In the framework of the Genius Ideas Exchange competition for the city of Jaslo, we are implementing a project on communication between children with intellectual disabilities and their peers in the intellectual norm from Jasło elementary schools. One of our tasks was to develop, prepare and conduct a social experiment at the Maria Konopnicka Elementary School No. 2 in Jasło, which some of our team attend.
The experiment involved students from our school belonging to the school’s volunteer club under the supervision of Ms. Gabriela, random students who were on break at the time, our project team and students from the School and Educational Center named after Janusz Korczak in Jasło.
In this experiment, we wanted to see how peers behave towards children with disabilities, and whether they are willing and able to communicate with each other. First we got acquainted with the theory of the social experiment, prepared posters, large boards with pictograms, individual communication boards and boards on specialized equipment: speech synthesizers, tablets. The experiment took place in the main corridor of our school. We wanted to see if and how the students tried to get along with each other, how they reacted to unusual situations and behavior of our team members. And, above all, to see how the slogans: “integration” and “tolerance” prove themselves in school practice.
With the whole experiment we aroused the curiosity of students and teachers. Most observers did not know what AAC is. After explaining, presenting and accepting our team, students attempted spontaneous mutual communication. Some students were open-minded and tried to be active communication partners, while some felt uncomfortable in close contact with children from the Center. Children with disabilities also had similar feelings, which they signaled in ways that were accessible to them. We found that in communication the most difficult thing was, not mastering the signs, but overcoming inner resistance and seeing in a peer with a disability, a human being – similar to oneself.
At the end of the experiment, everyone became accustomed to their uniqueness and we saw that despite our differences, we are equal.
The young researchers
The GGP task is implemented within the framework of the project: “Jasło – City of Knowledge” carried out within the framework of the project financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the state budget titled “Jasło – my city, my home”.
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