What are the productive ways parents challenge schools to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity on field trips? Learn the most helpful methods.
Six million students with disabilities are enrolled in public schools, with even higher numbers being included in the general education classroom. While school counselors work closely with students with disabilities, there’s a need to work closely with the parents of those students.
Parents’ input clears concern that caregivers and teachers have about education, child-rearing, and other concerns relating to the children’s disabilities. Student planners have a role in ensuring that students don’t have negative experiences while on a field trip.
Children should be given equal opportunity to have fun and learn regardless of the assistance they may need. Not everyone has a physical disability, and a teacher must be aware of each student’s conditions.
There’re different productive ways parents challenge schools to advocate for inclusivity and accessibility on field trips. Here are a few helpful methods you should know.
- Check Travelling Accommodation
Parents should inquire whether or not the school has a chaperone to stay close to the students. Even with a chaperone around, children should still be allowed to engage in conversations, play games, and interact with other students.
While they may pay attention to their needs, they should treat everyone equal and assist other students as well. If students are traveling by air, call the airline and airport to discuss the flight services your students require.
Once you find affordable rates, discuss with the airline some of the flight services your students require. Perhaps they need luggage assistance, a specific seating arrangement, or need a seat close to a restroom.
- Keep in Touch
Parents have to keep in touch with the teachers regarding their children’s condition. Children that maintain periodic intake of shots or medicine should be encouraged to message their parents or call home to reassure their family that they’re healthy and safe.
In case of emergencies, parents should be notified immediately. Any ill or injured students should be rushed to the nearest hospital and treated promptly. Once the children have received treatment, it’s up to them to decide whether or not to proceed with the activities scheduled for the group.
- Have a detailed Attendance Form
Attendance form should be mandatory for teachers planning to distribute attendance forms, and this should be done at least a month before the trip. It should also have a draft list of student’s names, allergy restrictions, and parents/guardian contact information.
You should also schedule meetings with guardians/parents to discuss concerns and answer questions. Families have a lot to take into account when it comes to academic exposure and a child’s safety. The more time they have to consider everything, the happier they’ll be.
- Gather Feedback
When your child arrives home, ask for suggestions that can help improve future student trips. Taking feedback into account is a perfect way to ensure that trips are enjoyable for anyone attending. Parents should weigh travel and lodging expenses, methods of communication, and other general areas.
Since every class trip you plan may be different, a similar concern can arise in the future. Your students will appreciate your support and hard work if you can avoid issues raised by other students on past trips.
- Teachers Should Understand Student’s Limitations
It’s easy to tell if a child has a physical disability like paralysis or a broken arm. In case of any limitations, privately and gently ask your student(s) the type of medical assistance they’ll need a few months before scheduling any group activities.
This is an essential step because you want to treat them equal. Even with a permanent or temporary injury, your student may not need assistance, but it’s always safe to check. Mental disability can prove challenging to detect. While teachers may be notified of student’s disabilities, treatment methods are not always discussed.
Parents should work with teachers to make sure that the student planner takes into account the medication that should be administered to them. Planners should coordinate schedules so that everyone knows the correct dosage. Your students are accustomed and responsible for their own medical routine, which means that you won’t need any extra assistance.
- Evaluate Your Boarding Option
Once you’ve sorted out accommodation and travel expenses, you should figure out how to organize the students in the room. You may consider placing two to four students in a room, but for children with disabilities, they should be in a room with an easily accessible telephone line and bathroom.
Unless the mental or physical health may need a solitary living arrangement, such students should be grouped with at least one of their peers. This is helpful as they’ll need someone that can provide additional support. Regardless of where they stay, it’s advisable to strategically place chaperones in separate rooms, and give students room numbers and adult contact information.
For students staying in rooms with two hallways, you should disperse yourself and other chaperones so that there’s an adult on each hallway. Anyone living in a building with more than one floor should station a chaperone on every floor. However, they should know the route to the nearest hospital and how they can reach there.
- Have Inclusive Activities
The worst you can do as a student planner is schedule activities that disabled children can’t participate in. Students should be given an equal chance to be part of the school’s extra-curricular activities. The best way to get a feel of what student’s interest are is to survey them for suggestions. This can be accomplished either online or in class.
Once you have an idea, you can have more private conversations with the special needs students on the activities that they can actively engage in. You can also check out these attractions for kids with special needs.
Why Parents Challenge Is Important for Children
When planning a trip, school personnel should visit the site before selecting the date and destination. The site should address objectives and curricular goals as well as procedural, environmental, behavioral, and medical concerns.
A parent’s input during the visit ensures that all the child’s safety concerns are handled whenever they arise. The way parents challenge a school’s conduct during field trips makes a significant difference in a special needs child.
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