inclusion Archives - L.A. Parent

Why Inclusion Matters Now More than Ever

Published September 1, 2023

Steps on how to advocate for your child with needs or differences.

By Michelle Massie

Kids are back in classrooms, so most parents are busy juggling supplies and schedules. But if your student has special needs or learning differences, the start of the school year can be a terrifying time, especially if your child is very young and just starting out. We are plagued by questions: Will the curriculum be adapted? Will they be able to make friends? Will they be safe?

The first step is to help create a school environment where all students can thrive together.

That may sound daunting, but there are so many more resources now than there were even 20 years ago! Let’s take a look…

Where Do I Start?

Your child’s teacher is always a great place to start. Many parents are worried about adding to the burden of our already over-worked educators, so they hesitate to meet with them. But you’ll find that most teachers really appreciate getting to know how best to help your child, especially since each person with a disability is so different. They need resources as much as we do, so let’s start the conversation! Here are some tips:

Start by asking the teacher how they like to run a typical day so that you can help them figure out the best way to integrate your child into the classroom routine.
Ask about what your school already has. Many campuses already have activities in place, such as buddy benches and programs that mainstream special day classes for part of the day.
Let your child’s teacher know that you’ll support them in whatever way you can. If you can volunteer in the classroom or provide supplies, that’s great. You can also ask to do a one-time talk to the whole class, keeping it simple and brief. When my son started pre-k, I simply explained that his body worked differently and that he needed a wheelchair to move around. Then I asked if there were any questions (this really helps to take the mystery out of things. When questions are answered, kids generally move on.) There were only a few, after which all of them accepted my son’s presence as perfectly normal.

How Can I Help?

Find out how to expand what’s already in place. This is where Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration really shines: this amazing resource is the go-to for creating a truly inclusive campus. It has classroom education programs, the best buddy playdates and beautiful, accessible playgrounds all over the world…many of them right here in Los Angeles (see inclusionmatters.org/playgrounds-list/). And I am here to tell you that Inclusion Matters Education Program, Together, We Are Able, is gold. Specialists come out and speak to general education classrooms before a field trip and answer questions. They then arrange transportation to one of their accessible playgrounds. Once there, typical kids are paired with buddies who have special needs and then…magic happens! Afterwards, the same specialist comes back to the classroom to talk to students who always say they had a great time and want to know when they can go back and play with their buddies again!

How Do I Get Everyone On Board?

It’s as easy as finding your peeps!

Special education teachers, general education teachers, resource specialists, OT/PT/speech staff and classroom aids can all be enlisted. (This is also a great way to build relationships outside of IEP meetings, which can sometimes be challenging.)
Rally other parents. This is your best bet for marketing your message to administration and staff. Presenting a kind, united front will facilitate getting programs like those from Inclusion Matters that will ultimately benefit allstudents. And don’t forget your PTA. Creating an inclusion committee is a great way to get everyone involved.

Make it Fun!

Check out My PlayClub events at Inclusion Matters playgrounds. It’s a great place to connect with other families like ours and they are a blast. There are crafts, face-painting stations, story time and lots of other inclusive activities.
Create inclusive recess events that parents can volunteer to run.
Plan an inclusive family movie night. Invite other classmates and parents, pop a big bucket of popcorn and enjoy the show!

And finally, this: Starting school can be scary. Will my child be accepted? Bullied? Left behind? Remember that building relationships is the key here because it normalizes diversity. When everyone is learning, working and growing together, it organically changes the narrative from separation to inclusion. Focusing on what we have in common — instead of on our differences — sends the clear message that school, and the greater community, is for all of us.

Michelle Massie is a mom, a writer and voice-over actor who lives in Los Angeles.

Blippi and Easterseals Partner for new inclusive episode

Published March 31, 2022

Easterseals has partnered with the kids’ show Blippi to create “Blippi Meets Hans the Robot,” which celebrates how kids learn in different ways.

Blippi is a live action, educational children’s show for kids ages 2-6 years old. Through singing, dancing, and exploring, Blippi helps children understand the world around them by going on all manner of learning adventures, from museums to wildlife parks. According to mother Jennifer Rodriguez, Blippi gave her son Lucas “a voice and has expanded his vocabulary and conversational skills faster than any therapist.”

Blippi’s appeal lies in his contagious curiosity and love of learning through play. With more than one billion views per month on YouTube, over 37 million dedicated followers and content available in 20 different languages, the show has taught millions of kids how to count, colors, letters and more.

Blippi and Hans the Robot. PHOTO COURTESY BLIPPI

In the episode, Blippi, Easterseals Therapy Supervisor Michelle Dew and ESSC’s therapy robot, Hans, explore some of the different ways people can play, eat and dance during a visit to ESSC’s Autism Therapy and Disability Services Center in Irvine. “Celebrating different ways of learning through play is at the heart of Blippi,” said Katelynn Heil, Blippi’s general manager.

Just in time for Autism Awareness Month, the episode will be available beginning April 2 on YouTube. Blippi content is also available on a range of streaming platforms, including Netflix, HBO Max, Spacetoons, Hulu, Amazon Kids Plus, Peacock, Virgin Media, Roku, FutureToday, Kidoodle and Sky Kids.

Shelby D. Boagni on Diversity & Inclusion

Published January 21, 2022

By Elena Epstein

Shelby D. Boagni will join The Music Center as its senior vice president of people and culture.

The Music Center is a beloved L.A. cultural icon. It’s also the 3^rd largest performing art centers in the nation with a focus on strengthening a culture of racial justice, diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. Shelby D. Boagni will soon take on the newly created role of senior vice president of people and culture.

We recently chatted with Boagni, who grew up in Los Angeles and is the proud mom of one daughter, Lindsay, who is an attorney working and living in Washington D.C.

Please tell us a little about your new position as SVP of People & Culture. It sounds unique.

My position is a new role at The Music Center. It includes the combination of human resources management and a focus on furthering a culture of inclusion with focus on diversity, equity, access and inclusion. This opportunity is unique in that it’s not that common of a role. It’s about ensuring that diversity is interwoven through all that we do from recruitment of staff to our public programming.

You grew up in Carson, tell us a little about your growing-up experiences in and around L.A. Fondest memories?

Carson was built for families. I grew up in a nurturing environment filled with neighbors who looked out for each other. Carson had several programs for families and children — a public swimming pool and golf course and my favorite event, the Carson Parade, was a big community event that I participated in every year with my drill team. Carson was a multicultural city with a small-town feel.

How do you see the role of The Music Center in relation to Los Angeles families?

The role of The Music Center and its goal is to ensure Los Angeles families find the campus to be open and welcoming with programming that is accessible to families from across the county, no matter their experience with the arts.

How do you see the role of The Music Center and education in Los Angeles?

The Music Center has a rich history of providing educational and arts learning programs to schools, families and the community at large. In addition, our free and low-cost programs offer all Angelenos with additional opportunities for arts experiences.

Did you have a mentor growing up? And what role did that person play in your life and your career?

My mentor was and continues to be my mother. She was an educator and administrator with LAUSD. She was the assistant principal at two of our local Carson high schools and principal at one of our middle schools before becoming a high school director in the South Bay. My mom was successful in her career while raising a family and instilled in me a strong work ethic and a heart and passion for community service.

Best life advice you received growing up?

My parents always said “if you believe it, you can achieve it.”

You’re a mom to an adult daughter. From your perspective now, what would you tell your new mom self?

I was a single mom for most of my daughter’s childhood. Looking back, I would tell myself “Not to worry so much, you can handle it.”

How has parenthood changed you?

Parenthood expanded my view of the world. Looking at the world through someone else’s eyes gives you a brand-new perspective and makes you appreciate things in a new way.

When not working, where will we find you?

When I’m not working, you can find me spending time with my husband.

What are some of your favorite spots and activities in and around L.A.?

My favorite places in L.A. are the many museums around Los Angeles. I really enjoy the arts overall and have always been a fan of The Music Center, and one of my favorite traditions with my daughter, starting when she was a toddler, was seeing “The Nutcracker” each year.

Diversity and Inclusion – The Benefits in Raising Your Children to be Accepting

Published March 1, 2021

By Jeanne Huybrechts, Chief Academic Officer, Stratford School

“Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work.” – Andres Tapic

We live in an increasingly diverse world where our children encounter people of varying races, cultures and abilities. As parents, teaching our children about diversity and inclusion is paramount as we focus on raising tolerant, accepting, and empathetic children.

How do you guide your child to grow to be a diverse, inclusive, and compassionate individual? Here are three ways where you, as a parent, can teach your child to have a positive attitude and approach.

1. Be a Role Model. Parents have so much influence on their children’s view of the world and ways of thinking, especially in matters related to how they treat other people and how they make decisions. Parents should message to children at an early age that diversity is not just a nice-to-have, feel-good goal but is a smart goal. Multiple studies of group dynamics in schools and in business have demonstrated the business value of assembling teams composed of people who have different perspectives, different ways of looking at problems and different life experiences to contribute to the collective intelligence of the group. Groups that are more diverse make smarter decisions than homogenous groups. There are deep and long-lasting benefits that inclusion policies and practices can bring to team dynamics, to organizations and to interactions among children in the classroom and on the playground.

2. Explain Differences, Don’t Ignore Them. When developing curriculum and programming related to diversity and inclusion, my three go-to resources are Facing History and Ourselves, the Teaching Tolerance organization, and Common Sense Media. Facing History uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate, and they do this by creating rich and rigorous histories of past injustices, of discrimination based on sex, religion, national origin and race – injustices fueled by unaddressed nationalism, racism and prejudice. Included in every lesson package are prompts and exercises that lead to reflection on the sustained damage produced by the injustices. Facing History has many resources for parents seeking to reinforce the values of acceptance and inclusion within diverse communities – the value of getting to know people different from ourselves.

Along these lines, my favorite resource for parents (and teachers) is Beyond the Golden Rule, published by Teaching Tolerance. The 50-page book is free and downloadable. It features advice and resources for parents of toddlers, teenagers and all ages in between. From the Teaching Tolerance website: “Whether you are the parent of a 3-year-old who is curious about why a friend’s skin is brown, the parent of a 9-year-old who has been called a slur because of his religion, or the parent of a 15-year-old who snubs those outside of her social clique at school, this book is designed to help you teach your children to honor the differences in themselves and in others — and to reject prejudice and intolerance.”

3. Use Children’s Books to Explore Differences. Finally, Common Sense Media maintains a wonderful list of books that promote diversity and inclusion for children of all ages – again, toddlers to teens. Among my favorites are A Snowy Day and Last Stop on Market Street, both read aloud books; New Kid, a marvelous graphic novel; Maniac Magee; Stella by Starlight; Wishtree; and American Born Chinese. What these books have in common is that they promote values of diversity and inclusion in memorable stories about interesting characters — stories that show rather than tell, thus grounding abstract concepts like inclusion in examples of real people having authentic experiences and processing genuine feelings.

It’s tempting to try to be completely politically correct when talking about diversity and inclusion, as children are naturally curious about the world around them. When we help children understand these differences, they’ll be one step closer to respecting and celebrating the differences in all people, cultures and experiences and how those differences ultimately can bring the joy of living into our world.

Stratford School has three locations in Los Angeles County with a focus on infusing a strong liberal arts curriculum with STEAM inspired learning. For more information visit stratfordschools.com