“All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.” -John F. Kennedy Think About It! (Do Now) How can these words John F. Kennedy shared apply to the idea of inclusion in education? What is your personal experience with inclusive education?

Down Syndrome Inclusion By MaryClare Doerfler and Robin Woodlon

The Meaning and Nature of Down Syndrome Inclusion View It!

How did we get here? A Brief History of Special Education Law in the United States “In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education,” (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). Special schools and special classes for children with disabilities did exist in the U.S. in the 19 th century. Gradually increased during the 20 th century Mainly for students with deafness, blindness, and mental retardation

Changes Begin In the 1940s programs for children with specific learning disabilities often called “brain injury” became more common. It was after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, parents of disable children started to bring lawsuits against school districts for excluding and segregating their children with disabilities. Their children were being discriminated against because of their disabilities.

Action is Taken Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Public Law : The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA)

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 Purpose was to address the inequality of educational opportunity for underprivileged children. In 1966, Congress amended ESEA to establish a grant program to help states in the “initiation, expansion, and improvement of programs and projects… for the education of handicapped children. This was the first time Congress addressed students with disabilities.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was replaced in 1970 by the Education of Handicapped Act. “Established a grant program aimed at stimulating the States to develop educational programs and resources for individuals with disabilities.” Neither the amended ESEA or the Education of Handicapped Act set in place requirements for the use of funds received by the grants or could show significant improvements in the education of disabled students.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 A broad civil rights law States, “no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in Sec. 705 of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service…” Does not ensure that all students with disabilities receive an individualized educational program. Eligible for protections if individual has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity.

Public Law : The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 Put in place after Congress investigated the status of children with disabilities in Congress found that millions of children were not receiving an appropriate education. The law’s purpose was to ensure that children with disabilities were receiving an education and established a process that held State and local educational agencies accountable for providing appropriate educational services.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Purpose is to “ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic standards and state academic assessments.” Alignments with IDEA: IDEA – “requires states to establish goals for the performance of children with disabilities that are consistent with the goals and standards for nondisabled children. IDEA – states must report progress of children with disabilities on state and district assessments IDEA – special education teachers who teach core subjects need to meet the same highly qualified teacher requirements

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) Purpose is to provide an education that meets the needs of each individual child, prepare the child for their future (education, employment, independent living), and protect the rights of both children with disabilities and their parents.

Our Big Question: How do these changes at a national level affect the inclusion of students with Down Syndrome at the local school level?

Down Syndrome has many characteristics. Physical Disabilities The two eyes do not move in tandem. Shortened hands Growth parameters Large space between toes Cognitive Disabilities Delayed motor gross skills Speech delay Hear impairment Vision impairment Learning disorder/ Learning disability Behavior Traits Prefer routine “Self-Talk” Impulsiveness Short attention span Health Concerns Congenital heart disease is increase by 50% in newborns Thyroid disorders Gastrointestinal diseases Increased risk for developing epilepsy Increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease

Students with Disabilities in Maryland Schools Maryland Students with Disabilities by Disability Ages 3-21 October 28, 2011 Dev Delay ‐ Extended IFSP, 1.27% Intellectual Disability, 5.06% Emotional Deaf/Blind, 0.02% Deaf, 0.56% Disability, 6.94% Hearing Impaired, 0.53% Developmental Delay, 7.53% Traumatic Brain Injury, 0.25% Speech/Language Impairments, 18.50% Autism, 8.92% Visually Impaired, 0.30% Multiple Disabilities, 3.44% Orthopedically Impaired, 0.32% Specific Learning Disabilities, 30.84% Other Health Impaired, 15.58%

How is the classroom affected by Down Syndrome inclusion? Educating Peter Peter is a 10-year-old boy with Down Syndrome. This HBO documentary shares Peter’s experience in a mainstream 3 rd grade classroom.

Real World Scenario You are a 3 rd grade general educator. It is three weeks before winter break, you were just informed by your principal that next Monday morning a student, Peter, with Down Syndrome will be joining your class! How do you feel? What do you need to prepare? Would Fullan recommend restructuring and reculturing the environment?

Closing “Having Down syndrome is like being born normal. I am just like you and you are just like me. We are all born in different ways, that is the way I can describe it. I have a normal life.” -Chris Burke, actor

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