Many parents of atypical children want those children to be taught alongside their typically developing peers. Often, parents have an idea of how they want that to look: their child will form friendships and be exposed to age-appropriate lessons, with typical and atypical learners gaining familiarity with each other.
When many of us grew up, disabled children did not go to school with their typical peers. In many parts of the country, one did not see often see them out in their communities at all. This has been slowly changing. Inclusion, or educating students with disabilities with their typically developing peers, has been part of that change. Many parts of the United States have already made inclusion the norm for disabled students. While California is often a leader in many social movements, it has not been a leader in local districts enthusiastically embracing inclusion. Even here in Silicon Valley, we attend IEPs where the district says, “We have never done full inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities before.”
What does “full inclusion” mean?
Full inclusion can take a variety of forms. The student can be included in and learn with their regular education class full time. Instructional materials can be exactly what the other children receive, involve accommodations, or be modified appropriately. These terms all have specific meanings, and it is important to know the difference. The student can also be pulled out for additional one-to-one or small group instruction in Resource, or Resource can “push in” to the child’s regular education class.
Districts are in the process of changing the name of SDC (Special Day Class) to SAI (Specialized Academic Instruction). As students head to middle school and high school, some districts offer “basic” classes, or study skills classes. Some are effective places for students with IEPs to receive additional assistance; others are old-school SDC classes with new names. Always ask for more information about what the district is offering and go see the placement(s) they propose. You can learn a lot from visiting a classroom.
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