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Peer Supports
Inclusive
schooling refers to a wide variety of experiences in which students with
and without disabilities are brought together for valuable learning
activities. The creation of an inclusive school environment occurs when
students not only learn together, but also learn to respect and value each
other's differences. This strand will highlight strategies that facilitate
meaningful interaction amongst peers.
Thursday,November
10, 2005
8:30 am - 10:45 am
Making It Happen: How High
Schools Can Help (or Hinder) Friendships
This
session will explore the attitudinal and educational
barries
to friendships between high school students with and without disabilities.
Strategies to avoid and overcome the barriers, as well as
approaches to facilitate meaningful relationships will be discussed.
Speakers: Zachary Rossetti, Tyler Fihe, Jamie Burke
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Peer Support Interventions: Strategies for Improving Students' Social
Lives and Learning
We
will present practical, step-by-step strategies for establishing peer
support arrangements in inclusive settings to improve the educational
and social outcomes of students with and without severe
disabilities.
Speakers: Erik Carter, Lisa Cushing, Nitasha M. Clark
3:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Inclusion in Community Service
An
interactive workshop designed to incorporate diverse populations into
community service programs. We will explore "Project SUCCESS,"
an all-inclusive curriculum that teaches creative adaptations and
accommodations, and helps develop "real life" action plans that
celebrate diversity and recognize individual abilities.
Speakers: Mary Wolf
Friday,
November 11, 2005
8:30 am - 10:45 am
From Caretaker to Facilitator: Helping
Paraprofessionals and Support Staff to Facilitate Relationships
This
interactive session provides useful strategies to help paraprofessionals
more effectively meet the social needs of students with =disabilities in
the classroom. Shifting the focus of support from caretaking to becoming a
bridge between students with disabilities and their peers.
Speakers: Julie Causton-Theoharis
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Accessing the General Education Curriculum Using Peer Support
Strategies
We
will discuss strategies for making inclusive education more meaningful for
all stakeholders through the use of implementing and maintaining peer
support arrangements. Our research findings documenting the benefits of
peer supports for all students will be presented.
|Speakers: Lisa Cushing, Nitasha M. Clark, Erik Carter
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Peer Mediated Learning-School Wide Application to Build Inclusive
Social Relationships for All Students
This
one-hour presentation demonstrates how an integrated play group for Brock,
a young boy with autism, led to a school wide social inclusion plan for
all students in a neighbourhood elementary school in British Columbia,
Canada.
Speakers: Paul Malette, Bonita Holman
2:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Effects of Inclusion on Classmates without Disabilities
Research
findings are reported from three studies of the effects of inclusive class
membership on peers without disabilities.
Data on engagement patterns, social skill/behavior, teacher and
student attitudes, and academic outcomes are shared for 9 elementary
schools in three states. Implications
for research and practice are described.
Speakers: Christine Salisbury, Jeffri Brookfield, Samuel L. Odom
Saturday,
November 12, 2005 – Poster Sessions
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Peer Interaction Interventions in Secondary School Settings: Effective
Practices for Promoting Social Outcomes
We
will provide a critical analysis of empirical interventions aimed at
promoting social interaction among adolescents with intellectual
disabilities and their general education peers. In addition, we present
recommendations for practitioners to guide the development of peer
interactions.
Speakers: Erik Carter, Carolyn Hughes
The Significance of Peer Support Groups to the
Recruitment of Special Educators
Affluent
schools with large special education budgets were determined more likely
to have peer support groups for individuals with disabilities. This factor
may help to explain our national shortage of special educators from
diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Speakers: Victoria Zascavage, Philip Armstrong
Improving Peer Involvement for Individuals with
High Support Needs
Come
and learn what is currently being done in classrooms to improve and
increase peer interactions. Additionally,
there is a curriculum shared with participants that can be used for peers
to learn more about disabilities and disability-related issues.
Speakers: Jennifer Robinson
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