Inclusive Practices
There is only one child in the world and that child's name is ALL children. -Carl Sandburg
The legal mandate driving inclusive education in the United States is Public law (P.L.) 94-142, now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Although the specific terms inclusion and inclusive education cannot be found in P.L. 94-142, the definition of least restrictive environment (LRE) is a key element of the law. It provided the initial legal impetus for creating inclusive education. The law states that
to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children, including those children in public and private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not handicapped, and that special classes,separate schooling, or other removal of handicapped children from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the handicap is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (P.L. 94-142, S1412 [5] [B])
the critical language used in the law is "with the use of supplementary aids and services". School districts must consider placement in general education for all students with disabilities, regardless of the degree of the degree of the disability. Academic and social benefits of placement in general education must be taken into consideration.
For assistance, contact:
Christopher McCabe, Education Consultant
Services in the following areas:
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Conducting an Educational Benefits Review
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Co-Teaching
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Differentiating Instruction
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Legal Requirements
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Progress Monitoring
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Standards-Aligned IEPs
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Supplementary Aids and Services Toolkit
- Supporting Students with Complex Needs
- Universal Design for Learning
Resources:
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The Least Dangerous Assumption, an article by Cheryl Jorgensen