Children with Mobility Limitations
Knowledge:
There are many children in my classroom that attend and or need occupational and or physical therapy for various physical limitations that impede their ability to access the curriculum in a typical classroom. It is the responsibility of the teaching team to provide an environment that enables all students to access the curriculum despite their physical limitations. Unlike a public school, the school where I teach is a small private preschool and does not have a special education department to develop a 504 plan. There are some building requirements that provide adequate access to the school, such as cleared ramps, safe paths and stairwells in the event of an emergency, and an elevator. While these are important and necessary building requirements to have in place, they do not necessarily solve many of the individual physical limitations a student might face in their learning environment. There are students in our classroom that are simply in need of development in their fine and gross motor skills while others have sustained injuries that require the use of a scooter or wheelchair. It is often that we need to adapt our classroom based on recommendations of therapists or through a trial and error process based on our observations.
Furniture on wheels is easy to move for clear paths.
Tables with adjustable height.
Outdoor ramps for easy and safe access.
Building elevator for access to all floors.
Application:
Some children in our classroom have poor motor control, a lack of spatial awareness, or poor core strength. For these students we have a variety of supportive chairs for students to sit comfortably and safely at group time. We also provide a variety of activities that build their fine/gross motor skills, as well as core strength. While many of these limitations are developmental, we have other students that have sustained injuries requiring the use of a wheelchair or scooter. We also currently have a parent that is confined to a wheelchair. This required us to modify the environment to make it a safe and accessible learning environment. The furniture in our classroom is the biggest obstacle for students and or parents confined to a wheelchair. It is to our advantage that our storage furniture is on wheels, making it easily moved and safely locked in place. All of our tables are height adjustable allowing for wheelchairs to fit underneath and to make all materials accessible to the student. Transition in and out of the chair is necessary for access to the bathroom and the use of particular centers. The teachers in our classroom needed to know what was safe in terms of lifting the child and the safety rules around time out of the chair. All of these modifications were necessary for the student to have full access to the classroom and the curriculum. The parent of the child in our classroom that is permanently confined to a wheelchair also needs modifications to safely transport her child in and out of the classroom. Our first concern was to get the child into the classroom in the safest and most convenient way. While we wanted to offer to bring the child in and out of the school, for a fast and efficient transition, we were hesitant to make the parent feel as if they were unwelcome into the classroom. We decided to discuss with the parent what would be best for them and how we could best accommodate. We made it clear that we would be happy to bring the student in and out the building or accommodate the classroom for wheelchair access at drop off or pickup. The parent decided to have the teaching staff transport the child in and out of the building.
Reflection:
When we heard that one of our students was injured and would be attending school in a wheelchair, we panicked a little bit, as we wanted to be accommodating while at the same maintain an environment that was efficient for all the students. Our anxiousness about the entire situation was calmed pretty quickly as other students became very helpful and the student showed true grit and resilience. He was able to figure out how to make things work for him and if anything showed more ability than we thought he was capable of to begin with. This showed me that a wheelchair, to a child with mobility limitations, is an enabler not a disabler. This device as others allows for children to engage in a classroom in the least restrictive manner, while also supporting the mobility limitation in the safest way. We were also pleased to use this opportunity to teach empathy and tolerance to all the students and ways they can be respectful and accommodating without limiting the child’s independence and ability to do tasks on their own. I have attached some helpful links that I found.
Tips for working with students in wheelchairs
https://www.thoughtco.com/working-with-students-in-wheelchairs-3111137
Adapting Physical Space for Students with Special Needs
https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/inclusion/adaptphys/index.php
Games and adaptations
https://www.playworks.org/resource/adapting-games-for-students-in-wheelchairs/
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