Building Inclusive School Communities, with Jacqui Robbins
Date: April 30th
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: Zoom (click this link to join the session on Tuesday!)
We all want to be inclusive, to raise our children to be kind and accepting, to help make every child and family feel safe and welcome. But it gets complicated. It’s not always easy to know how to include children with developmental disabilities or mental health issues. How can parents navigate these issues, while also juggling their own children’s needs, social life, and academics?
Jacqui Robbins has worked in education for 30 years, as an RECE, special education teacher, and author, as manager of a therapeutic school, and as an independent consultant to parents. She is the co-founder of The Huddle for Families, a non-profit offering support, education, and a safe community to families whose children have developmental disabilities or mental health issues. Through it all, Jacqui works to make classrooms, organizations, events, and the world more inclusive, understanding places for all of us.
In answering the question “What can I do?” Jacqui breaks down common assumptions families may have about kids with developmental disabilities or mental health issues. She talks about the messaging families give their own children when talking about their classmates, and the role parents can play in helping everyone’s children thrive. Finally, she answers specific questions (collected in advance), ranging from “How can I support a friend whose child is struggling?” to “What do I do about my child’s birthday party?” Through it all, Jacqui offers practical advice, grounded in developmental and educational expertise, personal experience, and the understanding that parenting has diverse cultural foundations and takes place in the context of busy, complex lives.