February 07, 2021

Lessons in Inclusion and Compassion from Special Education

34 minutes

Children with special needs can teach us a lot about paying attention, having patience, and demonstrating understanding. We are speaking with Andy, who has spent his career working with children with behavioral health challenges, and he shares his wisdom that can apply for all children and parents (plus, he’s Amy’s significant other, so we can hear him spill the tea!) Grab a cup of chai (or coffee or tea) and join us. In this episode, we discuss:

Welcoming Andy

Amy’s annoying habits

The personalities of Amy and Andy’s doggies

Defining special needs

How to approach labels and language matter

“Once you know better, you gotta do better”

Systematic changes needed in special education

Preparing our kids for “real life”

The Importance of being allowed to fail

The skills for teaching special education apply to all

You can’t put kids in a box

Andy takes a break, hilarity ensues

“One of the best things a school can do, is expose you to people who are not like you”

A story of discrimination from another parent

The critical need for inclusion, and how poor planning can backfire

“I love those kids”

Advice for parents with special needs

Change has to start from the top-down

What COVID-19 has shown us about education

Cute lovey dovey talk with Amy and Andy

Find us at justchai.podbean.com

Friendly disclaimer: This podcast and its hosts are not endorsing any of brand names you may hear. Any product names mentioned are simply to add fun, lively color for the conversation. Opinions reflected are our own.

...more