1.1 (1K1B): Sensitivity to the beliefs, traditions, and values across cultures and how these impact the relationships between children, families, and schooling.

Introduction

This unit will explore similarities and differences related to culture, including cultural history, family values, child rearing practices, religion, views on disability causes and feelings about services, and cultural courtesies. You will also learn about cultural biases, institutional racism (how institutions and agencies support or discourage different cultures), and, more importantly, how cultural diversity affects your work with children and adults with disabilities and their families.

Because you provide services to all types of individuals and families, understanding diversity will assist you in enhancing the quality of service you provide. This learning process will help you work toward gaining a balanced perspective, which means that you will develop an understanding of diversity that is sensitive to the different realities and life experiences others may face. Families and individuals have a right to receive culturally sensitive services, and as a paraprofessional, it's important for you to be aware of diversity issues in order to provide the best possible services.

Objectives

As you read the objectives for this unit, think about and rate your current knowledge using the following scale.

1. I do not understand this.
2. I do understand this.
3. I understand this well enough to use in my work.
4. I could teach others about it and use it in my work.

Upon completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how culture affects the learning environment.
• Explain why it's important to provide culturally sensitive direct supports.
• Identify appropriate strategies to learn how individuals and families prefer to be identified.

To move through this unit, use the next arrow at the top of the page or the next button at the bottom of the page.

Information in the introductory section is used with permission from:

Institute on Community Integration (UAP). (n.d.) Providing Cross-Cultural Support Services to Individuals with Disabilities and their Families. Facilitator's Edition [and] Student's Edition. Compiled by Jenelle Slobof, Maria Brown, Amy Hewitt, And Susan O’Nell). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.

The Para eLink is sponsored by the Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education, located at the Institute on Community Integration in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.

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