IC Newsletter Summer 2015 - Santa Clara County Office of Education

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Summer 2015
Volume 5, Issue 4
Inclusion Collaborative
Upcoming Trainings
Oceans of Opportunity: The Second
Annual Inclusion Collaborative State
Conference
Oct. 29-30, 2015
The Inclusion Collaborative, supported by the
California Department of Education, will host its
annual Inclusion Collaborative State Conference for
general and special educators, support staff, and
parents. Each session will include presentations for
those working with children birth to 3 years old, 3-5
years old, and 5-11 years old.
The three keynote speakers, Robin McWilliams,
Pam Winton and Wayne Sailor, are nationally
recognized experts in educating children with
special needs in inclusive settings and represent
expertise from birth through elementary school.
Registration for onsite participation is limited to
about 250 people and was full by midsummer last
year, so get your registration in early. The
conference has a group rate at the Embassy Suites
Milpitas, available until Oct. 7th or until the group
block is filled.
Registration for virtual participation is available
through live broadcast throughout California. Make
the most of this professional development
opportunity by hosting a virtual conference in your
community. CEU’s and CaresPlus credit are available
to both onsite and virtual attendees. There’s
something for everyone at the Inclusion Conference
this year!
Here is a sample of the Conference Program:
Birth to age 3: Ten Mistakes in Early
Intervention ….and Solutions; Tantrums: Why do
They Happen and What Can Adults Do to Help;
and Reflections on Routines: Challenges in
Natural Environments.
Pre-Kindergarten to Transitional Kindergarten:
STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and
Math) for Creative Children; Powerful
Practices: Changing the Future through CA
CSEFEL; and Quality Inclusion: What Does It
Look Like and How Do We Measure It?
Kindergarten to 6th Grade: Using a Multi-Tiered
System of Support (MTSS) to Transform Schools;
An Inclusive Model for Students with
Moderate/Severe Disabilities; and Using
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to Support
All Learners.
Everyone will be interested in hearing about
California’s plans for statewide reform of
Special Education Services, the critical role of
collaboration for Inclusive Practices and
integrating reflective practices into your
work.
Page 2 of 7
Activities
Dance for Every Body
Adapted from the Palo Alto Weekly by Elizabeth Schwyzer
most about Dance for All. Marchok and Forde stood
nearby, brainstorming with Jordan and parents about the
future of the class. Their conversation returned again
and again to an emphasis on inclusion and integration
rather than separation. "This is not a special-needs dance
class," Marchok asserted. "It's open to everyone. Any time
you can include everyone, you're sending a message that
it's truly inclusive. That's a great message for society."
 Welcome to, Dance for All, a dance class open to
everyone, on Saturdays from 1-2 pm at the El Camino
YMCA in Mountain View. Many of the participants have
disabilities, but not all.
Angels on Stage Buddy Coaches
Launched nine months ago by dance instructors Teresa
Maldonado Marchok and Mercy Forde, both of whom
are mothers of teenagers with disabilities, the class
has quickly gained a following. Most weeks, there are
between 25 and 30 dancers on the floor.
Angels on Stage not only enriches the lives of actors
with special needs, it also changes the buddy coaches.
Meg Kikkeri, a buddy coach, recently wrote about her
experience with Cassy Wootan, a veteran actress at
Angels on Stage.
According to Lisa Zuegel, whose 15-year-old son
Jeffrey takes part, the YMCA is "a phenomenal place
for encouraging people with differences. "The fact
that Dance for All is happening here at the Y is not …
coincidental," Zuegel said. "When the kids come here,
they are in an environment that is inclusive and
connects people in the community." Chief Operations
Officer for YMCA of Silicon Valley Elizabeth Jordan
observes that "The cool thing is, you can't always tell
who has a disability and who doesn't."
Allowing students to participate at the level that
works for them is exactly what Dance for All is all
about. "Kids will often do utterances or physical stims
that in another environment might be off-putting, and
here it's OK," added Marchok.
By Meg Kikkeri
Jordan, who oversees the operation of all 11 YMCAs in
the Silicon Valley, hopes the
Jordan nodded in agreement YOU HAVE SOME KIND
BREAK HAPPENING HERE. "What's really important,"
she said, "is linking people." She hopes other centers
will eventually adopt the program. "If we can attract
this many people to one Y, I can't imagine why we
wouldn't scale it," she said.
From Alice in Wonderland, to Beauty and the Beast, to
the Little Mermaid, and finally to Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory. I treasure this friendship from the
bottom of my heart, and our chromosomal differences
could never keep us apart. Her outgoing, positive, and
happy personality has helped me look at the world with
a new light, and I would not be the person I am today
without her guiding me through life.
At the end of class, after the hugs and the high fives,
a small group of students discussed what they like
Cassie and I Through Our Years at Angels on Stage
Page 3 of 7
Summer Activities
The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo’s
Inclusion Initiative
The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ)
received a $25,000 grant from the David & Lucile Packard
Foundation to improve the experience of visiting children
with physical and developmental disabilities.
Tina Keegan, Exhibits Director explains: “This generous
grant will enable us to assess how we can adapt to fully
engage children with all learning styles.”
One activity funded by the grant is Super Family Sundays –
eight free events for families with children who have
disabilities. To date, these events have been very popular.
Visitors enjoy family time in a supportive environment
with friendly, well-trained staff. Families experience the
science exhibits with less distraction, meet animals upclose, and engage in a hands-on science activity.
John Aikin, Director at the JMZ, adds: “Being truly
inclusive requires an integrated approach throughout the
entire organization so that all touch points a person has
while visiting the JMZ are considered.”
With that goal in mind, the Packard grant funds staff
trainings, a focus group, an accessibility review, and
financial support for universal design museum consultants.
The JMZ recently partnered with the Inclusion
Collaborative, which facilitated staff training to broaden
awareness of different kinds of disabilities and strategies
for inclusion. Hands-on activities simulated disabilities,
such as dyslexia, visual impairments and physical
disabilities. Group discussion led to a greater
understanding of the variety of disabilities that people can
have and how to modify science experiences to better
accommodate them. People-first language, respect for
people with disabilities and empathy were focal points of
the conversation.
The JMZ is in the midst of a major planning effort for the
creation of a new building, zoo, exhibits and enhanced
science education programs. The trainings, visitor
experience, research and accessibility review will be
folded into the new building designs to create a museum
and zoo expertly designed to engage all children,
regardless of learning styles, in early science education.
The next Super Family Sunday event will be on June 28,
2015. Reservations are required to attend and can be
made by calling (650) 329-2111 or emailing [email protected].
Page 4 of 7
Inclusion e-News
Teaching Resources
Father’s Day: Teaching Kids How to Talk to Dad
What does dad want for Father’s Day? A silly tie? A
new shirt? How about a good conversation with his
children. Children on the Autism Spectrum in
particular can have difficulty holding a balanced
conversation. The “what does Dad like talking about?”
checklist, combined with practice conversation
activities, can help prepare children for talking with
their dads about their interests. First, children can use
the visual checklist to figure out what dad likes to talk
about.
Creating a Summer Schedule
Now that summer break is upon us, children may feel
adrift without a schedule. Many children need a schedule
to feel regulated and in control. Parents might consider
creating a summer schedule for home. The schedule
doesn’t have to be as rigid as a school schedule, but it
should include daily activities and any special trips. When
children know what is expected, they are less likely to get
frustrated.
To make a schedule for home, parents might cut flaps
into an old folder. They can put pictures of the daily
schedule under the flaps. As each activity is finished,
the child can close the flap.
Or parents can use a white
board on which they can velcro printed pictures of
daily activities and draw pictures of occasional ones.
Next, show children how to use compliment, comment
and question words, in combination with the pictures
they checked off, in order to make the conversation
relevant to their father’s interests. This may be hard
work. You might want to have the children prepare by
filling out a complement worksheet, playing a game like
The Green Zone to discover shared interests, or role playing a conversation with dad.
A good conversation (and a new tie) is sure to give dad a
happy Father’s Day.
If kids have trouble sharing or with playdates,
parents can write a quick social story that explains
the routine or download a free one.
Page 5 of 7
Inclusion e-News
Inclusion Collaborative Committees and Partners
Inclusion Collaborative: Advocacy
Committee
As a sub-committee to the Local Early Education
Planning Council (LPC), the mission of the Inclusion
Collaborative is to lead the effort to provide every
child in the county with a quality learning
environment. Its focus is the successful inclusion of
children with special needs in child care, preschool
programs, and the community through education,
advocacy, and awareness.
The Advocacy Committee, in particular, is
responsible for updating the Collaborative on
current child care legislation and issues around
inclusion. Moreover, the Committee has taken on
several projects related to inclusion advocacy,
such as the Person First Terminology Pledge of
Respect and the Voter’s Guide on Early Learning.
The Local Early Education Planning
Council (LPC) of Santa Clara County It’s an amazing time to work in the field of early
learning, with many initiatives happening locally,
statewide, and nationally. While it may be hard to
navigate through these various initiatives, the LPC
of Santa Clara County is a primary source of
information for child care providers, early learning
professionals, and members of the community.
Created by the California Department of Education
(CDE) in the early 90s, the primary mission of the
LPC is to plan for child care and development
services based on the needs of families in the local
community. Through collaborative efforts with
individuals and partner agencies, the LPC supports
the existing child care infrastructure by
coordinating local services. Moreover, the LPC
advises the CDE in local child care needs and
funding priorities for new state and federal child
care funds.
Other issues important to the LPC include
supporting the early learning workforce with
professional development, the inclusion of children
with special needs in all early learning programs
and the community, and the support and
development of quality child care for all children.
The LPC also advocates for public policy around
child care. By forming strong community
partnerships, the LPC has become the central voice
for the early learning field in Santa Clara County.
For more information about the LPC, contact
Michael Garcia at [email protected].
Page 6 of 7
Disability in the News
Ballet San Jose Holds Exclusive
Performance for Special Needs Families
Ride a Wave Hosts Children with Special
Needs on the Beach
Adapted from the Bay Area NBC, May 14, 2015, by Ian Cull
Adapted from the San Jose Mercury News, June 6, 2015, by Mark Emmons
Recently, Ballet San Jose found a way to make
experiencing the arts a little easier for dozens of
people by inviting them to Cinderella, performed
exclusively for about 100 children with autism and
other special needs.
Carla Miller still remembers the first time she watched her
son being paddled out toward the waves to surf. She fought
back a sense that this was a terrible idea for a 10-year-old
boy with cerebral palsy. "He just looked so far away," Miller
said of her son. “For us as parents, it was a little like, 'Oh,
my God -- what have we done?' But he absolutely loved
being out there."
"We feel so special and so included that someone
would embrace us,” said Janet Heathcote.
Ride a Wave enables kids with special needs to experience
surfing safely. Kids with conditions such as Down syndrome,
muscular dystrophy and even terminal illnesses take to
gentle waves with the help of world-class surfers and unique
equipment, such as oversized boards fitted with carbonfiber seats made especially for them.
The families say going to the ballet, or even the
movies, can prove difficult. Their children
sometimes struggle to sit still or stay quiet. This
time, they were told they didn’t have to do either.
They had their run of the theater.
“It’s wonderful to be able to go to the ballet and
have that kind of freedom, and not have anyone
say, 'ugh, would you please be quiet? Can you tell
your kid to stop that!’ None of that's going to
happen today,” Linda Gonzales said.
Kids are often in happy disbelief that they really are surfing.
"It's nothing short of magical," said Susan Walton, of La Selva
Beach, whose 15-year-old son with autism has been coming
for a decade. "Forget Christmas. It's the best day of the year
for our family. And we're not the only parents who feel that
way."
Janet Heathcote has three children with autism. Her
oldest is 26. “Years ago, I would have given anything
for a night like this where we could go out and [my
son] could have enjoyed performances like this.
That didn't exist, and most people didn't know what
Autism was,” Heathcote said.
The organization, founded by Santa Clara Fire Department
Capt. Danny Cortazzo in 1998, is run entirely by volunteers
and charges nothing to families. "We don't look at kids based
on their limitations but rather on their capabilities," said
Cortazzo. "There hasn't been a kid who we couldn't take out
on the water, and it's because we have the best group of
surfers in the world." For instance, two members of the Ride
a Wave board, Mike and Sarah Gerhardt, are well-known
big-wave surfers -- with Sarah being the first woman to
tackle the legendary Mavericks break near Half Moon Bay.
Ballet San Jose School Director Dalia Rawson said it
was great to have the audience.
“And it's an audience that doesn't always get the
chance to come to the theater and it's great. They
have wonderful reactions to everything,” Rawson
said.
But the real stars are the kids. "This is the best surfing that
we ever do," said Sarah Gerhardt. "We're really getting so
much more out of this. There's always tears in our eyes
when it comes to the end of a weekend. It's a really
profound experience."
Parents say their kids thrive in the arts. Many who
attended are dancers, but it was their first time at
the ballet.
Ride a Wave has grown into an organization of about 300
volunteers that hosts seven to nine sessions each spring
when surf conditions are ideal, and has helped about 4,500
kids get out on the water.
Kids don't have to surf. There's also boogie boarding and
kayaking. If the water is too intimidating, that's OK, too.
For details about the Ride a Wave organization, go
to www.rideawave.org.
Page 7 of 7
Inclusion e-News
What’s New at the Inclusion Collaborative
Congratulations EPIC Graduates!
The EPIC program prepares candidates to become
teacher specialists in an inclusive classroom.
Candidates learn from the best experts in the field:
current and past teachers, special education directors
and scholars.
The EPIC program offers candidates the opportunity to
complete the following credentials:
 Preliminary Intern Education Specialist
credential (two year program) in the areas of:
 Early Childhood Special Education
 Moderate/Severe
 Clear Education Specialist Induction Program
(one year program)
The Education Preparation Program for Inclusive
Classrooms (EPIC) has just completed its first year!
Twenty one Clear Education Specialists will graduate
from our Induction Program on June 9th. We are proud
of all of their accomplishments and success!
This year’s preliminary candidates have internships for
next fall with Milpitas Unified, SCCOE, Santa Clara
Unified, Berryessa Union, Union School District and
Campbell Union School District with more to come!
For additional information on the EPIC program, please
go to www.inclusioncollaborative.org.
Inclusion e‐News is a quarterly newsletter of the Inclusion Collaborative, Santa Clara County Office of Education, 1290 Ridder Park Drive,
MC 227, San Jose, CA 95131‐2304 , Tel: (408) 453‐6651, Fax: (408) 453‐6596, www.inclusioncollaborative.org County Board of Education: Leon F. Beauchman, Michael Chang, Joseph Di Salvo, Darcie Green, Julia Hover‐Smoot, Grace H. Mah, Anna Song County Superintendent of Schools: Jon R. Gundry