facilities, and homes suggests adherence to this prejudice. This way of thinking needs to change and be added to other civil rights initiatives fighting for equal rights and justice.

One of the most basic and easy change to make is simply the presumption of competence. In other words, the belief that individuals are capable unless there is absolute evidence to thwart that belief. Instead, a mindset shift and belief that assumptions about individuals and their abilities should be rooted as, Anne Donnellan mentioned in her book, Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism-Mental Retardation: Appreciations and Accommodations People with Communications and Behavior Challenges (1994) in a concept referred to as “Least Dangerous Assumption.” Anne Donnellan writes, “Least Dangerous assumption states that in the absences of absolute evidence it is essential to make the assumption that, if proven false, would be least dangerous to the individual.” It is always safest and most respectful to make the “least dangerous assumption.”

Consider how this relates to student school placement for a student with a disability. Imagine there is a child with limited verbal language and difficulty moving due to the impacts of cerebral palsy. Teachers have worked with her for months and have not seen any evidence of what she understands. In fact, the teachers are beginning to wonder if the child has any understanding at all. These teachers can make two assumptions: “what you see is what you get” or “I bet this student knows a lot and doesn’t have an appropriate way of expressing ideas”. The first assumption is limiting and focused only on the students deficits, whereas the second assumptions presumes competence and a belief in the possibilities. The second assumption leaves room for high expectations, creative problem-solving and hopefully to the idea that with a use of a communication device this students voice and ability to self-express will blossom. 

But consider what happens when as educators and school communities we rely on the old antiquated paradigm focused on deficiencies. Consider the outcome for students and individuals with disabilities. What if the teachers gave up and chose to believe the first assumption? What harm is caused by this assumption? What is lost for the student and individuals with disabilities?

We all have strengths and weaknesses and more importantly differences. We all have a desire for acceptance and inclusion. It is up to all of us to examine our own core beliefs and spread the word around inclusion of individuals with disabilities, as well as, the “Least Dangerous Assumption.” We can no longer allow the paradigm of prejudice and exclusion to exist for individuals with disabilities as this is what is truly dangerous. ​

Although there is no evidence to indicate that discriminatory practices (including school mission, vision, culture, school-family-community relationships, policies and procedures, resource allocation, and collaborations)  in the school setting are the cause of dis-proportionality, research does show a correlation between the two, suggesting that systemic change is a practice that would benefit already marginalized students. Sullivan, Artiles, & Hernandez-Saca provide a general address to dis-proportionality in school settings, recommending how to best benefit from a consultant when looking at a long term (5 year) restructure targeting systemic change in the special education process. In addition, they identify efforts to support the reduction of dis-proportionality, resolutions schools can apply systematically to combat dis-proportionality, and they also make suggestions around reshaping school systems which shape disparities put into place by the school itself.
 
Systemic change is a HUGE task and calls for comprehensive vertical reform of perspectives, policies, and practices, which could prompt a shift towards reflecting, rethinking, and restructuring oppressive systems. Equity, vision and philosophy of education, stakeholder involvement, professional collaboration, resource allocation, and curriculum, instruction and assessment which support diverse learning are noted as imperative components of systemic change. It is not an easy solution and it most definitely requires dedication and openness at every level over an extended period of time. However, there is belief that it is possible and necessary to eradicate the intersectionality and disparities for ethnic minority students who have also been identified as having a learning disability.
 
Take a look at this article to read about it in more depth!

 
Many of our programs support students with significant academic, behavioral, communication, social, and emotional  needs in the general education setting with highly coordinated services.  Our partner schools are all at different stages of implementation of successful inclusion programs and our staff all play key roles in the development and delivery of these programs.
 
Inclusion is a mindset.  Successful inclusion programs require more than a belief in the principle of education all students together.  It requires training for staff and students, highly individualized student services, and additional research on the long-term outcomes.  
 
This article explores the history of inclusion in education and what current research says about the outcomes of inclusion programs.  It discusses some of the considerations required to build and maintain effective inclusion program and discusses some of the positive outcomes both for students  with disabilities and students without disabilities.  

If you didn’t already know by now, I am passionate about inclusion for all students. My passion for inclusion began when I accepted a position working for an agency called Maryland Coalition for Including Education or MCIE. It was in my work with MCIE that I first was introduced to Dr. Paula Kluth and learned of her work in inclusive practices. I had the privilege of attending a training specifically focused on her book, From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks: 100 Ways to Differentiate Instruction in K-12 Inclusive Classrooms, that changed my perspective and mindset on inclusion. I recently came across a Q & A session with Dr. Kluth that I found useful and thought I’d pass it on. Here’s a little information about Paula Kluth from her website and a copy of the Q & A link below:

“Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, author, advocate & independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher and inclusion facilitator. Her professional interests include differentiating instruction and inclusive schooling. She is the author or co-author of ten books. They include: “You’re Going to Love This Kid”: Teaching Students with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms; A Land We Can Share: Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism; The Autism Checklist; Joyful Learning: Active and Collaborative Learning in the Inclusive Classroom; and From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks: 100 Ways to Differentiate Instruction in K-12 Inclusive Classrooms. Paula is also a director of a documentary film titled “We Thought You’d Never Ask”: Voices of People with Autism. Dr. Kluth has been awarded numerous honors in her field & community. Most recently she was a recipient of the 20 Under 40 University of Wisconsin Alumni Achievement Award for her work with students with autism. She was named the National Down Syndrome Congress Educator of the Year in 2007 and the Belle Center of Chicago’s Inclusion Advocate of the Year in 2006”

https://www.paulakluth.com/about-paula/
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http://blog.brookespublishing.com/you-learn-by-doing-an-inclusion-qa-with-paula-kluth/