This time on the podcast, we talk with Maryland’s 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year, Wyatt Oroke. We discuss what it means to have an inclusive classroom, how having high expectations for all of his scholars is essential, and what his dream for the future of education is. Audio Transcript Wyatt Oroke (00:00): It really frustrates me when teachers say, “Well, they’re an eighth grader, but they’re reading on a fourth grade level, so we should be teaching them fourth grade skills. And then my question is, “Well, when are they going to learn fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade skills then?” Right ..read more

This article was originally published in the book “Fully Included – Stories to Inspire Inclusion” and is shared here with permission from the authors. By Jennifer Dillon When my daughter, Reese, was born with Down syndrome, one of the first things I promised myself, my husband, and Reese was that we would not treat her differently. We would take her home and create a plan that would allow our hopes and dreams for her to have a fully included life to not waiver. And that is exactly what we did. When I returned to work, she went to daycare with typical kids. We went to mommy and me classes in ou ..read more

On this podcast episode, we talk with Melissa McCullough, Director of Early Childhood for the East Moline School District in Illinois. We discuss what a truly inclusive preschool program looks like and what they are doing to move past the outdated model of providing specialized services in separate places.  Audio Transcript Melissa McCullough (00:00): When I first started in education as a school social worker, I worked in a program and that’s all they did. And so the administrator there I still talk to him to this day, he was a mentor to me and I watched him make it work, you know. And ..read more

For students with complex support needs, participating in routines and activities in the classroom is an important educational and social goal. With a little creativity and some simple adaptive devices, teachers can create numerous opportunities throughout the day for the student to have an active role in class activities. Here are 15 ways for students to actively participate using different types of technology. Single-Message Communicators (e.g., BIGmack Communicator) Greet people Say the Pledge of Allegiance, mission statement, etc. Read a sentence or passage (especially good for repetitiv ..read more

Though it’s estimated that 90% of students with disabilities can graduate high school if they receive the proper support, only about 68% of them do. Meanwhile, according to the latest data, the national graduation rate for all students is nearly 86%. Part of the problem is that students with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities, are historically excluded from general education classes, making it harder for them to access curriculum that otherwise is available to all students. In addition, many families ar ..read more

This blog post contains sensitive stories and triggering language about electric shock, torture, and abuse. When people think about electric shock therapy, they often imagine a rundown institution that closed decades ago. They imagine a torture device that would never be used today. But in reality, that institution is modern-day and that device is still being used on people with disabilities in the U.S. right now. At Judge Rotenberg Education Center in Canton, Massachusetts, the graduated electronic decelerator (GED) is hooked up to 55 residents with disabilities 24/7. The GED is designed to m ..read more

Today on the podcast, we talk with Dr. Eddie Fergus of Temple University. We discuss the disproportionate number of students of color being identified in special education and what we can do about it. We review how restorative practices might be used in inclusive schools and how the biggest barrier to inclusion might be who we think can teach students with disabilities. Be prepared to unpack the shopping carts of our minds.  Eddie Fergus (00:00): I hear often from practitioners when they are recommending kids for supports, right? They see it from the vantage point of, you know, well I ca ..read more

One of my favorite topics when delivering presentations for educators is about what is actually in the text of the law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).   It has been my experience that educators are not that familiar with it, and since I love sharing information, I enjoy seeing the reactions of people as I read the text.  Like Dr. Jennifer Kurth said in a recent podcast episode, Congress did a pretty good job but, as educators, we need to know what the law says. S ..read more

According to Access Living, ableism is “the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability.” While it might be easy for you to say, “I’m not ableist,” because you don’t agree with the views expressed in the above definition, it can be harder to say, “I never do or say anything that’s ableist.” The truth is, implicit biases creep into our everyday lives and especially show up in our vocabu ..read more

The internet is rife with articles that articulate problems. There is a reason why the most visited post on Think Inclusive is The Biggest Barriers to Inclusive Education. But while the web is full of sharing what is wrong in our world, it is light on solutions. While the following list should not be considered exhaustive, it is a start to addressing the barriers that inclusion advocates have been up against for decades. The ideas set forth heavily draw on two documents, Overcoming Barriers to Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: A Blueprint for Change and Inclusive Education in Maryland ..read more