Carla Carvalho, manager of a Service d’éducation et d’accueil (SEA), shares her practical experience on successful inclusion of autistic children. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders and provides specific recommendations for parents, educational staff, and ministries.
Which case studies do you have clearly in mind, have influenced you or left an impression on you?
We accompany children every year. Inclusion is only possible if everyone who works with the child works together and the parents are closely involved. The other children should also be informed and sensitised. They are also a great resource for inclusion to succeed. (I am not allowed to use specific case studies.)
What would you recommend or advise parents to do?
Parents should make direct contact with the people who will be accompanying the child. They know their child best. They should stand up for their child’s rights and utilise all available resources. They should also not give up and give the process a chance. Everything takes time.
What would you recommend or advise teachers and educators?
You should definitely familiarise yourself with the topic. You need basic knowledge (daily structuring, PECS, etc.). You should maintain close contact with the parents and always involve them. You should take a holistic view of the child and engage with the child. They should work in a resource-orientated way and always have a solution-oriented approach in mind.
What would you recommend or advise (autistic) children to do?
Firstly, I would tell them that everyone is different. Everyone has things that they are good at and others that are more difficult. I would advise them to communicate and always tell people specifically whether and what support they need. They should also always stand up for their rights. Inclusion is a right that is still too often disregarded.
What would you recommend or advise the ministries to do?
The ministries should dare to adopt more innovative approaches and not be afraid to take offence. We need a new understanding of inclusion. It must not be a rigid concept. Inclusion is as diverse as the people in the world. We should be able to see what is actually needed without major administrative hurdles, implement this promptly and also work across different services.
We do not need new services, but better networked existing services. Our resources should be utilised more efficiently.