Shane's Inspiration Blog

The View from the Playground: Full Inclusion For All?

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:46:44 -0500

Speaking of school inclusion efforts, check out this school in New York that seems to have pulled the multifaceted inclusion pieces together:

http://www.theidealschool.org/welcome

The View from the Playground: Los Angeles Unified School District's Commitment to Integration

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:40:03 -0500

Special Education Centers have existed in the Los Angeles Unified School District for decades. This year, the District is in the planing phases of integrating sites that have both special and general education campuses on the same property. To find out more about this historic initiative, check out the following link:

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/shanes-inspiration-teams-up-with-lausd-to-support-their-inclusion-initiative-which-joins-special-education-and-general-education-students-329120.php

The View from the Playground: UNICEF endorses inclusive education

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:19:37 -0500

The View from the Playground: UNICEF endorses inclusive education:

Interesting piece highlighting a growing trend towards inclusive education in Europe:

Inclusive education for children with disabilities can transform lives, says UNICEF

NEW YORK, 6 February 2013 – Progressive policies in inclusive education have made positive changes in the lives of children with disabilities in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, according to UNICEF today.

More schools are welcoming first grade children with disabilities in Serbia as a result of years of policy advocacy. Huge nationwide awareness raising campaigns in Montenegro and strong engagement of civil society in promoting inclusion in Armenia have led to increased public demands for inclusive schools, UNICEF said.

At a briefing focusing on the issue of children with disabilities this week during a meeting of UNICEF’s Executive Board in New York, other governments and donor communities were urged to support policies that realized all children`s right to quality education as one way to reduce inequities created by social exclusion.

Click on the link above to read more!

The View from the Playground: UN reinforces the right to play

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:56:42 -0500

International Play Association

Promoting the Child’s Right to Play

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1 February 2013

UN STANDS UP FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO PLAY, ARTS AND LEISURE IN A LANDMARK MOMENT FOR CHILDREN

United Nations adopts in-depth interpretation of ‘forgotten’ children’s rights

GENEVA - (1 February 2013) Today the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child announced the adoption of an official document, or “General Comment” (GC), that clarifies for governments worldwide the meaning and importance of article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Article 31 ensures that “States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities…and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.”

Article 31 has long been considered “the forgotten article” of the Convention. The General Comment adopted today, however, will right that wrong by clearly defining the responsibilities of governments that are implicit in the article.

The stated objectives of the General Comment are:

a) To enhance understanding of the importance of Article 31 for children’s well-being and development, and for the realisation of other rights in the Convention.

b) To provide interpretation to States parties with regard to the provisions, and consequent obligations, associated with Article 31.

c) To provide guidance on the legislative, judicial, administrative, social and educational measures necessary to ensure its implementation for all children without discrimination and on the basis of equality of opportunity.

The International Play Association (IPA), which since 2008 has led an international group of co-signatories to the request for a GC, has been closely involved in its development. Theresa Casey, President of IPA, warmly welcomed today’s adoption of the General Comment:

Play, recreation, rest, leisure and involvement in cultural and artistic life are all interrelated and critical to a happy, healthy childhood. Problems arise when such activities are considered luxurious or frivolous. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are all fundamental rights of children and IPA will do its best to continue supporting policy makers and practitioners who turn these rights into concrete actions. We are delighted by the Committee’s decision to emphasize the importance of Article 31 in a General Comment, and are honored to have assisted in the effort.

IPA’s work was supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation.

###

About The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Adopted in 1989 by the UN General Assembly, the CRC is a treaty that defines and illuminates - in 54 separate articles - a wide range of human rights due to those under the age of 18. In a statement in 2000, Nelson Mandela described the CRC as “that luminous living document that enshrines the rights of every child without exception to a life of dignity and self-fulfillment.”

The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties.

(For more information, please visit http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/)

About International Play Association (IPA)

International Play Association (IPA) is a non-governmental, voluntary organization founded in 1961. It has members in 50 countries and active groups around the world. IPA is an interdisciplinary organization bringing together people from all professions who work for and with children. IPA holds triennial conferences in different countries. The next conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2014. (For details see www.ipaworld.org)

A global survey in 2009 conducted by IPA and regional supporters in eight locations worldwide identified significant barriers to children’s play. The Global Consultation was integral to establishing the need for the development of the General Comment on article 31.

‘There isn’t an age to stop playing because playing never dies inside us!’, child participant in IPA consultation in Brazil 2011.

‘Governments have to remember that you were children and you had dreams to play freely in the past’, child participant in IPA consultation in Lebanon 2011.

About Bernard van Leer Foundation

The Bernard van Leer Foundation is an international grant making foundation based in The Hague. Its mission is to improve opportunities for children up to age 8 who are growing up in socially and economically difficult circumstances. The Foundation sees this both as a valuable end in itself and as a long-term means to promoting more cohesive, considerate and creative societies with equal opportunities and rights for all. (For more information, see http://www.bernardvanleer.org)

Media Contact

For further information on this topic or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Cynthia Gentry

Communications Officer, IPA

1-404-200-0170

Communications@IPAworld.org

Visit IPA/USA at: http://ipausa.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

The View from the Playground: Staring Produces Empathy?

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:25:51 -0500

We just ran across a very interesting piece on the radio…a study found that when people were exposed to people with disabilities, it increased brain activity as it relates to empathy:

Hey! It’s not polite to stare, right? Well, think again, a USC study says

Stephanie O’Neill | January 25th, 2013, 6:00am

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Campaign For Wo

A curious dog stares at a flock of sheep at the US launch of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Campaign For Wool at Bryant Park on September 27, 2012 in New York City. A new study finds that staring may help people understand the world around them.

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If you’re honest with yourself, you may sometimes find it hard not to look at someone with a disability.

And while that may seem horribly impolite, USC research suggests that sometimes poor manners are not at play.

“There’s a stigma against staring at people with disabilities,” says Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, an assistant professor at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. “However, it might be extremely important to do so and it might be a way to understand and learn about them better.”

Aziz-Zadeh and her colleagues measured brain activity of test subjects who first were shown short video clips of an able-bodied person picking up objects. During the videos, the participants’ brain scans measured some activity in the region of the brain responsible for doing those tasks.

Next, the study participants watched equally short video clips of a woman born without arms doing the same tasks.

But this time, the participants’ brain scans showed a flurry of activity as they watched the disabled woman work. What’s more, researchers found, brain activity shifted into overdrive in those participants with the highest measures of natural empathy.

“So it seems like they’re using their own body representations to understand people with differences even more,” Aziz-Zadeh says.

The research, which appears online in the journal NeuroImage, also found that as the study participants watched longer video clips of the disabled woman engaging in the tasks, their brain activity quieted to the same levels they displayed when they first watched the fully-functioning person.

Researchers say that finding suggests the opportunity to observe those with disabilities engenders better understanding of them.

“Exposure to people with disabilities is actually quite important because the more you become exposed and see people with disabilities the more you start to process them the same as you do other people who don’t have disabilities,” she says.

USC Neuroimage Study by

The View from the Playground: Play and Literacy

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:54:32 -0500

This is re-posted from Best Blog for Kids Who Hate to Read A family blog for reluctant readers and their parents

Guest Post: Together, Playing AND Reading Are Magical

December 19th, 2012 by Gail Terp

I’m delighted to present this wonderful guest post by Jerri Hemsworth. Jerri is the editor of Inspiring Play Magazine. She serves on the board of Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit that creates inclusive playgrounds and educational programs to unite children of all abilities. She and her husband are the proud parents of an amazing daughter and love to play in and around Los Angeles.

Together, Playing AND Reading Are Magical

By Jerri Hemsworth

Editor of Inspiring Play Magazine

“Someone’s been eating my porridge!” Maggie says in her best grumbly voice.

“Someone’s been eating MY porridge!” Comes her next line in an adorable motherly voice.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge, and THEY ATE IT ALL UP!” She says in her cutest high-pitched voice.

Jessica is finishing holiday projects at the kitchen table when she hears this conversation her 6-year-old daughter Maggie is having in the family room. As Jessica peaks around the doorway, she sees that Maggie has seven or eight of her dolls and stuffed animals surrounding her as she “reads” to them from her favorite book.

This scene is one that many adults take for granted. We don’t stop to think how our children get to this amazing stage in their development. Same thing is true when we see two boys playing on the playground. One is pretending to be Jack climbing the bean stock to retrieve the golden goose from the other, who is very good in his role as the giant.

When children play, they get to make amazing connections. No matter what a child’s physical, emotional or mental ability is, they learn to explore, experiment, imitate, and communicate with others by all they encounter. It gives them an opportunity to practice their language skills. They allow themselves to be free, spontaneous and creative. It’s fun. They don’t realize that they are learning psychologically, physically and socially. Most parents don’t realize how important this kind of play is. When parents and teachers do, it profoundly transforms young lives. Especially with children who have special needs.

While working on a story about the inclusion of special needs students with general education students in schools, one teacher relayed a very touching story. She had a student with multiple physical and emotional needs. His mother arrived one morning with great concern on her face. When she spoke with the teacher, she said, “Michael started speaking in many different voices last night. He’s never done that before. Has he done that here in class? Do you think there’s something wrong?”

The teacher smiled. “No need to worry. Yesterday, our helper students were playing pretend with Michael in the library while they were reading to him. He’s been playing with them.”

Many children of all abilities find story time in school to be their favorite. When the teacher plays with different voices and inflections, children are transfixed. You can see by their faces that they are in a different world. They are in a world of wonder and excitement. When parents read to their children in this same manner, children are allowed to let their mind run free and imagine. Using play during reading time is the best incentive for children to want to read on their own. When they see the grown-ups having fun while reading, they want to do it, too.

According to Deborah J. Leong, Ph.D., and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D., “As we learn more about how young children learn, it is becoming clear that we do not need to sacrifice play in order to meet academic requirements. On the contrary, only by supporting mature, high-quality play can we really help children fully develop their language and literacy skills.”¹

There are many studies that support the benefits of play and literacy. Perhaps many parents and teachers need reminding that the more fun we make reading time or story time for ourselves, the more we’re teaching our children. Play is fun. Reading is fun. Together, playing AND reading are magical.

1 Building Language & Literacy Through Play

View from the Playground: Win a school playground makeover

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:40:33 -0500

Scholastic and Dannon are offering a competition for schools to win a new playground!

Check out the link: http://www.rallyforrecess.com/

The View from the Playground: Inspiring Play article highlights inclusion at a Southern California elementary school

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:53:22 -0500

What “Inclusion” Really Means

Posted November 2, 2012 by Lena Eklund in Education

How one elementary school learned that its students may be the best teachers when it comes to inclusion.

It’s lunchtime at Stanley Mosk Elementary School in Southern California. Standing inside a classroom on the second floor, special education teacher Jeannie Bateman can hear the stereotypical roar of the children outside on the playground. She is overseeing lunch for seven of her eight students with special needs. The door opens and two third-graders nonchalantly enter the classroom and throw their jackets onto a chair. They act like they belong there, except for the obvious difference that these are general education students or, as they are sometimes referred to, “gen eds.” The aids in the room tell them they can help feed the students their lunch.

“A different set of kids come in every day,” says Bateman who teaches third through fifth grades. “The helpers help feed the children and then they all play together. They play with dolls at the dollhouse, and with cars and other toys. A lot of times our kids don’t know how to play with dolls or cars. They [gen ed students] help teach them how to pretend.”

Read more at: http://inspiringplay.com/what-inclusion-really-means/

The View from the Playground: Join us for an Inclusive Play Webinar!

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:25:47 -0400

Join us for a free webinar on: The Power of Inclusive Play

Date:
Monday, October 29, 2012

Time:

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/784163832

Learn how awareness of different abilities by staff and students can transform your school’s playground into an extraordinary outdoor learning environment for children of all abilities.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

The View from the Playground: 600 Kids and Adults Walk and Roll for Play on September 23rd!

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:49:43 -0400

Early on a beautiful (and still cool) Sunday morning in Los Angeles, 600 kids, friends, and families gathered at our flagship playground: Shane’s Inspiration in Griffith Park.

Their goal: to walk and roll for inclusive play!

Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto on the hit CBS show “NCIS”) served as the Grand Marshal at our 15^th Annual Walk & Roll. Thanks to her support, a record number of participants showed up for Shane’s Inspiration… including fellow “NCIS” star, Brian Dietzen (Jimmy Palmer). They were fabulous hosts to the kids and parents at the park that day!

Founders Tiffany Harris, Catherine Curry-Williams, and Scott Williams (a Co-Executive Producer on “NCIS”) were joined by City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager, Jon Kirk Mukri, Councilman Tom LaBonge, and may more!

The View from the Playground: Artist plays with perceptions

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:58:55 -0400

Art is a powerful way to play…with perceptions and assumptions

We just ran across this incredible artist, Sue Austin. Using a modified wheelchair, she dances underwater, challenging our images and feelings about disabilities and abilities!

Check her out at:

http://www.theworld.org/2012/09/wheelchair-ballet-sue-austin/

The View from the Playground: Bullying in Schools

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:33:10 -0400

The school year is upon us again! While parents purchase supplies and teachers plan lessons, some kids may be planning their recess strategies…who to avoid, who to play with, how to fly lower under a bully’s radar.

For children with significant differences in movement, speech, sensory processing, or communication, life on a school playground can be incredibly difficult.

We ran across an interesting article that explores the complex nature of bullying for students in special education:

Special-Ed Students at Greater Risk of Bullying, Being Bullied: Study

Students with visible disabilities are victimized most often, researchers say

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Related MedlinePlus Pages

TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) — Students with visible disabilities and those receiving special education services for behavioral problems are at greater risk of being bullied and of bullying others, according to a new study.

These children also are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior and have disciplinary problems at school, the researchers found.

The findings reveal the complex nature of bullying, the study authors pointed out in the report, which was published June 27 in the Journal of School Psychology.

“These results paint a fairly bleak picture for students with disabilities in terms of bullying, victimization and disciplinary actions,” lead author Susan Swearer, professor of school psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said in a university news release. “Sadly, these are the students who most need to display pro-social behavior and receive support from their peers.”

The View from the Playground: Lourdes At Bat!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:08:39 -0400

Shane’s Inspiration was honored on Sunday, August 5, by the 2012 Go To Bat Awards by State Farm and the LA Dodgers. We invited a few friends to join us at the Dodgers Stadium to accept the award, including Lourdes who attended her first ball game that day!

“Shane’s inspiration invited me to represent them at the Dodgers Stadium to receive an award on their behalf. It was my first baseball game. They took me and other friends to the field, which was very big. The stadium was huge with lots of people and a giganitc screen. And when we got to hand over the bat for Shane’s I saw myself on the BIG Screen! My mom was taking pictures and cheering for me. I felt really excited, and I will share this memory with my friends at school (if they believe me). After all not every kid gets to be on the big screen on their first game”

The View from the Playground: The Power of Voice

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:33:00 -0400

The View from the Playground: The Power of Voice:

We ran across this incredible story of a young woman with Autism. At the age when most teens won’t stop talking, she finally was given the tools to begin communicating with words! Check out the link to hear her powerful story and catch a glimpse of the world through her eyes…

The View from the Playground: Inclusive Playground Magazine Launch

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:07:57 -0400

Inspiring Play Magazine (http://inspiringplay.com/) is a free online magazine for families, educators, corporations, communities and municipalities who embrace inclusive play for children and adults of all abilities. It is vital that families and communities share stories of inspiration in order to work toward a common goal.

The magazine features inspiring stories, educational articles, activities and a forum for children in which they can express and share their inspirations - helping other children in other communities find connection.

Inspiring Play is a Joint Venture with Shane’s Inspiration and NGI Publishing: www.ngipublishing.com

Follow the magazine on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/InspiringPlay

And like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/InspiringPlayMagazine

The View from the Playground: Building Bridges Through Sports

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:37:04 -0400

At Shane’s Inspiration, we focus our resources and mission on public playgrounds and school classrooms, reaching out to children from birth to 12 or 13.

We ran across this article on EdWeek about Unified Sports programs that promote inclusion for teens of differing abilities, offering a great example of post playground integration.

Special Ed. Students Get a Spot on the Team

By Nirvi Shah

For years, Tumaini Mporampora attended the same schools as students with intellectual disabilities.

It wasn’t until her senior year, when her high school began mixing students with disabilities with other students on the basketball team, the dance squad, and in track and field, that some of them became her friends.

“It’s almost like … they’re in their own little school,” Ms. Mporampora, 18, said of some of her classmates here at Overland High School outside Denver, where the integrated sports teams helped to break down the barriers.

Continue at…http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/02/36sports.h31.html?tkn=NVWFkTKRFkfQ0hCaQ2feVXEdbwR9lSM8gbv7&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1

The View from the Playground: A playground that has it all!

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:47:37 -0400

Check out the fantastic features from Wheaton, Illinois, grant prize winner for the Together We Play contest hosted by Landscape Structures Inc. and Shane’s Inspiration:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/wheaton/chi-jnt387192-wheaton-wheaton-park-20120621,0,4329584.story

The View from the Playground: Powerful Inclusion Program Launches Online

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:21:07 -0400

Do you work with elementary school students with disabilities? Are you looking for a way to build social bridges on your school campus among students of all abilities?

Learn more at: http://shanesinspiration.org/education/

Since 2004, Shane’s Inspiration has been delivering Together, We Are Able, an awareness program that promotes compassion and understanding through play. Designed in collaboration with child development professionals, Together, We Are Able has inspired more than 20,000 students in over 150 schools.

Via our Inclusion Lunch Box, the program is now available online! Utilizing a combination of engaging classroom workshops and interactive play experiences, students are inspired to move beyond their physical/communication/sensory differences and find common ground through play.

The Inclusion Lunch Box includes an inspirational DVD, tips on supporting children with Autism on the playground, and a standards-based academic curriculum. Order one today and launch an inclusion program this fall!

The Inclusion Lunch Box is brought to your school campus in partnership with Landscape Structures Inc., an international leader in playground equipment: www.playlsi.com

The site was beautifully created by Bruce Ramos - ROBO Multimedia, LLC.

“Working with Shane’s Inspiration was just that; an inspirational experience for myself and my students. To see their attitudes change from fear, to understanding, to compassion, to friendship was truly something special.” Evan Beachy, former Los Angeles Teacher, New Roads Elementary

The View from the Playground: Inclusive Summer Fun!

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:52:03 -0400

Shane’s Inspiration had the pleasure of working with Mary Hauff, a great mom and community leader, last spring to support their inclusive play club Giggle.Play.Connect.

Mary is again spearheading playground fun this summer at Groveland Elementary School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where children with disabilities and without will join together for a day of play, arts & crafts, refreshments, and laughter. The wonderful events are supported by Landscape Structures, Inc. (a leader in inclusive playground equipment - http://www.playlsi.com/Explore-Products/Universally-Accessible-Playgrounds/Pages/Inclusive-Play.aspx)

Check out Giggle.Play.Connect.: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Giggle-Play-Connect/433490503342917?ref=tn_tnmn

Want to launch an inclusive play club in your community? It is easy, fun, and we can help!

Contact Marnie Norris, Director of Programs, Shane’s Inspiration: marnie@shanesinspiration.org

The View from the Playground: Save Space in Your Design for Sensory Play!

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:01:59 -0400

Playgrounds are vital to the development of all children but not easy environments for all children. With sensory processing disorders, the high-impact sound, touch, smell, and movement of a play space can create significant challenges for children and parents. Traditional playgrounds can be far too overwhelming.

Shane’s Inspiration is proud to partner with a community that is getting it right: Wheaton, Illinois. From the get go, they have been committed to creating a state-of-the-art playground that will weave sensory elements into the design, offering places for social engagement that supports the needs and strengths of all their children.