Fista adopt within her programs a rights-based approach, as enshrined in the CRPD, which promotes “the goal of full inclusion” at all levels of education and the right of children with disabilities to access inclusive education on an equal basis with others in their communities. The programs also apply a participatory approach involving children and youth (whenever possible), specialists, caregivers/parents and educators to the greatest extent possible in the design, implementation and evaluation of the children specialized educational services and/or treatment plans.

The inclusion program encourages and elicit behavioural change towards youth and persons with disability. As Bandura’s social cognitive theory proposed in 1986, suggests that many behaviors are learned by observing others in our social environment (Bandura, 1999).^[4], The shift in attitude towards youth and persons with disability will lessen the burden on caregivers and the persons themselves where the community will regard those people as abled members and engage them wherever they see the opportunity for that.

Under this program FISTA is working on the inclusion of Lebanese and Syrian children with moderate to severe disabilities enrolled in specialized services to formal (public or private) and non-formal education programs (CBECE, BLN, ABLN) and school bridging program. In line with this FISTA is training teachers and coordinators in private schools on the inclusion and integration of children with disabilities in formal education.

[4] Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of child development. Vol. 6. Six theories of child development (pp. 1-60). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. https://positivepsychology.com/behavior-change/