Promising Practices in Program Environment:

Staff who are Aware of the Special Health and
Medical Needs of Participants

Accommodating Kids with Disabilities in After School Programs – Where to Begin

Quality after-school programs reach a diverse range of children by having an appropriate program structure has to be inclusive of all children—regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status, religion, or disability. By creating this type of environment, after-school programs can foster and build community, respect, and understanding for the wellbeing of all children and youth.

Assuring that staff are aware of the special health and medical needs of participants is an important factor in making sure the program is inclusive of all students. As well, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires most after-school programs to ensure reasonable accommodations can be made for special health and needs students.

But where do you begin? How do you solicit the necessary information about these students to know when you need to make the appropriate accommodations? The following tips were provided by Project Director of the Special Needs Inclusion Program (SNIP), which provides service organizations with free training, resources, and support they need to successfully include children and youth with disabilities into their agency’s program.

Ask early and explicitly.
The first step is to ask parents about their kid’s needs up front. Asking parents about their children’s needs can be an especially delicate issue, but requires clear communication in order for your program to best meet the needs of their child. Your registration form can simply ask the question, “Does this participant have special needs (developmental, physical, emotional) that require accommodations?” You will also want to ensure that your registration process doesn't use the answer to the question about accommodations as a way to screen out applicants. Remember, requirements for participation in your program are to be consistently applied to all who wish to enroll in your after school program.

Communicate clearly with parents about the assessment process.
If the answer is” yes”, the ADA requires that you perform an individual assessment of each participant who requests accommodations. You can use a form or interview for parents to complete which can give you information about the child and help you assess what you will need to include the child/youth in your program.

Be clear with parents about the assessment process. For example, “Our program coordinator, Lee Garcia, will be giving you a call to talk with you more about your child’s needs” or “Please fill out the enclosed Special Needs Accommodation Form.”

Create a welcoming environment by articulating and practicing a clear inclusion philosophy.
Your program can encourage parents to share this important information with you when your staffs’ attitudes, materials and program information reflect your welcoming/inclusive philosophy. One program includes this statement on their registration materials:

“Parks & Recreation welcomes individuals of all abilities to participate in all recreation programs and activities. All programs offered by Parks & Recreation encourage participation by a diverse population, accommodate those with varying abilities, and support diverse learning styles.”

For more information about including children and youth with disabilities, as well as an example of a parent interview format, check out The Inclusion Tool Kit created by the Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP). The Tool Kit contains “Questions and Answers about the ADA for OST Programs” which is an excellent description of OST providers’ obligations to serve children and youth with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For more information, contact Deidre Hayden, Project Director, Special Needs Inclusion Project, Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, 2601 Mission Street, Suite 606, San Francisco, CA 94110 415-282-7494 ext. 22

Access the California After School Program Quality Self Assessment Tool www.afterschoolnetwork.org/qsatool

Offer Feedback to inform the future revision of the After School Program Quality Self Assessment Tool
If your program has been utilizing the QSA tool please offer your input regarding the tool for the next revision effort. The Network will be collecting field input until the end of the school year. To offer input to the tool, utilize the downloadable or online forms at www.afterschoolnetwork.org/qsatool