SEL and students with disabilities in the classroom
autside.substack.com
Today, most school districts in the U.S. select and implement specific Social / Emotional Learning activities (SEL), lessons, or formal curricula throughout their schools, intended to help children manage their emotions and develop critical skills for making decisions, building relationships, and cultivating self-awareness, among other goals.
Though an estimated quarter of the student population in the U.S. has a disability of some kind, SEL worksheets, videos, and activities may not have been designed for accessibility in the first place, making it difficult or impossible for children with disabilities to participate. Those materials may not include portrayals of students with disabilities in everyday experiences, like conflicts, social interactions, and instruction. Teachers may also assume that every student should be able to demonstrate the same emotion-regulation skills.
A child with a sensory, intellectual, or psychological disability that affects impulse control, for example, may fidget to focus and stay on task during a long academic lesson. But a teacher who holds implicit biases about what focusing should look like may become frustrated by the fidgeting, perceive the child as disruptive, and then punish them.
What might a fully inclusive SEL program look like? Why aren’t there many? Please leave your ideas below. I’d love to know what you think / have experienced.
SEL and students with disabilities in the classroom
SEL and students with disabilities in the classroom
SEL and students with disabilities in the classroom
Today, most school districts in the U.S. select and implement specific Social / Emotional Learning activities (SEL), lessons, or formal curricula throughout their schools, intended to help children manage their emotions and develop critical skills for making decisions, building relationships, and cultivating self-awareness, among other goals.
Though an estimated quarter of the student population in the U.S. has a disability of some kind, SEL worksheets, videos, and activities may not have been designed for accessibility in the first place, making it difficult or impossible for children with disabilities to participate. Those materials may not include portrayals of students with disabilities in everyday experiences, like conflicts, social interactions, and instruction. Teachers may also assume that every student should be able to demonstrate the same emotion-regulation skills.
A child with a sensory, intellectual, or psychological disability that affects impulse control, for example, may fidget to focus and stay on task during a long academic lesson. But a teacher who holds implicit biases about what focusing should look like may become frustrated by the fidgeting, perceive the child as disruptive, and then punish them.
What might a fully inclusive SEL program look like? Why aren’t there many? Please leave your ideas below. I’d love to know what you think / have experienced.