How to integrate children with special needs into training sessions
This session will look at how to ensure inclusivity for everyone, so that everyone can participate fully to achieve Level 2 regardless of learning difficulties.
Disability Discrimination law and its implications (taken from the DfT website)
It’s against the law for a school or other education provider to treat disabled students unfavourably. This includes:
•‘direct discrimination’, eg refusing admission to a student because of disability
•‘indirect discrimination’, eg only providing application forms in one format that may not be accessible
•‘discrimination arising from a disability’, eg a disabled pupil is prevented from going outside at break time because it takes too long to get there
•‘harassment’, eg a teacher shouts at a disabled student for not paying attention when the student’s disability stops them from easily concentrating
•victimisation, eg suspending a disabled student because they’ve complained about harassment
Reasonable adjustments
An education provider has a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to make sure disabled students are not discriminated against. These changes could include:
•changes to physical features, eg creating a ramp so that students can enter a classroom
•providing extra support and aids (like specialist teachers or equipment)
The first half of workshop will focus on looking at case studies of what has been done and what has gone wrong
Deafness - individual in course and group of deaf trainees with interpreter
Choice of words to use. I have had a long discussion with Jane Shann (director of The Phoenix Group) she told me that deaf and or hearing impaired is a tricky one for them too. Some are keen to avoid the deaf label; others are keen to own the word deaf. So ask your trainee.
With deaf/hearing impaired trainee(s) in a group there are several ways you may need to interact with them.
One way is with a hearing loop mike attached to you that communicates directly with their hearing aid(s). I have used these many times. I am told that a womans voice is easier to hear than a man's so if there is a choice of 'talker' try to bear this in mind. BEWARE while you are wearing this microphone *everything* you say/do can be heard so dont forget and talk about other children or go to the loo!
If the deaf/hearing impaired person can lipread or has some hearing then engineer it that they stand near to you in the teaching times and make sure that you look at them when you are talking to make lip reading easier. Remember that most people who are finding it hard to hear will use your lips as a helper even if they are not aware of that!
With an interpreter - often a TA or helper at school but sometimes a professional interpreter. Now not only do you have to teach, but you have to wait for the interpreter to sign out your message and translate any questions too. This can take a lot longer. For example when teaching the Phoenix group trainees our normal 7 hourscombined level 1/2 sessions took 8hours with reduced numbers of trainees and additional instructors. Normally 8 trainees/2 instructors, we have maximum6trainees from Phoenix and 3 instructors. With the Phoenix group trainees we also have some parents and siblings in the groups too.
Only one hand - Good vs Bad experiences HCC recent experiences
These are two very recent cases from HCC. Firstly a school contacted us to let us know that they had a couple of tricky children that they wanted included in the course one on a trike and one with only one hand. The child with one hand had an adapted bike and could ride well I was told. The second case was handled very differently.
In the first case the child was missing his arm from above the elbow and had a ‘dock’ on the bars to place his stump to aid controlling the bike. The Brakes were fitted onto a single dual control lever and he had good control. We had issues with signalling of course since he could not let go of the bars with his good hand though he could signal well with the other arm. In discussions with him we found a way that he could indicate his intention to turn left and he passed with flying colours. I still see him cycling around town.
The second case. I took a call from our instructor wanting to know what he should do. He had been working through the level 1 exercises and one child had been noticed because of poor emergency stopping. When he told the girl to brake using both brakes she looked down and he noticed the missing hand! Clearly with only one brake she could not be allowed out on road. I told the instructor to pass this on and that we would investigate what could be done. We offered to install a dual brake lever on the bike and take the child out for one to one training after the schools course. I don’t believe that this has been taken up.
Trike use
Adaped bikes, trikes, hand cycles, recumbents, wheelchair conversions etc and have all been used to attend a Bikeability training course.
The trike mentioned above was a very good example. The child was very weak and had poor coordination. She attended the level 1 session and we deemed that she was capable of progressing onto the road. She was supported by a very good TA who worked with us to aid her and help make the training equally good for all children on the course. Clearly she could not travel at the same speed as the other children so she and the TA went ahead to our locations after the first day (we are lucky to have cycle tracks to get to roads in this area). We also rotated the other children so that each group had one day with the trike to minimise the impact on the others.
She could not manoeuvre the machine but she could get in/out so with support she could do all the same work as the other children. I have worked with children who could not get in/out so then you have to look for dropped kerbs for them to enter/leave the road.
At the end of her session her parents collected her from school and she then slept until the next day!
Yes she achieved her level 2 in fact she was better on the road than some of her compatriots!
Autism spectrum disorder
Children with these issues are the most likely to be seen on our courses. These will present with many different issues. From the mild, no eye contact, not appearing to be listening, to the severe, unable to work with others, react strongly to loud noise etc.
Strategies to deal with these are trickier to explain because each trainee will need different handling. I would like more examples from others here.
One child we took for level 1 struggled to ride for more than a few feet. The following year he was there again on the course. He had focussed on his bike knew all the parts in the bike check and rode really well. He passed his level 1 and we took him out on the first day of level 2 (with some trepidation) he did quite well on the first day (start/stop/parked car/U turn – quiet road). The next day we took him onto a slightly busier road to start junction turns he managed Left in but was not really capable of managing the right out. So this was where he stopped. He was a chewer – all the fluffy side of the high vis Velcro was consumed by the end of the session each day!
The next year – he had been held back a year at school - he was there again. Level 1 was a breeze. Level 2 he actually ‘got it’ and managed a pass at level 2. Although with the proviso that he would not cope at junctions other than those at which he had been taught (we had discussions with parents). And yes I needed 4 new High vis!
Part 2 - Brainstormingon the following issues:
1.Knowledge – how to get from trainees
2.Preparation – what instructors might need to do
3.Extra Time – how can this be done
4.Cost implications - schemes
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