The Occupational Therapist's Handbook for Inclusive School Practices
by Julie Causton and Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
When I recently received this book to review, I had no idea how quickly it would become pertinent to a current situation in my practice! I think we as OTs and educators all have our own ideas about what inclusion means or is, and what we think it could or should look like. But are we accurate?? And, do other professionals on the teams that we are involved in share the same ideas and thoughts regarding it? Are we doing the best by our students?
I recently finished by master's degree in autism spectrum disorders, and I really do feel that we covered least restrictive environment and inclusion quite a bit. I have to say, however, that I have found that not everyone views inclusion as I do- and by that I mean administrators, teachers, paras, other related service providers and even parents. I have even second guessed my own views based on others' views!
This book is a wealth of information regarding the concept of inclusion, and it also confirmed my stance on what inclusion could and should look like~ In addition...
- The book gives a nice background about OT and special education, followed by what inclusive education is, what it can and should look like and include.
- It delves into working together as a team for the good of our students, and gives a good overview on what OTs role in an inclusive classroom might look like- moving from a pull out, direct service model to a more consultative and active role in the inclusive classroom. There is also an emphasis on collaboration and communication amongst team members.
- There are sections on providing social supports, academic supports and behavioral supports, along with strategies and suggestions to implement in regards to those types of support.
- But perhaps one of my favorite parts about the book is that it emphasizes that when it comes to our students, we should always first "Presume Competence." Yes, we should, friends! We want to maximize our students' opportunities, not limit them with our narrow thinking!
So, who is this book for? Yes, the title says it's the "Occupational Therapist's Handbook," but it is also pertinent for OT students, COTAs, special and regular educators who work with OTs in the classroom, and administrative staff who might oversee OT services in the special and regular education setting. But, there's even better news~
There are actually 3 additional practical guidebooks that are available from Brookes Publishing Company on inclusive practices:
The Paraprofesisonal's Handbook for Effective Support in Inclusive Classrooms
by Julie Causton-Theoharis, PhD
The Principal's Handbook for Leading Inclusive Schools
by Julie Causton, PhD., & George Theoharis, PhD
The Speech-Language Pathologist's Handbook for Inclusive School Practice
by Julie Causton, PhD., & Chelsea Tracy-Bronson, M.A.
All of the above publications, and a lot of other awesome resources can be found here:
http://www.brookespublishing.com/
HEY! HERE'S A FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY: I HAVE THE ABOVE BOOK THAT I JUST REVIEWED FOR GIVEAWAY ON THIS BLOG!
-Just leave me a comment on this post to enter the giveaway, and don't forget to share this post via social media with any OTs or others who think would like or could benefit from this awesome resource!
-Offer will end on Thursday, 12-18-14 at midnight CST, so post a comment to me by then.
-I will choose one person at random, and will send the book to you at no cost to you.
Merry Christmas! -Joleen :)
