October, Down Syndrome Acceptance and Inclusion Month, Day 4

How can we include children with a disability in the general education classroom?

Now that we know what inclusion is and how all students benefit from learning in an inclusive environment, let's talk about some ways to do it well.
We need to talk about this because, sadly many schools think they do inclusion when they put a child in a general education classroom, but do not provide access and supports to allow the child to access the general education curriculum.  To be very clear, this is not inclusion.  
Peer support is one of the most valuable supports in the general education classroom.  To be a good peer model the first thing to do is to allow your peers the opportunity to try and it is OK if they fail.  Don't give support unless they ask, or you offer and they accept your offer to help.  Be a good friend,  find out what they like and aske them about it.  Or just hang out with them.  
On the side of the school, supports are often modification to general education curriculum, so that the student can access the material, and providing accommodations - changes to how the child learns and demonstrates their understanding of the material. 
#dsam21 #dsaane #downsyndrome #dsadvocates