SHANE’S INSPIRATION LAUNCHES SOCIAL INCLUSION TRAINING TOOL FOR EDUCATORS TO COINCIDE WITH NATIONAL INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 4, 2017
–- Free Digital Training Tool Helps Educators Facilitate Social Interaction for Children with Disabilities on School Campuses --
LOS ANGELES (NOVEMBER 28, 2017) – Shane’s Inspiration, the worldwide leader in creating inclusive playgrounds and programs that unite children of all abilities, has released its first professional development training tool to provide educators with the instruction they need to better support social inclusion of differently-abled students on their campuses, it was announced today by Marnie Norris, SVP of Programs at Shane’s Inspiration.
This social inclusion training video is uniquely designed to promote integration and understanding by bringing together children with and without disabilities in a meaningful way. Socially connecting differently-abled kids with typical peers through the vehicle of play is a unique offering in the world of general education. Since its inception in 2004, Shane’s Inspiration’s “Together, We Are Able” program has successfully worked with over 40,000 students, reaching over 30 states and more than 60 countries.
“Shane’s Inspiration has created this step-by-step professional development training tool as a way to extend support to educators and parents during Inclusive Schools Week. This program is an invaluable asset to educators who want more detailed instruction on how to support social inclusion on their campuses ~ something rarely available to them, until now.” stated Norris.
A sample of the content includes:
- Examples of best practices for increasing awareness of the need for and benefits of social inclusion on campuses.
- Key points on how to utilize and integrate the academic curriculum and its key features into classroom content.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to facilitate social interaction between typical children and those with a range of disabilities.
- Tips for facilitating communication with children who have limited verbal skills.
A free copy of this curriculum is available for download at http://shanesinspiration.org/curriculum-downloads/.
The impetus for this program arose from Shane’s Inspiration’s partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Division of Special Education. When LAUSD began folding more severely-impacted students with disabilities (such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy and Cerebral Palsy, among other conditions) onto general education campuses, they realized that they had all the resources necessary to modify physical campuses and academic curricula, but lacked the resources to support social inclusion.
About Shane's Inspiration:
Shane’s Inspiration is recognized as a worldwide leader of creating Universally Accessible Playgrounds (UAP) and educational programs that unite children of all abilities. Its mission is to foster social inclusion for children with disabilities by creating a unique and safe place for children of all ages and abilities to come together through the vehicle of inclusive play. Since launching in 1998, the international nonprofit has helped raise millions of dollars to build, design and program nearly 70 universally accessible playgrounds around the globe, with 50 more currently in development. For additional information, visit http://ShanesInspiration.org.
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Contact:
For Media Relations:
Nikki Pesusich, Coterie Media
Nikki@CoterieMedia.com | 818-788-7650
For Program information:
Marnie Norris, Shane’s Inspiration
Marnie@ShanesInspiration.org | 818-988-5676