Including Students with Developmental Disabilities in Secondary School Libraries

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Including Students with Developmental
Disabilities in Secondary School Libraries
Brenda Dillon Brenda.Dillon_at_dpcdsb.org Philip
Pocock Catholic Secondary School Dufferin
Peel Catholic District School Board Session
1704 Ontario Library Association Super
Conference 2009
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Agenda

• Introduction
• My Topic
• My Journey
• My Capping Project
• Literature Review
• Human Rights and Libraries
• Libraries and Individuals with Special Needs
• Conclusion
• Reflection and Sharing
• The Students
• The School Library Program
• Collection Development
• Collaboration
• Professional Learning

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Introduction My Topic

• goal to create an inclusive school library
• focus students with developmental
  
  
  
  disabilities
• definition of developmental disability
  severe learning disorder combining moderate
  to profound intellectual disability with
  disability in adaptive functioning, both of
  which are present before 18 years of age

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Introduction My Journey

• volunteer work
• summer job
• faculty independent study course
• classroom experience
• a library period
• asked by teachers to work with students
• discovered students not welcome in library
• vowed to change this, should I get the
  chance
• TL, September 1996
• made changes!
• AQ Specialist, Special Education (helpful!)

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Introduction My Capping Project

• session is based on my M.Ed. capping project
• an opportunity to develop, refine,
  consolidate
• tried to create a resource for others
  interested in including students with
  developmental disabilities in high school
  libraries

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Literature Review

• Human Rights and Libraries
• Libraries and Individuals with Special Needs
• The Right to Inclusion
• From Philosophy to Practice
• Including Students with Developmental
  Disabilities
• Conclusion

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Human Rights and Libraries

• human rights documents, including
• UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Ontario Human Rights Code
• have in common
• respect for diversity
• expectation that human rights apply to ALL
  persons

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Human Rights and Libraries, contd

• library documents, including
• CLA Code of Ethics
• IFLA / UNESCO School Library Manifesto
• CLA Statement on Effective School Library
  Programs in Canada
• ATLC The Students Bill of Information
  Rights
• OSLA Policy Statement
• make clear
• libraries welcome all community members
• provide equitable service to all patrons

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Libraries and Individuals with Special Needs

• right to inclusion
• human rights and education legislation make
  clear that inclusion of individuals with
  special needs is desired, expected, required
• school library documents make clear the
  need to welcome and support students with
  special needs
• from philosophy to practice
• lots of material on including individuals
  with special needs in school, academic, and
  public libraries
• includes physical access, assistive
  technology
• including individuals with developmental
  disabilities
• very little specific to this topic

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Conclusion

• Creating an inclusive school library is an
  essential and ongoing task.
• library literature offers both philosophical
  and practical support
• however, theres very little specifically
  about including students with developmental
  disabilities
• Together, we can make it happen!

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Reflection and Sharing

• The Students
• The School Library Program
• Collection Development
• Collaboration
• Professional Learning

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The Students

• PIP (Planning for Independence Program)
• intellectual disabilities
• moderate to profound (IQ scores below 50 -
  55)
• significant deficits in adaptive functioning
  in at least two areas
• communication
• self - care
• home living
• social / interpersonal skills
• use of community resources
• self - direction
• functional and academic skills
• work
• leisure
• health and safety
• beginning before 18 years of age
• may have multiple exceptionalities
• in high school until age 21
• all IPRCd, all with IEPs, working on
  alternative curriculum

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• each student is an individual must get to
  know them, however
• labels (e.g. Down Syndrome, Williamss
  Syndrome) can provide useful starting points
  
• as can records (IEP, OSR)
• and people who already know / work with
  students (PIP teachers, ERWs)

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• generally useful strategies include
• using simple, clear language
• avoiding visual, verbal, and material
  clutter
• using a plain font, larger size, extra
  space
• allowing extra time for processing
• beginning with the familiar / known
• working from the concrete to the abstract
• using realistic materials
• working step by - step, with lots of
  scaffolding, organization, support, and
  modeling
• not expecting generalization / providing
  direct instruction in a number of settings /
  situations / repeated practice
• providing opportunities for ongoing practice
  to maintain learning and develop skills

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The School Library Program

• You are welcome _at_ your library
• library basics, e.g. appropriate behaviour,
  vocabulary, signing out and returning books
• Reading and Learning _at_ your library
• picture book read - alouds, with activities
• collaborative novel studies
• personal book selections
• research / inquiry process, research projects
• Work Experience _at_ your library
• basic job skills (e.g. attendance,
  punctuality, accountability, following
  schedule, following instructions, completing
  tasks,
• appropriate work behaviour and social skills
• literacy and numeracy
• goal is preparation for Work Experience
  placement outside school

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Teaching Materials

• use visual, concrete materials
• lots of worksheets, activities, games
• try to create each activity at a variety
  of levels, match materials to students
• use a variety of activities / approaches to
  repeat teaching
• see whats available from PIP teachers
• use / adapt elementary materials
• check out online materials (lots for
  elementary teachers, home schoolers)
• make your own (learn Boardmaker!)
• Think primary avoid cute!

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Collection Development

• encyclopedias
• World Book Student Discovery, WBSD Science
• primary and high / low non - fiction
• picture books
• pre - chapter books (e.g. DK Readers)
• Junior novels
• high / low fiction (e.g. Orca Soundings)
• consider non book materials (e.g. puzzles)
• consider making / publishing in - house
• Think primary avoid cute!

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Collaboration

• essential element in creation of inclusive
  school library
• with classroom teachers
• differentiated instruction
• resources at appropriate levels
• with PIP teachers, ERWs, support staff
• most helpful if TL can be part of team
  working with students
• ideally, library program is developed
  collaboratively with, and fully integrated
  into, PIP

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Professional Learning

• critical factor is attitude
• however, ongoing professional learning is
  necessary
• for everyone not just TL
• behaviour, communication, medical issues
• augmentative / alternative communication
  systems or other assistive technology
• confidentiality is a concern, but so is
  safety
• goal is to reduce apprehension, increase
  support, make student welcome
• talk to ERWs, PIP teachers
• ask to be included in in-service sessions
• read
• consider taking courses

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Next Steps

• Wiki
• http//inclusiveschoollibraries.wikispaces.com
• Work in progress check back!
• Want to post? Contact me.
• PIP Library Curriculum Project