Attitudes and Practices To Help Include Young Children with TBI in the Classroom

• Keep attitudes optimistic.
  
  • Affirm the belief that the child needs to learn and make progress, rather than needing to be cured.
• Maintain a working partnership with caregivers:
  
  • Endorse open attitudes, such as “we’re in this together.”
  • Be willing to share information freely.
  • Acknowledge that everyone is participating as members of an instructional team.
  • Communicate in a way that is clear and continual.
• Address children’s needs within the context of family needs, not separately.
• Provide therapy within classroom routines as much as possible.
• All members of the instructional team should acknowledge their responsibility to help the child meet IFSP and IEP goals.
• Be flexible; accept that no one person has all the answers.
• Maintain open communication among all parties.
• Keep strong parent partnerships with easy communication back and forth. Both the parents and providers should view themselves as part of a problem solving team.
• Make child-specific individualized classroom adaptations to allow the child to:
  
  • Perform basic functions such as eating, toileting, etc.
  • Play and participate in learning activities.
  • Participate in socialization activities.
• Make adaptations that help children meet their needs while demonstrating understanding of their challenges.

Adapted from:

Frazeur Cross, A., Traub, E. K., Hutter-Pishgahi, L., and Shelton, G. (2004).  Elements of Successful Inclusion for Children with Significant Disabilities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 24, 169.