Our 5th Annual Autism Training Workshop was a great success, thanks to all our participants, resource persons, and partners - Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Education Center of the Kansas University LifeSpan Center, the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences, Ghana Education Service (GES) Special Education Division, GES Cape Coast Regional Office, Centre for Child Development Referral and Research, University of Cape Coast School of Education.

 

Facilitator for the workshop was Ms. Amy McCart, the Co-Director of SWIFT Education Center and an Associate Research Professor of the University of Kansas Life Span Institute, Department of Special Education. SWIFT is a national K-8 technical assistance center providing academic and behavioral support for all students, including those with the most extensive needs. SWIFT Center combines the strengths of general and special educators in a three-tiered model of instruction. Dr. McCart leads a team of professionals serving 67 urban, rural and high need schools in New Hampshire, Maryland, Mississippi, Oregon, and Vermont. Additionally, she is the Principal Investigator for multiple federal projects through the U.S. Department of Education to support urban schools implementing school-wide positive behavior support. Dr. McCart recently traveled to South Africa as part of a delegation from the United States Office of Special Education Programs to share ideas with the Department of Basic Education for the Republic of South Africa.

 

Also included was a panel of local experts in the area of Inclusive Education in Ghana. The panel was comprised of 

 

Rose Darko - GES SpED, Head of Inclusive Education

Belinda Bukhari - GES SpED, Head of Intellectual Disabilities

Farouk Iliasu - MultiKids Academy, Head of Training 

Mary Osei - ABOOM Special Needs School Cape Coast, Principal

Nana Frempong - Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, President

 

The panelists are at the forefront of composing, implementing and/or utilizing Ghana's National Inclusive Education Policy. Their participation was central to providing a robust, informative panel discussion and question-and-answer session with the over 250 attendees, mainly comprising teachers and administrators from the Cape Coast municipality of Ghana.

 

CHIP-I will actively promote further collaboration between SWIFT Education Center and GES SpED, facilitating further knowledge transfer and implementation techniques for a successful adoption of inclusive education in Ghana's Basic Education schools nationwide.