The second article in our series on integrating children with disabilities into inclusive classrooms in mainstream schools focuses on the importance of a meeting between learner, parents and teacher. We know teachers aren’t always trained or experienced in accommodating learners with disabilities in their classrooms. In addition, all children with...
Author: Emma McKinney
Meeting the principal
In our first instalment of a series of articles about integrating children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, we look at how parents can ease their transition With a big push towards inclusive education rather than segregated special education, more and more mainstream schools are welcoming children with disabilities in their...
Why can’t that man walk?
It is important to know how to talk to children about disability. The first step is to speak positively about impairments. Children are curious and will often ask personal and difficult questions, especially when they see something new or interesting. As adults, the way we react to the child’s question...
Q&A with Catherine van Staden
We sat down with Catherine van Staden, who has a degenerative disease, and chatted about how sport has changed her life Adegenerative condition known as Hereditary Spastic Paralysis (HSP) causes a person to slowly lose the functionality in their limbs. Catherine has this condition in her legs. She has not […]
Bowling for fun
Bowling is a fun activity that can assist children with disabilities improve their strength, agility and hand-eye coordination. With these adaptations to the traditional game, everyone can join in Ball games are important for children, as they help to improve overall strength and agility, and develop hand-eye coordination and gross...
School outings: dos and don’ts
There is nothing more fun for a child than an adventure, but it helps to be prepared – especially when taking children with disabilities on an outing. All children love going on school outings and we, as teachers, need to make sure that children with physical disabilities are fully accommodated. […]
Early writing fun
There are many things we can do to encourage writing skills in a young child. Writing should be fun and you need to make sure that it is relevant to the age, development level and interest. When children are young, they love to try to write their own names as […]
Making sweet music!
Children love music – and these instruments can be made and enjoyed by children with mobility impairments Place the instruments in a spot where the child can access them most easily (eg, fitted to wheelchair lap-trays or taped to children’s wrists). As far as possible let the children help to […]
Crossing the midline
Teaching a child to cross their midline is crucial in developing their handwriting, as well as their reading and hand-eye coordination. Use these fun exercises to improve their bilateral coordination When you hear the term ‘midline’, think about an invisible line drawn from the head to the toes that separates […]
Adapt those assessments
It’s important that all children reach their full potential – so how can teachers assist learners in the classroom? Children, regardless of disability, need to be able to reach their full potential at school. One of a teacher’s responsibilities is to assess a learner’s understanding and knowledge in a particular […]