February 2015, The ABC Club, Dunboyne, Co. Meath. The Same, only a little bit different. Cian is the star of the moment in the ABC Club his picture is on a poster campaigning for funding for children with special needs. The rest of the children s curiosity was raised when they saw this and the educators saw an opportunity to discuss sameness and difference with the group. This heart-warming story shows us that once children of different abilities are afforded the opportunity to be included it is taken by the rest of the children as the norm. Cian plays on the floor at trains with the lads, he plays doctors, doggies and house just like any other child. The importance of this affordance is clearly visible in this learning story.
Cian is on a poster campaigning for funding for children with additional needs in Meath. One of the children pointed to his picture on the poster in our service and asked why is Cian on the poster? We explained that Cian needed the help of Patricia (SNA) in order to be able to come to playschool and we were using this poster to help us get enough money to keep Patricia in the ABC Club so that Cian could come again next year. We the staff noticed that the children got quite engaged in this topic and began to ask questions. We recognised this was a great opportunity to explore the whole area of difference and inclusion so we responded by taking the opportunity to sit down with them as a group and have a discussion on the topic. Cian was not present with this group at the time. We asked the children lots of questions that helped them to reflect on children with different abilities, in particular Cian, and we recorded their responses. We discovered some of the children assumed he was younger because he was in a Buggy chair He s in a buggy because he s too little to walk. It was amazing to see how the children spoke of Cian as being their play partner, recognising he had different limitations but none the less including him as they would each other we need Cian to come to school so he can play trains and so he can play at school and do lots of gluing and colouring and make lots of friends.
Timmy is non verbal and uses Lamh sign language and he signed I want Cian to play house with me. Maisie said Cian can come play with me outside and I ll push him in his car. Cian is included in all of the children s games on an ongoing basis. Like all children he loves to play at being a dog and a cat and this was recognised when Shauna said if he can t come to school he can t learn and play doggies. The following day we revisited the discussion and asked the children if they would like to draw pictures of them playing with their friend and we feel these pictures are a simple demonstration of young children s ability to notice and accept difference. It speaks volumes on their ability to express equality in terms of fairness and equality of access for their friend and the lengths they will go to in order to support that friend.
When Cian came in the next day, the poster was still up and he pointed at it and said That s me and you, I am laughing. When he was asked Why are you in the picture? he responded I m sitting with Patricia, I can t walk. Patricia helps me move around in playschool. I could not come if Patricia and Antoinette were not here. When we asked him Do you like coming to school? he replied Yes because I play with all my friends. I like to come with my brother Calvin. I can t do it on my own in playschool. I like to paint and I like to play outside! The four themes of Aistear are clearly visible here as all of these children demonstrate a respect for their own lives and the lives of others and recognise it has a meaning and a purpose.
They have a sense of social justice and through their discussions, drawings, role play, paintings etc. are using their 100 languages to interpret their experiences, solve problems and clarify their thinking, ideas and feelings. The children recognise Cian as another child in the group, just that. Cian recognises his important place in that group. We feel this epitomises inclusion and are proud of all of the children in the ABC Club.