“Special education isn’t a place.” We can’t say this enough. Special education was never supposed to be a place. Or a classroom. Or a reason to discriminate. It consists of services and supports that allow children with disabilities to learn alongside their peers in a way that works for them. Inclusion is about learning and belonging. However, there are still massive misconceptions about what it is and who can benefit (hint: everyone!).
Dr. Caitlin Solone, education advocate, teacher-educator, and academic administrator for the Disability Studies program at UCLA tells us, “Kids get so much out of inclusive classrooms most of the time. And it’s not inclusion if a child’s just in the back at the table and doesn’t have access to the curriculum. That’s not true inclusion. When we’re talking about inclusion, we’re talking about really meaningful inclusion where that is this child’s classroom. The gen ed classroom is their classroom, their peers are their peers. They’re not on a different roster. They’re not out of the classroom for the majority of the day, they’re not siloed at the back table with an aide working on something totally different. When we talk about inclusion, we’re talking about a child who has access to the gen ed curriculum, who can engage in the lessons at their own skill level and work on their own learning targets that are aligned to what the class is working on. It means that they have their peers, they have access to social opportunities, they have relationships with their peers that are developing and growing, and sometimes that takes a long time. But if you’re not in those spaces, that will never take place.”
So how can we ensure our child’s IEP supports inclusion in the way it was intended? This week, we’re taking a closer look and bringing you all you need to know to write inclusion into your child’s IEP, from checklists, to educational resources, to expert insights, and more.
Inclusion helps ALL kids belong, not just kids with disabilities. It starts with making big and small changes to the school environment and putting policies and practices in place to create equal access to learning. Learn more in Inclusion 101!
Inclusive schooling checklist. We’ve gathered some questions about following up with inclusion at your child’s school so that you can check in with your IEP team and ensure that your child has what they need. Even the best teams can get overwhelmed, so our best advice: double-check. A little work now can save a lot of stress later. Take a closer look at your child’s IEP and start emailing the team! Grab your school inclusion checklist here!
Podcasts, books, blogs, and more. Are you looking to learn more about inclusion in schools or gather resources to help your IEP team understand the how and why of inclusive education? We’ve rounded up a variety of helpful materials and organizations that focus on inclusion. Check out our list of educational resources here!
The inclusive IEP. If you’re looking for an inclusive setting for your child, do you know what kinds of goals will work in a general education classroom, or to write them in a way that will lead to that placement? Get the lowdown on the 4 Steps to Write Inclusion into Your IEP Goals. Psst…this also includes inclusive socialization goals in your child’s IEP. Find out more in our article Socialization and Inclusion: Nurturing Authentic Peer Relationships.
Let’s bust inclusion myths. When it comes to education, there are some common misconceptions some districts or IEP teams use to argue inclusion, such as “behavior is a prerequisite “ or “interventions can’t occur in the gen ed classroom.” News flash: these are all untrue! Learn about the 5 Biggest Myths About Inclusion and how to respond.
To-do: smash inclusion barriers. One thing Undivided inclusion warriors Karen Ford Cull and Iris Barker want you to know about inclusion: don’t be afraid to rock the boat! Learn more about how to do this, plus three more takeaways from our conversation that you won’t want to miss!
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Undivided Conversations: Neurodiversity-Affirming Assessments
Join Lindsay Crain, Head of Content and Community at Undivided, and Breea Rosas, educational and school psychologist, as they explore the world of neurodiversity-affirming assessments. Tune in to discover if this type of assessment is suitable for your child and gain insights on advocating for it during your next IEP meeting. Watch the conversation here on YouTube!
Office Hours with Lisa Carey
Questions about how inclusion could work for your child? On Wednesday, April 17, 12:00-1:00 p.m. PST, Education Advocate Lisa Carey will be available to answer questions about IEPs and special education. Stop by for five minutes or the whole hour to get expert answers and connect with other parents. Bi-weekly Office Hours are virtual Q&A sessions with experts that are open to Undivided members only, so if you’d like to attend, sign up here to begin your free Kickstart!
- Why does inclusion matter? Listen to a story about one student who really blossomed in general education— and his classmates benefited too. Hear from Dr. Caitlin Solone on YouTube→
- Dr. Emily Mondschein explains another reason that inclusive education is important: immersion in spoken language. Check it out on Instagram→
- What awesome examples of inclusion have you seen in your school or community? Join the discussion in our private Facebook group→
- We’d love to shout out any inclusive organizations or employers! Share them with us on LinkedIn→
- Need IEP help? Use the Undivided platform to store your child’s work samples and progress reports, chat with your Navigator, and find step-by-step guides for all things IEP. Start here→
