Chapter 11

• Trends and issues in teaching learners with difficulty walking and moving include teacher inclusion attitudes questionnaire, teacher beliefs toward inclusion of learners with physical disability, and the "Kids are Kids" program.
• Teacher inclusion attitudes questionnaire is a tool used to measure the beliefs, attitudes, and values of teachers and other school staff toward inclusion of learners with physical disability.
• Teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and values toward inclusion of learners with physical disability are important as they shape how they teach and respond toward these learners.
• The development and innovation of education of learners with physical disability imperatively requires corresponding change in teachers’ beliefs and attitudes.
• Factors that could shape teachers’ beliefs and attitudes include their personal experiences, as well as the larger environment of the school, the community, and culture.
• Children with physical disabilities can be integrated in various ways including locational integration, social integration, and academic integration.
• The needs of children with physical disabilities should be seen as a continuum, depending on their needs.
• Those with less severed difficulties could be partially integrated and included in mainstream schools.
• Inclusive education intends to integrate and promote social interactions between children with and without disabilities, children with disabilities may still feel socially isolated.
• Tavares (2011) designed a program called “Kids are Kids”, which intends to develop positive impacts on attitudes of children towards learners with physical disabilities, and thus, promote social inclusion.
• “Kids are Kids” Program was developed for children from Grades 1 to 8 who are experiencing difficulties in their school.
• The target child is chosen through input from parents, child, and teacher.
• Students are shown slides with statements such as “Children are similar in some ways”, “All children want to have friends”, “Children with disabilities can do all sorts of things”.
• A brief video is shown, highlighting children with disabilities interacting with other children and engaging in different social and recreational activities.
• After watching the video, specific information about the child’s disability is provided and classmates are encouraged to ask questions.
• Other activities such as problem solving and role playing on how they might approach their classmate with disability are done.