Special Education Project

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS AND TRANSITIONING TO COMMUNITY LIFE

‘A value-add project to meant to re-configure community services for young people with disabilities’

Summary of Activity

Program:

David Gordon Ph.D. spent from July 11^th through July 20^th in the greater Gaborone, Botswana area.  The primary goal was to discuss the current practices for young adults with disabilities transitioning from school to work in Botswana. This visit functioned as a catalyst in rethinking current practices and the need to restructure adult services to better meet the needs of persons with disabilities.

The conversation identifies two secondary goals.  First, was the need to explain “civic action” options for parents of young adults with disabilities.  These included litigation, protests, and advocacy days with Members of Parliament. The second was the acknowledgement of the need to address students with dyslexia and that this is a rapidly growing population in Botswana.

As Dr. Gordon visited various schools, training centers, and current programs for adults with disabilities it became clear that for the conference days the training should focus on the following topics:

• Admissions intake process and goals for students with disabilities and school placement

• Transitions pathways and process in the US (IDEA reauthorization1997)
• Overall students with disabilities assessment process in the US (IDEA 1990)
• The Staten Island Academy – Patrick Academic Resource Center structure, professional staff, limitations, and end goal of preparation for University
• The history of special education and disability civil rights in the US

Outcomes:

Overall, the program was considered very successful. Moffat Louis became the Executive Director of The Botswana Council for People with Disabilities (BCD) approximately 3 months ago.  The Council reports to The Office of the President of Botswana. Mr. Louis is in the process of reinvigorating the council’s 30 NGO Member Organizations and Dr. Gordon’s visit was one of the first programs that allowed member organizations, government, and private schools to come together and discuss common topics.  Through these discussions, which were challenging at times, the group was honest, direct, and forthright and the following Next Steps were established:

• A working group of parent organizations from BCD will begin to get together regularly to establish and action plan to raise awareness and begin to address the gap between school to work transition and training for students with disabilities.
• A working group made up of BCD member NGOs will begin to discuss and create a civic action plan
• A working group will begin to meet to discuss how to begin to collect accurate numbers and information regarding young adults with disabilities (many are kept at home and do not work or socialize with peers.
• BCD member organizations will work together with BCD to create a center for young adults with intellectual disabilities to get together for socialization, family respite, job training and coaching, and to create opportunity for on-site micro businesses.
• Both parent organizations and school-teachers agreed that there should be consistent training for teaching assistants which currently does not exist.
• Both parent organizations and school-teachers agreed that there is need for an integration from an early age of OT, Speech, and PT in the schools.  Currently all therapy happens outside of the schools and classrooms, and early intervention is not a priority.
• All in attendance agreed that there is need for regulations on transition from school to work starting at an early age (approximately 12 years old)

ACTION ITEMS