“This is Me” is a series of seven books which create awareness on inclusion of learners with special learning needs and disabilities. It features Gloria, a learner with Down Syndrome, Samuel, a learner with Autism, Peter, a learner with Cerebral Palsy, Joy, a learner with Dyslexia, Anne, a learner with Albinism and low vision, Ken, a learner with hearing impairment and Tom, a learner with ADHD. You can purchase the books in our shop. These are all Kenyan children who attend regular schools where they learn with their peers at their own pace. The books touch on different modifications or adaptations that have been made to ensure that they are learning and are happy in school. They live with their families who all have a special way of relating to them. The aspect of acceptance and the impact it has on learners with special learning needs and disabilities is clearly demonstrated in these stories where Gloria, Samuel, Peter, Joy, Anne, Ken and Tom can dream about their future with confidence. The stories also highlight the importance of therapists.
The learning objective is to promote acceptance and social inclusion of learners with special learning needs and disabilities. The stories are written to support inclusive education. The drawings are based on real Kenyan children, illustrating their physical appearance and behaviour. This is an advantage as the children will be able to recognize the different disabilities mentioned in the three books. Learners in mainstream classes will learn that though the learner has a disability they are very capable of learning and also have dreams just like them. They will appreciate their strengths and weaknesses.
The seven books are approved by the Kenyan Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD).
The books can be purchased from the SEP office for Ksh500 per book. The books also have a teaching guidelines brochure for Ksh200. E-mail us at [email protected] if interested. The proceeds go towards supporting children with special needs from low income families in our projects.