In California, if you have been at all into the news: it’s a severe drought. So needless, to say that this week’s rain in California was welcome, even with the stresses of a major rain on a drought stricken, wild-fire ravaged state. But rain yields a whole different ball game when you have students with disabilities.
Weather is a great limiter.
- It might be harder for a student to walk in areas that are wet. Some students may cut across a muddy field but for a student with mobility impairments, this is not an option.
- Shoelaces become tighter or become looser.
- Technology that is mounted on a wheel chair need to be protected.
- Outside lunch tables where friends gather are empty.
- Indoor noises amplify with squeaks and energy.
- Alternative activities are limited and new faces can create anxiety.
- More bodies, means more contact with germs for some students.
But what can you do?
Know a classroom where students are welcome. Maybe that is the room students are based out of or maybe a team up with a general education teacher for different activities based on the majority of your students. For students who need quieter environments, use the library or another familiar comfort space for those students. And always: remind everyone to wash their hands. Wash your hands frequently, especially when helping students with blowing noses.
Weather happens. It is a truth of the life of being a student. Whether or not your school has indoor hallways or outdoor hallways, eventually the exposure to the elements will happen.
It is the time of year for gratitude and giving. And I would like to thank you all for coming weekly to the ParaEducate Blog. We will have one more blog before the end of the 2014 year and then we will head into our winter holiday hiatus until January 2015.
Are you interested in participating as a Guest Blogger for ParaEducate? Do you have a question for us? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here and here. ParaEducate is company interested in providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is published weekly during the academic school year on Thursdays, unless a holiday. ParaEducate shares their findings at conferences, through their books, and their academic adaptations.
