Lost in the Cave1 All of us have unique gifts and abilities that can benefit others. This activity is designed to help the group understand how everyone has strengths and limitations and how we can work together as a community to achieve common goals. 1. Divide group into smaller groups of four and assign the following roles: Reader Chooser Recorder Reporter 2. Using index cards, write on three cards the things they are good or that make them special. On the fourth card write one thing they find difficult, or can’t do, or fear. Provide examples if they get stuck: Whistling Cooking Acting Singing Climbing
Memorising things Telling stories Following a map Being out in the dark Making things
Playing video games Organising people Running long distance Taking care of kids Balancing
Talking in groups Solving logic puzzles Playing music Understanding feelings Speaking another language
3. Put all the cards face down on the table 4. Reader to read the Lost in the Cave story: During an outing with [your church], the four of you decide to explore an old cave. You’ve been told to stay away from it, but it looks so interesting you can’t resist. As you are exploring, you walk way back into the cave where it is very dark. You make several turns, exploring different passages. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise behind you. When you turn to look you see that part of the cave ceiling has fallen, blocking your way. You begin to panic when suddenly you see a small light coming from above you. This is your only hope, but you know that the only way you can escape is if you work together. You need a plan. Using the skills you have, how will your group escape from the cave? 5. Chooser to select seven cards from the pile 6. The group discusses how they can use the abilities from the cards selected to escape from the cave. When they come across a card that has a limitation or fear on it they are to discuss how they can use one of their strengths or abilities to lessen the impact of the limitation. 7. The Recorder records the group’s solution to the problem 8. The Reporter reports to the rest of the group their solution 9. Leader then leads the whole group in a discussion: What did you do to get out of the cave? Do we all have things that we are good at and that can help us in difficult situations? How do you make the best of a situation when you have to overcome your fears or limitations? How do friends help each other build on strengths and minimise limitations? 1
Let All the Children Come to Me by Breeding, Hood and Whitworth, Cook Communications, 2006.
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
Attitude check When I see a person in a wheelchair who appears to have an intellectual disability as well, I feel: Afraid Embarrassed Sad Like staring Like talking to them Like looking away People with severe disabilities: Are not capable of communicating Don’t notice other people Are friendlier than other people Would rather be left alone Don’t have the same feelings as others I feel uncomfortable around people with a disability, if I don’t know them, because: I might say the wrong thing I might hurt them or their feelings They look and act strange My friends will tease me They can’t talk to me They wouldn’t understand what I say I might catch a disease I’m embarrassed for them What I know about disability comes from: Someone I know personally who has a disability TV and movies Books and newspapers Things I’ve heard from other people When I think about disability: I wonder what it would be like to be different to everybody else I think those people should be put in institutions for their own sake I hope it never happens to me It makes me feel scared, but I don’t know why People who use wheelchairs usually: Are intellectually disabled Can’t work at jobs Have people at home who help them Don’t have many friends Are very nice When I see someone who has a disability and looks and acts different, I think: He might be dangerous I’d like to talk but I better not That person is just weird and I don’t want to deal with her Maybe he needs help I wish I knew what to say to her
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
I feel sorry for people who have a disability because: They can’t do all the things I can do They’re probably unhappy because of the disability They don’t get to do anything Other people make fun of them When I’m around someone who has a disability, I feel embarrassed because: I can do a lot of things they can’t They might be jealous that I don’t have a disability It’s not fair that they have a disability Sometimes I make fun of people like that when they are not looking I don’t know what to say to them When I hear someone making jokes about someone who has a disability: If it’s funny, I laugh I tell them to stop I don’t say anything, but I feel bad about it I have some good jokes to share too I think it’s OK because we’re not telling it where they can hear The thing I’d like to know about disabilities is: How people come to have a disability What it’s like to live like that How to talk to someone with a disability Whether I should offer to help or not How I might hurt people’s feelings or insult them without knowing it If the person is angry with other people or God for their disability Why some people have disabilities and others don’t Why kids come to Kids Church when they can’t really participate properly How I can feel more comfortable when I meet someone with a disability
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’2 – Simulation Ideas Children are often afraid of what they don’t understand, so education can help develop more positive, inclusive attitudes. Make sure these activities are presented positively, avoiding pity or condescension. 1. Writing Write your name and phone number using only the ring and little finger of one hand (physical/fine motor difficulty) 2. Vision Put on a pair of Vision Australia glasses and put a 20-piece jigsaw puzzle together (can also purchase magnification x3 glasses and put two sloppy coats of clear nail polish on the lenses (vision impairment) Pair students with partners and blindfold one of them. Go on a trust walk with the blindfolded student, following the verbal directions and physical cues of his or her partner. 3. Reading Hold the passage up to the mirror and try and read by looking only at the reflection (learning disability) Create a lower-case letter “b” out of construction paper. Hold the “b” up to the children and ask them to name the letter. Then show it as the letter “d” and again ask children to name the letter. Continue by holding it as the letters “p” and “q” and as the numbers 9 and 6. Explain that for some people with learning disabilities, the brain twists around what the eyes see, which creates difficulty in reading and writing. 4. Speaking Chin to chest and tongue to roof of mouth and try and speak (speech impairment) Some people without speech or voluntary movement can communicate by blinking their eyes once for yes and twice for no. Play an old-fashioned game of Hangman using yes-or-no eyeblinks to answer the class. 5. Using hands Look at the picture for 30secs – cover and try and draw from memory, then draw it while looking at it (learning disability) (this is the D. H. Schuster optical illusion)
2
These simulation ideas are an extension from Your Feet, My Shoes, by Sarah Bolt, CLC Network
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
Challenge your class to create pieces of art just as a mouth artist would, using pens or pencils gripped in their teeth. Tape paper to a wall or table for stability and provide new golf pencils for this project. Suggest students draw simple pictures such as hearts, flowers or smiley faces, and have them sign their name to their artwork. 6. Playing Lego building with tube socks on (physical disability) 7. Hearing Chinese Whispers, while the person hearing the whisper is being spoken to (ADHD) Display a chart of the manual sign language alphabet. Have students practice the letters that spell their name. Teach sign language to a song, looking the signs up in a book from the library or online in a visual sign-language dictionary. As students enter the classroom, do not speak to them but use motions and facial expressions (and sign language if you know it) to communicate to them a task that you would like them to complete (rearrange the chairs, write their name on a piece of paper, etc.). Require students to remain quiet and communicate without using their voices. 8. Autism Sit in a chair that has taped flat marbles on it, some large headphones on and with a large jar of strong-smelling mouthwash and cotton ball soaked in this in front of you and answer questions (birthday, favourite movie or book, name of people in his family…) To help your class understand the sensory overload that many with autism experience, seat one student on a chair in the middle of the room. Assign other students different tasks such as turning lights on and off quickly, blowing a fan into the seated child’s face, tickling the seated student with a feather, etc. Any children without assignments can be directed to loudly sing “Advance Australia Fair.” While all of this chaos is going on, ask the seated student to recite a familiar Bible verse such as John 3:16. Ask the child if he or she had any difficulty concentrating on the task while all of his or her other senses were being overstimulated. 9. ADHD Jump up and down, flap your hands, have music playing loudly, listen to a person telling you a sentence which you then must repeat word for word 10. Mobility Provide a wheelchair for your class to use, and let them discover how accessible your facilities are. Make sure they check out doorways, table heights, sidewalks, entryways, drinking fountains and bathrooms. 11. Understanding Arrange the pieces of a simple puzzle on a table, adding an extra but similar piece to the mix. Then ask your class to assemble the puzzle. When the children discover there is an extra piece, explain that people with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome that creates the distinctive physical features and developmental disabilities that characterize this congenital disability.
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
Popcorn and Skittles3 Joshua McIntyre’s family have been coming to Fiveways Baptist for two months. Joshua is eight, and has a condition called Fragile X Syndrome – resulting in intellectual disability and features of autism. Jenny, the Children’s minister has met with Narelle, Josh’s mum about encouraging Josh’s peers at church to connect with him. The next weekend Jenny brings five children Josh’s age to Narelle’s. When the children arrive, they see a big pile of Skittles and a big pile of popcorn on the kitchen table. They sit down and Jenny asks them to each take some of the popcorn and make a circle in front of him with the popped kernels. Each kernel of popcorn represents the different people in their lives: family, family friends, and neighbours, but not school friends. When they are done, Jenny instructs them to take more popcorn and make another circle on the outside of the family one. In this outer circle, each kernel represents people in their lives that are paid to be there. Like the dentist, the doctor, a teacher. Each child now has two circles of popcorn in front of them. Jenny says, “Now take some Skittles and just inside your popcorn family circle, make another circle. In this one, each Skittle is a friend. Not a good friend, more like an acquaintance. Someone you like, but may not know very well. Someone you mostly just say ‘Hi’ to.” When the children are done with this Skittle circle, Jenny gets them to take more Skittles to make the last circle in the very middle of their circles. She says, “In this one, each Skittle represents a best buddy. Someone you might call at home, see on weekends, invite to your birthday, maybe have a sleep over.” The children finish and look around at their bulls-eye artwork covering the table. Jenny then says, “I’m going to do the circles for Joshua, because he can’t do them himself.” She takes some popcorn and as she makes Joshua’s family circle, she tells the children, “This is Josh’s mom Narelle, these are his twin sisters Becky and Jayde, and this popcorn is for Josh’s nanna Elsie, who lives with them.” Then Jenny takes more popcorn and makes the second circle on the outside of Josh’s family. This circle is the biggest one on the whole table. Joshua has lots of people that are paid to be in his life. He has all the one’s the other boys have, like the doctor and the dentist, plus he has speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, special teachers, and personal care attendants. It is a big circle. Then Jenny puts her hands in her lap. One of the boys asks, “What about Josh’s Skittles?” And the teacher says, “Well you see, Josh doesn’t have any Skittles.” A girl speaks up, “Because he doesn’t talk?” Another boy jumps in, “Or because he screams, and sometimes lies down in the middle of church?” Jenny says, “Yes, I suppose all those things are part of it. When someone is different than you, it can be hard to figure out how to be friends.” The children look thoughtful and Jenny continues, “And it’s hard for him too, because he doesn’t know how to be friends either. That’s why I asked all of you to come here today. I was wondering if maybe you guys would be interested in forming a group that would learn how to be friends with Josh, and teach Josh how to be friends too?” The children are quiet. They look at their hands, or their shoes, or their circles of popcorn and Skittles. After a minute, one boy looks at Jenny and reaches over and picks up one of his Skittles from his middle circle and says, “Can we start now? Can I give Josh one of my Skittles?” Another child speaks up, “Can I give Josh one of my Skittles too?” And another says, “Me too!” until there are five Skittles in Joshua’s circle. 3
Adapted from article by Hilary Melton in www.inclusive-solutions.com
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
Kids Church Catalogue4 This kind of social information provides connections with students with similar interests. Name
________________________________
Age
________________________________
Birthday ________________________________
What I enjoy doing __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ What I am really good at __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ My mum and dad describe my personality as… __________________________________________________________________________ A book or story I like __________________________________________________________________________ The best movie/TV show __________________________________________________________________________ I have a pet… name OR I don’t have a pet… if I did it would be a … __________________________________________________________________________ When I grow up I would like to be __________________________________________________________________________ One thing to know about me __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
4
C. A Gray, The Sixth Sense II, Texas: Future Horizons Inc., 2002.
Luke14 Tools for Inclusion Workshops, CBM Australia, 2012
