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Next Steps 

These are my proposed next steps for this project, in order to move forward and actually start making a difference.

1.

CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND COLLECT DATA 

After doing some of my own background research and general research, I realized I need to talk to experts in this field, or people closely associated to this problem. I need to get a feel for the actual issue at hand and hear how this impacts the people who are involved directly. My plan is to interview several different types of people, as shown in the table below. 

Screen Shot 2022-01-28 at 8.50.14 PM.png

I'm hoping to get into contact with several people that fit these roles to validate the information I already have, gain more concerning this topic, as well as identify a more specific plan of action to achieve my goal.

Info I want from each "role":

Special Ed Experts:

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  • Want an understanding off the diff types of illnesses

  • Biggest problem facing them today–their opinions 

  • What can be done to prevent this from happening?

  • How do they think other kids treat special ed kids now?

  • What do they wish general ed children would know in terms of treating special ed kids?

  • Generally how do u treat special ed kids + use non harmful language 

  • What they think would best help combat this issue?

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Link to the specific interview questions I drafted here.  (I have already interviewed one such expert with these questions).

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Special Ed Students' Parents:

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  • What are some struggles their kids go through?

  • What are some things they believe separates their kids most from general ed kids?

  • What is their knowledge and experience with their child's social life and other kids?

    • Do they think this could be improved/made better?​

  • How do they think other children treat their child from what they have noticed? 

  • What type of support do they get from the school/teachers/other students?

  • If they could tell general ed kids something about treating special ed kids, what would it be?

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Special Ed Students:

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  • Want an understanding of what a day at school is like for them

  • What are some struggles they go through socially, academically, etc.?

  • How do they feel separated from other kids at school?

  • How do general ed kids treat them? 

  • How do they wish general ed kids would treat them? 

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General Ed Students:

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  • In what ways do they think special ed students are separated from them?

  • How much do they interact with special ed kids? 

  • When they do interact, how? 

    • What sort of interactions, what language do they use, what scenarios, etc.​

  • What do they think could be done to foster better communication and mindful interactions?

2.

FINALIZE MY "ACTION PLAN"

My current idea is to create some sort of infographic and presentation and present this information in a digestable and interactive way to middle schools. I also want to talk to school principals of elementary schools and push for more interaction between general ed and special ed kids. With the information I gain from my interviews, I would like to be able to validate these ideas, as things that would genuinely help. I would also like to add on/improve upon them to benefit and help these kids in every way I could. 

Here is one example of a basic infographic I could create to be a part of the presentation. 

This is an example of a way to communicate relatively simple way of communicating some basic facts-such as using non harmful language, body behavior, etc. 

Simple and Colorful Productivity Infographic (1).png

For the idea pertaining to specifically elementary schools, I would like to run that by the experts I talk to to see if this would be something that could really help. I've already talked about it with a paraeducator at several elementary schools, and she explained that she has observed these mixed interactions truly do break down barriers and improve the social situation and overall happiness of special needs children. She believes that if more general ed kids would take the time to understand the struggles of special needs kids, actually interact/play with them, etc., it would be extremely beneficial, especially later on as everyone grows up. 

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I would like to talk to more experts, parents, and kids about this, to see if it's something that is possible and could really help. I would also just really like to continue fleshing out my idea and creating and validating the specifics based on the data I collect.

3.

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

After doing all of this work, it would be time to start reaching out to schools to try to make this happen. For the presentation/assembly, it would most likely be a school by school basis, if they would let me present. I would most likely be communicating with the principal and vice principal and would have a lot of back and forth communication to set this up, either as an assembly or a distrubution of the info, etc. 

Some middle schools I've identified to reach out to:

  • Sam H. Lawson Middle School 

  • Moreland Middle School

  • Miller Middle School 

  • Kennedy Middle School 

  • Cupertino Middle School

As for the ideas pertaining the elementary school, I would probably have to communicate with the principal or vice principal as well, since I am proposing more interactions together. One example of this is a general ed class going to a special needs class once every 2 weeks or so, to interact or help them. When I talked to the paraeducator I interviewed, she shared about how helpful doing this was for her kids, and how she believes other teachers should do that as well. However, according to her, it was more of if the teacher decided they wanted to. In order to make it more of an encouraged action, I would need to have a lot of back and forth here as well. 

Some elementary schools I've identified to reach out to:

  • Collins Elementary School 

  • Dilworth Elementary School

  • Faria Elementary School 

  • Garden Gate Elementary School

  • Eaton Elementary School

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