Answer:
Reem Al Hout is Principal of the American Academy of Beirut, a school which includes children with special educational needs (SEN). We asked her about the benefits of inclusion, and the teaching methods used.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is an inclusive school?
An inclusive school means that all students are welcomed – regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background or educational need. They learn, contribute to, and take part in all aspects of school life.
Students with SEN spend most or all of their time learning with their peers, and the school encourages awareness of the mutual benefits of inclusion.
What are these benefits?
Some benefits are social. Students can create lasting friendships that help them navigate relationships later in their lives. In an inclusive classroom, they get to see how different people interact.
There are academic benefits, too. In a well-designed inclusive classroom, students meet higher expectations – both from their peers and their teachers. They may also see positive academic role models in their classmates.
Families may also benefit. This is especially true when the SEN student is an only child, whose parents may be unable to fit in to the community, unless the student is in an inclusive school.
Our school holds lots of orientation sessions and meetings between parents, specialists and teachers, to support SEN students' families.
How should teachers prepare for inclusion?
At our school, teachers talk to specialists and study students' previous assessments, inside and outside the classroom. Next, they construct a profile for each student.
Each profile includes information about gender, age, language knowledge, and what gets the student motivated. There's also information from previous teachers about the student’s learning habits and speed (so they know whether to offer extra practice or modified assignments), and specialists' observations about the child's learning needs. These might include dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or speech and language delay.
What makes your school inclusive?
A speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a psychologist and an educational psychologist assess each child's abilities, to tell us about any modifications and support they might need. Based on these assessments, students with SEN are integrated to classes.
How do you make sure that all children at your school get along?
We have students with diverse intellectual abilities, so we try to offer a relaxing environment for everyone. This is not always straightforward. Some children may be reluctant to include their peers in conversations or in playground activities. A lack of understanding can result in hurtful remarks or bullying.
To make sure the atmosphere is supportive and that everyone feels included and understood.
How do you approach inclusion for the youngest children?
Next, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist come to the preschool classes to work with all the children in group therapy sessions. They also run individual sessions for SEN students in the class.
How do you approach inclusion with older students?
Our high-school students attend orientation sessions run by a special needs coordinator and a school psychologist at the beginning of each year. These sessions explain the different needs that students may have, and show how to offer support.
The high-school students also attend special classes with SEN students all through the year.
Some of the high-school classes include a few students who have specific learning difficulties.
High-school students also take part in a weekly community service session. They might help the teachers who are teaching the SEN students, join students in activities, bringing gifts and library books.
This community service is required by the Ministry of Education in Lebanon, which asks high-school students to do 60 hours of community service.
How can you tell if a student is 'engaged'?
Student engagement means the attention, curiosity, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught. This extends to their level of motivation. When students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired, they learn better.
There is observable behaviour, such as attending class, listening attentively, taking part in discussions, turning in work on time, and following rules and directions.
What support do you give teachers?
Our school does a training induction for teachers every year, with workshops run by special education specialists. Different teaching styles, how to be aware of SEN students' needs, when to refer an issue to a school specialist, and what each specialist's role is.
Teachers also learn about the different SEN students currently registered in the school, so they are better equipped to help them learn. We create a positive climate that benefits our SEN students.