Workshops on Inclusion for People With Autism & Developmental Disabilities

"Alex’s Gift: A Way to Belong" Workshops

The vision that takes us........

from here...	to here...
"even without a cure."

"Alex's Gift: A Way to Belong" Workshops highlight the perspectives gleaned through the educational and life experiences of Alex, a young man with moderately severe autism, about the place of people with autism and other developmental disabilities in our schools and communities, about where they can be, what they can do, and how they can be supported in their desires to dream dreams and make those dreams come true.

These workshops tell the story of

BELONGING

from first grade through high school and beyond

This is the story of

INCLUSION

Many workshops discuss the theory and philosophy of inclusion but few workshops present the all important "how-to", the "nuts and bolts" of making inclusion work in the real world of everyday school and community life. Educators and parents often find it difficult to take the concepts of inclusion from theory, research, and academics to practical implementation with real children in real general education classrooms. It is the goal of Ladybird Crossing to help teachers and parents build that bridge to classroom use. Our workshops present the solid, practical, hands-on, cutting edge strategies and techniques of inclusion. The participants will gain insights into the HOW of inclusion, learning useful, practical, "take-home and use tomorrow" strategies and methods. These strategies allow children with diverse abilities to function successfully in inclusive general education classrooms. The following concepts are included in these workshops:

Alex is given positive reinforcement in classroom setting	the rationale for "belonging", for being included in typical environments and how that belonging can be supported building and unifying the Individualized Education Program Team so that all understand, support, and share the purpose of the inclusion effort
Alex is prompted on work within the classroom	the vision and values of inclusion and how they lead naturally to the programs of transition so important to developing full adult lives in the community guidelines on writing goals that are practical and relevant for students with lesser skills using the advanced curriculums of elementary, middle and high school
Here Alex receives assistance from peers in a typical classroom	practical, "hands-on" methods of adapting and modifying general education curriculums and typical student work and activities to the needs and abilities of children with significant disabilities using actual examples drawn from real classroom texts, worksheets and materials from elementary school to high school implementation of strategies of positive behavior management in general education classrooms
Alex shares work with a friend	methods that facilitate participation and promote friendships as typical children learn to support and embrace their classmates with differences effective parent/school collaboration that benefits children methods and strategies for building programs beyond high school for adults in their homes, work places and in the community at large

These workshops illustrate how typical classroom and community placements can prepare children with disabilities for fulfilling, happy lives of participation and contribution as adults in the "real world" of community living. Alex’s life helps us understand that when such "belonging" takes place, not only is his life enhanced but also the lives of all who know him are enlarged and enlightened. Typical children become the possessors of positive attitudes that will affect their responses to diversity throughout their lives.

As part of these workshops Alex shares, in his own unique way, his life as an adult in the community.

We share the story of a journey, of a mountain climbed, of a victory won, of an unlikely hero . . .

the story of a young man, his life, his friends and his gift.