Join us as we celebrate Autism Awareness Month in April...

A Case for Embracing Inclusive Education in Nigeria...

Preparing Students with Diverse Needs to be College and Career Ready: Response to Intervention and Universal Design for Learning (by Shari Butler, Ph.D.)

As a special educator in Nigeria, I interact daily with a growing number of school heads, administrators and teachers. My discovery is that students with Autism and related disabilities are very much at a disadvantage in terms of academics. The current situation appears to be very bleak for them because many schools (both public and private) are not willing to go any extra mile to accommodate exceptional students in an inclusive education setting. A number of reasons often put forward include, lack of qualified special education teachers, lack of strong government support in terms of robust policies in favour of special education inclusion, and resistance to change. Unfortunately, many affected parents (who are at the receiving end) are totally confused and unsure about the academic future of their special children.

For some educators or even policy makers in Nigeria who might be interested, here's a piece of information which I consider as very useful in taking steps towards embracing inclusive education in Nigeria (an eye opener -really). I have culled this article from Pearson Education Inc., website and its written by Shari Butler, Ph.D., Director of Special Education, School Achievement Services, Pearson

Challenge

[In the United States] both Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) recognize the right of all students to a high-quality standards-based education. These laws preclude the development of separate educational agendas for students with disabilities and hold educators accountable for ensuring that these students demonstrate progress according to the same standards. Students with disabilities must be provided with the opportunity to excel within the general curriculum and be prepared for future success, including college and/or careers. Meeting the unique and diverse needs of all of our students can be challenging. In this new generation of high expectations for all, which is a fundamental goal of College and Career Ready Standards, a new school culture must be created.

Solution

Response to Intervention (RtI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are innovative approaches for addressing the needs of a diverse population of students including students with disabilities. Both of these frameworks are critical to ensure that all students can participate and progress in the general education curriculum. Furthermore, schools that are successful in raising the achievement of students with special needs have established a culture in which the achievement of each and every student is considered a shared responsibility. A fundamental reality of implementing College and Career Readiness Standards in a Response to Intervention environment is that it requires a shared responsibility and an integrated teaching approach. Teachers must be knowledgeable of and be able to incorporate instructional supports for learning based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning which foster student engagement by presenting information in multiple ways and allowing for diverse avenues of action and expression.

The UDL approach considers the needs of the greatest number and range of possible students and offers educational methods and materials that eliminate costly, cumbersome and after the fact adaptations. Utilizing a collaborative framework that includes RtI and principles of UDL, teachers will be able to meet the challenge of engaging all learners with diverse needs, abilities and backgrounds.

Today is International Autism Sunday...

The Day Benola -A Cerebral Palsy Initiative- Visited the C.A.D.E.T. Academy

On the 30th of January 2014, The Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (C.A.D.E.T.) Academy Abuja was visited by a team from Benola - Cerebral Palsy Initative. Benola is a Not for Profit Organisation located in Lagos, Nigeria. They are committed to change and progress for persons living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). 

CP is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth.

*There are 17 million people across the world living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Another 350 million people are closely connected to a child or adult with CP. It is the most common physical disability in childhood.

*CP is a permanent disability that affects movement. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.

*It is a complex disability: 1 in 4 children with CP cannot talk, 1 in 3 cannot walk, 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability, 1 in 4 have epilepsy.*

*CP is a lifelong disability and there is no known cure. (Source: Novak I, Hines M,Goldsmith S, Barclay R (2012) Clinical Prognostic Messages from a Systematic Review on Cerebral Palsy, Pediatrics, 130:5)

The visit offered an opportunity for cross fertilization of ideas in the areas of special education needs and awareness efforts between the two organizations.

Here are some pictures from the visit:

AVM Femi Gbadebo (Founder/CEO Benola) explaining a point to Mrs Lola Aneke (Executive Director, C.A.D.E.T. Academy)

(From left-right) Mr Ayo Joseph, Benola Advisory Board Member, Benola; AVM Femi Gbadebo, Founder/CEO Benola; Mrs Lola Aneke, Executive Director, CADET Academy, Lt Cdr Uche Aneke, & Mrs Lola Famewo, a Staff of CADET Academy

Special Educational Program Tips for Parents

As the 2014 school year begins, here are some recommended questions for parents to ask while seeking the right educational program for a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or related disabilities:

• What are the credentials of the staff, and who will be around your child?
• What is the schedule for the day's activities? Will parents be allowed to observe the classroom before enrolling their child?
• What therapies does the school/program provide? Can private therapists work with your child at the school?
• How does the staff communicate with parents?
• Does the school/program create opportunities for parents to meet and network?
• Will parents be allowed to participate in the IEP?
• How many children attend the program? What is the staff-to-child ratio? Are the children divided into groups by age or in some other way?
• How often are the teaching staff trained to work with exceptional children? Is INCLUSION one of the training topics? What experience has the staff had in working with children with special needs?
• What is the discipline policy?
• If your child is unable or would prefer not to do an activity (e.g. swimming or a field trip), what is the alternate activity?
• If your child would like to do a certain activity but may need additional support, is the staff willing to make individualized accommodations (such as help changing into a swimsuit, headphones during loud times, help with using the bathroom, feeding, etc.)?
• Are staff members willing to have a support person come in to facilitate inclusion efforts for your child and others?
• Does the school/program create opportunities for parents to share positive and negative experiences?

These questions would serve as a guide to parents of children with ASD or other special needs in making their choices for their child's education. In the end, the goal of any special needs program is to make the child feel successful, learn new skills and feel good about themselves as they grow into productive adults.

Practical Holiday Tips...

Now that the Christmas holidays are here, one great way that parents can encourage speech and language development during this period is to keep daily, meaningful, understandable language flowing. For example, your child's conversation topics should be filled with the Christmas and holiday vocabulary. You can work this plan together with your child's speech language pathologist. Also, ensure that you answer your child every time he/she speaks to you, and let him/her know that you value everything he/she has to say. Look at your child when you speak to him/her, even if the child is non-verbal.

If your child asks a continuous stream of questions, saying it back the to him/her may break the cycle, especially if the child already knows the answer. For example, Child: "Are we going to the mall from here?" Adult: "Yinka, are we going to the mall from here?" Child: "Yes!"

Please note that singing is also speech. Therefore, if your child learns songs easily, use that strength to enhance his/her language skills. Talk about new words in the song he/she may not understand; and make sure you distinguish nonsense words from real words.

Finally, take time to enjoy your times together and have lots of fun this holiday. Merry Christmas! 

C.A.D.E.T. Academy® 5-Hour Training Workshop/Seminar in Abuja - 7 Dec 13 (Topic: How to Teach Students with Autism Effectively - First Edition)

The Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (C.A.D.E.T.) Academy organized a training workshop/seminar in Abuja, Nigeria, on 7th December 2013. The title of the workshop was: HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS WITH AUTISM EFFECTIVELY. The aim of the workshop was to educate and train the participants on research-based special education strategies for teaching students with autism and related disabilities in inclusive settings. A game and six case studies were used to clearly illustrate certain points to the participants thus keeping the 5-hour duration of the workshop interactive and lively until the end. There was also a lunch break during which the participants were served with sumptuous meals to keep them refreshed.

The workshop had a successful outcome. Here are the feed backs from some of the participants:

"The training met my expectation. This is the first time I am sitting for a training on Autism. You spoke with great expertise and passion. I think this training should be on going in all schools. Educators need to be constantly reminded to be creative with learning while not short changing any child for effective implementation of inclusion. Also, I have changed my perspective about autistic children. Thank you and keep it up!!!!" ~ Amara

"The C.A.D.E.T. Academy® workshop on how to teach kids with autism exceeded my expectations. It was so enlightening, so practical. The most exciting and interesting part for me are the case studies. Educators should invest in this." ~Blessing

"Wow! It was an impact full workshop/seminar. The lectures was delivered with passion, I enjoyed all the case studies, it gave me an opportunity to tap from people's wealth of experiences relating with Autistic child. The game time was amazing it shed more light to what goes on in the mind of an Autistic child. Wow! I will not forget to thank C.A.D.E.T Academy® for the super lunch and total package. Looking forward to your next training". ~Ibilola

"The training/seminar today was very educating as well as interesting. The "Mr and Mrs Right game was challenging, further making me feel what kids with Autism feel and appreciate them. It was very much interactive with regards to the case studies after each presentation. Mrs Lola Aneke was very practical with her explanations which made them clearer, for me it wasn't boring at all...I think this is one training that teachers should not shy away from...The seminar is one I look forward to again and again. I wonder why teachers and parents won't rush to attend this, because we deal with Autistic Children almost every day of our lives interacting with children, and we need to be aware of ways how we can teach and train this kids effectively and get POSITIVE results. I am most grateful to C.A.D.E.T. Academy® for the wonderful experience." ~Pamela

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If you missed this workshop/seminar, don't worry, more of our seminars and workshops are scheduled for the months ahead - some will be free and some will be at a fee. You may visit the C.A.D.E.T. Academy website (www.cacademy.sch.ng) to get more details of our scheduled workshops and seminars. Photo highlights are below, after the cut.

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