Category: Education
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The Impact of Punitive Discipline on Students with Cerebral Palsy
Students with cerebral palsy (CP) face unique challenges in the educational environment. Unfortunately, these challenges often extend beyond their physical and cognitive limitations to include disproportionate disciplinary measures. Punitive discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, can have lasting adverse effects on these students. Understanding the impact and advocating for more inclusive approaches is crucial.
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Design with Felt-Safety in Mind
Creating a classroom that supports felt-safety is crucial for fostering an inclusive and nurturing learning environment. Felt-safety refers to the internal sense of security and well-being that allows students to focus, engage, and thrive. This concept, popularized by Robyn Gobbel, is especially important for students with trauma histories, anxiety, or neurodivergent traits who may find…
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Creating Sensory-Friendly Environments
If you’ve been inside a school building, you likely can agree that the design of most schools does not scream, ‘This is sensory-friendly space!’ at all. Floors are typically linoleum or tile, large open spaces create echoes of laughter and chatter, and the smells are oh-so abundant. There are generally not too many natural opportunities…
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Stickers Don’t Work for Adults Either
We are a society of “earners.” The transactional systems many of us have been raised on that focus on earning prizes, tickets, and rewards do not have the expected effect. It does not create intrinsic motivation. I could quote Alfie Kohn from his book “Punished by Rewards” here. But what I am seeing is that…
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What is Universal Design?
As an educator, you may not control your school’s discipline policies, but you do have some control over how you set up your classroom. Whether you’re planning out your classroom today or the night before your first professional development day, one critical decision you will make is how to arrange your physical space. To support…
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Interpersonal Safety in the Age of Behaviorism
What do reasonable behavior expectations look like? Different types of behavior are appropriate in different circumstances. The circumstances include externally observable elements as well as things that can only be internally observed by the person exhibiting the behavior.
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Wisconsin Restraint and Seclusion Survey
Making Waves & Systems Change Advocacy is a group of Wisconsin lakeshore mothers working to improve systems for meaningful inclusion, support, and acceptance of people with disabilities. Currently, there aren’t enough efficient and accessible ways for families to share their stories to advocate for real change, and we intend to do our best to turn…
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A Parent’s Story: You Don’t Get What You Don’t Fight For
This is a systemic issue. I can’t count the number of parents I have heard of with similar stories or the number of homeschooling parents who have said that school was “not a good fit” for their child (or children). Had I not been a strong advocate for my son, he would have continued to…
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A Journey of Hope and Healing Through Neuroscience
I have been a fan of Dr. Lori Desautels on Social Media for some time. I even had a chance to interact with her as part of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint’s Book Study for her book, “Intentional Neuroplasticity: Moving Our Nervous Systems and Educational System Toward Post-Traumatic Growth.” I had also read her…
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Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Kids (and Educators)
Social-emotional learning (SEL) offers a solution that benefits everyone. By supporting educators in implementing SEL, we can help them better support their students and foster their own resilience. When teachers are equipped with the tools to manage their own emotions and help students do the same, the classroom environment improves for everyone.