Positive Research- Week 3

Twelve years ago a close family friend was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.  When he was diagnosed he was given 6 months to 2 years to live.  He was part of a study that was testing out a new medications to hopefully help with some of the symptoms of ALS.  Well, 12 years later he is still alive.  He is in a wheelchair and can no longer make intelligible speech, but his mind is fully functioning and worked up until about 2 years ago from home.  He gets to watch his kids grow up and they still go to Disneyland and the Rodeo every year.  It may not be about kids, but it is a positive one and has been very positive for his family.  He does not know if he was given the actual medication or the placebo pill, the research is still being carried out. 

I also know a family who has been involved through the University of Washington in a sibling study about the effects of Autism on sibling groups.  They feel that this has been very successful because they are provided with a lot support from the University research team.  This family has two children with Autism.  The family feels a lot of the questions they have had about why both their children have Autism have been answered.  This study will continue for a long time, but they like the support they are getting. 

Week 2- Personal Research Journey

The chosen topic for the simulation is inclusion programs in primary grades in elementary school (inclusion meaning that both general and special education students are served in the same classroom).  My three sub-topics that I chose were:

1) why preschool is inclusive? How does it work? And why it works?

2) differences between early childhood teacher certification and kindergarten through 12th grade general education certification. 

3)   design of early childhood programs verse the design of kindergarten through 12th grade programs and how that affects children with disabilities.  

As for what I know so far, is that I need to dive into my research.  I am unsure about what information I will find or if I will find the "right" information regarding to inclusion in primary grade. Although information regarding inclusion is abundant! I do know of friends who work in other school districts that currently are using an inclusion model and it is working.  I plan on talking with them, my principal and contacting other schools that may or may not have inclusion programs.  

I am interested in how other teachers feel about inclusion, what works, what does not, etc.  I do not feel inclusion is for every child, but I do feel it is important to consider for each child (even though it might not work).   I am an inclusion teacher for primary grades, I support general education teachers in including all of our students.  It is important for me because I love when I see inclusion working (not that it always does).  I want to find out more information on what other programs and districts do. 

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