“Not acknowledging is making it more taboo for the child,” says Sargent-Suarez. But kids are naturally curious and teachers should create a comfortable space in which to talk and ask questions about disabilities. Plus, teachers have to balance issues of student privacy. Sometimes adults shy away from talking about disabilities because they don’t want to say the wrong thing or hurt anyone’s feelings, says Forber-Pratt. “Fairness is giving what each individual student needs, not exactly the same thing.”īe open and comfortable.
“Say that each person’s individual body works a little different and that’s just them taking care of the differences they have,” says Sargent-Suarez. For instance, if a student asks why child with autism spectrum disorder puts his hands over his ears in a loud lunchroom, she suggests explaining that the child’s hearing works really well and something that might not seem loud to everyone is loud to him. Stress it’s not the student’s choice to act a certain way, but it’s the way their mind or body responds.If kids are given basic, honest information, they are often quite understanding and helpful to their classmates, says Leanne Sargent-Suarez, a resource specialist at LOGAN Community Resources, which serves individuals with developmental disabilities in South Bend, Indiana. Then, explain there are disabilities that we can’t see that can affect our behavior or mood. For example, ask elementary-school-age children: “What is a disability?” They will often mention someone with a physical disability. Talk about the range of disabilities-in ways that are age appropriate. She suggests asking kids: “What is it that helps you succeed or do well?” Then talk about how some kids have glasses to help them see, hearing aids to hear better, or some need to have their name called to focus on directions.Įxplain the spectrum of disabilities. Be explicit about this with kids, and discuss the strengths and challenges that we all have. “Sometimes you can see individuals’ differences and sometimes you can’t,” says Anjali Forber-Pratt, assistant professor in the department of human and organizational development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
#Questions for invisible emmie how to#
Here are some ideas from experts about how to handle these issues in the classroom. Here’s the good news: We can play a critical role in bullying prevention by encouraging a culture of acceptance through discussion and classroom activities. “Anybody that doesn’t really fit that mold sticks out, gets isolated,” and may become bullied, she says. “Generally, kids want to be friends with kids they can identify with and who are alike,” says Jennifer Heithaus, fellow in developmental pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St.
Why? When a child’s differences are not surface-level, such as a wheelchair, for example, other students may not have the emotional IQ to understand them.
Did you know that children with disabilities are more likely to be bullied than other children-some studies say as much as two or three times more likely? And students with so-called “invisible” or hidden disabilities-such as dyslexia, hearing loss, allergies, anxiety, ADHD, speech impairments, and autism spectrum disorder-are particularly vulnerable.
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