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Disabilities Awareness Curriculum

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Disabilities Awareness Curriculum Recommended For Third Graders in San Mateo County The San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities MORE Family Resource Center, Community Gate Path Dear San Mateo County Elementary School Teachers: With an estimated 117,000 residents of San Mateo County who are physically or developmentally disabled, some of your students may have a disability or know someone who is disabled. However, many young children are not aware of people with disabilities and the issues they face in their day-to-day lives. The month of October has historically been proclaimed as a time to enhance awareness and sensitivity toward people with disabilities. In an effort to increase the understanding of disabilities for elementary students in this county, the San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities and MORE Family Resource Center have developed a packet of information and mini-lesson plans. This packet includes: Talking to children about people with differing abilities Ten simple communication rules – "the do’s and don’ts" Mini-lesson plan with Disabilities Awareness activities Suggested reading list The San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities (CoD) has speakers available to speak before your class or school to enlighten young children about the important issues impacting the daily lives of people with disabilities. If you have any questions or are interested in having a speaker, please contact Craig McCulloh, Staff Coordinator, at (650) 573-2580. MORE Family Resource Center (MORE) has books to borrow, take-home booklets for your students, and "Kids on the Block" puppet shows, which they will bring to your classroom. Please contact Carolyn Locke, Disabilities Awareness Coordinator, at (650) 259-0189. Thanks for taking the time to make Disabilities Awareness part of your curriculum! The San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities MORE Family Resource Center Talking to Children about People with Differing Abilities When discussing issues with children pertaining to people who have differing abilities, it is important to approach the subject in a sensitive, yet straightforward and open manner. Children may have unexpressed fears, anxieties and misconceptions about people who have disabilities. It is important that the discussion be positive. One way to begin a discussion is to point out that people have differing abilities. A disability can make some things harder to do. A discussion of this nature puts things quickly in perspective and conveys the message that a disability can be overcome or compensated for in some way. The semantics used in the topic of disabilities are important. For example, such words as "crippled", "deformed", "midget" or "retarded" are no longer widely used. These words are stigmatizing and lead to stereotyping. The more appropriate terms are "disabled", "short stature", and "developmentally disabled / delayed". It is also important to refer to someone as a person first in order to clarify the difference between the person and the disability. For example, say "the child with autism" rather than "the autistic child". Or, say "the child with learning differences" rather than "the learning disabled child". During discussions, ways can be explored as to how we, as humans, are different, yet the same, and how our differences do not need to set us apart. Sometimes, because of having differing abilities, we forget how we are all the same – how we all need love, friendship, and acceptance. Students can explore ways to overcome obstacles that may prevent someone with a disability from fully participating in the school, home, with classmates or their community.   Some Disability Issues Students May Worry About A disability is not contagious. Children may need reassurance that a disability is not contagious (note: it is pertinent to clarify the difference between having a disability and having an illness or accident which may cause disabilities). Having a disability is not a punishment. People do not have a disability because they are "bad". People are not "bad" because they have a disability. These images have been projected in subtle ways, in media and literature. Usually a person having a disability cannot be cured. It can be compensated for and adaptive methods used so the person can be as independent and self-sufficient as possible. People who have disabilities are not necessarily in need of constant care. Someone can have a disability without being "sick"!   10 Simple Communication Rules – the "do’s" and "don’ts" For Communicating With People With Disabilities 1. Speak directly rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be present. 2. Offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or an artificial limb can usually shake hands, and offering the left is an acceptable greeting. 3. Always identify yourself and others who may be with you when meeting someone with a visual disability. When talking in groups remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking. Ask if you can describe something to a person with a visual disability. 4. If you offer to help, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions. 5. Address people with disabilities by their first names, only when extending that same familiarity to all others. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulders. 6. Do not lean against or hang on someone’s wheelchair. Remember that people with disabilities treat their chairs as extensions of their bodies. And so do people with guide dogs and help dogs. Never distract a work animal from their job without the owner’s permission. 7. Listen carefully when talking with people who have difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, or a nod of the head. Never pretend to understand; instead repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond. 8. Place yourself at eye level when speaking with someone in a wheelchair or on crutches.  9. Tap a person who has a hearing disability on the shoulder or wave your hands to get his/her attention. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly and expressively to establish if the person can read lips. If so, try to face the light source and keep hand and food away from your mouth when speaking. If a person is wearing a hearing aid, don’t assume that they have the ability to discriminate your speaking voice. Never shout at a person. Just speak in a normal tone of voice. 10. Relax! Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use common expressions such as "See you later" or "Did you hear about?" that seems to relate to a person’s disability. Adapted from the United Cerebral Palsy "The Ten Commandments of Communicating With People With Disabilities". A humorous look at the "do’s" and "don’ts" of communicating with people with disabilities. This 30 minute tape is available to borrow from the Commission on Disabilities (an excellent training tool for staff). Suggested Lesson Plan The following is a suggested lesson plan that offers a variety of ideas and interesting activities that can easily be carried out over a five-day period. Please feel free to adapt or expand upon this plan to peak your students’ interest in disabilities awareness. 1. - Read a book. Read a book about someone who has a special need and is overcoming obstacles to inclusion (see recommended book list from MORE). Follow up with a discussion. 2. – Storytelling. Sharing stories about real or imagined experiences involving persons with differing abilities (include story telling by persons who live with a disability) are another way for children to develop understanding and acceptance. 3. – Topic For Discussion. Discuss the symbol on the next page. 4. – Disability Stations. Simulating experiences that people with differing abilities encounter in everyday life may help children to develop first hand knowledge and understanding of disabilities. Simulation games help to generate discussions and activities related to the experience. Suggestions follow. 5. – "Kids on the Block" Puppet Performance. "Kids on the Block" puppet performance by MORE brings characters who have differing abilities to life. Topic For Discussion Have you ever seen this symbol before? Where? What does it mean?   Disability Stations Disability Awareness: Visually Impaired Possible Objectives: Students will be able to: petting Experience visual impairment in a classroom setting Describe efforts made to accomplish daily living tasks Explore alternatives to day-to-day functioning with limited visual ability Materials Needed: A pair of eyeglasses Petroleum jelly (Vasoline) or hand cream Procedures: Smear Vasoline on eyeglass lenses Place glasses on child Have the child attempt to pick up a pencil from the desk and write their name on paper Have the child walk from their desk to the blackboard/whiteboard and write a message to their classmates Disability Awareness: Hearing Impaired / Deaf Possible Objectives: Students will be able to: Experience hearing impairment in classroom setting Describe difficulty in hearing and understanding what someone has said Describe difficulty in hearing what someone has said when several people are talking at the same time Explore alternative means to communication such as Sign Language or lip reading Materials Needed: Cotton balls or ear plugs Procedures: Have ½ of the station group insert cotton or ear plugs in both of their ears Have the other ½ of the station group stand or sit within 3 to 4 feet of their classmates The children without cotton in their ears will begin speaking at the same time to those children with the cotton in their ears Ask the "hearing impaired" students to repeat what was said to them by their hearing classmates. Switch One-on-One Activity - Make sure each child has a partner. One child without cotton in his/her ears will read a simple sentence to a child with cotton in his/her ears. Have the child with cotton in his/her ears repeat it. Switch Disability Awareness: Physically Challenged Possible Objectives: Students will be able to: Experience orthopedic impairment in classroom setting Describe efforts made to accomplish daily living tasks Explore alternatives to day-to-day functioning with limited mobility Materials Needed: Shirts with buttons Socks Sweatpants Chair Procedures: Have child put socks on his/her hands. Sit down in the chair Put shirt on and button it (socks are still on the hands) Stay seated and put sweatpants all the way on without standing up Child can also put on shoes and try to tie laces while the socks are on the hands. Other possibilities while seated: washing hands (turning on water, reaching soap and paper towels is often difficult), drinking from a water fountain, writing on the board. Another fun thing is to borrow a wheelchair and let children take turns doing everyday tasks from the chair (getting books from the library shelves, getting onto play equipment in the school yard, etc.) Other Disabilities Awareness Activities Art related activities. Children may be encouraged to draw or paint ways to include persons with differing abilities in their everyday lives. MORE has a coloring book which they will deliver to your classroom. Show a film or video, which addresses individuals with special needs. (Example, Disney’s "Mac and Me"). Follow up with a discussion and activities. Make a slide show, video or photo book. A personalized slide show, video or photo book may be put together. The focus may be on ways in which children with differing abilities are similar to each other, and the common interests they share. Signing. Teach the class a simple song in sign language. ("Row Row Row Your Boat" included) . Speaker. Invite a speaker with a disability to your classroom. The San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities has a Speakers Bureau. For further information: San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities 225 37th Avenue San Mateo, CA 94403 Craig McCulloh (650) 573-2580 / TDD (650) 573-2220 MORE Family Resource Center, Community Gatepath 1764 Marco Polo Way Burlingame, CA 94010 (650) 259-0189 Special Thanks To UNITED WAY for their generous grant to Community Gatepath For Disabilities Awareness Back    Top of Page