1. Inclusion EI/ECSE SPR&I Training ODE Fall 2007

2. What do we know? Inclusion takes many different forms A single definition does not exist. DEC Position Statement: Inclusion, as a value, supports the rights of all children, regardless of abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. Natural settings are those in which the child would spend time had he or she not had a disability. These settings include, but are not limited to: home, preschools, nursery schools, Head Start programs, Kindergartens, neighborhood school classrooms, childcare, places of worship, recreational (such as community playgrounds and community events) and other settings that all children and families enjoy.

3. Why inclusion? All young children, including those with disabilities, are dependent on the experiences available within everyday contexts as they build a solid foundation for development and academic learning.

4. History Game: Buzz Words What other terms have been used for inclusion in previous years? Take a moment and write some down and then we will share as a group what we came up with

5. Definitions: Natural Environments Birth to age 3 Part C of IDEA requires "to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the child, early intervention services must be provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate." (34 CFR §303.12(b)) By definition, natural environments mean "settings that are natural or normal for the child's age peers who have no disabilities." (34 CFR §303.18)

6. Definitions: Typical Settings 3 - 5 Typical settings are educational programs designed primarily for children without disabilities. No education or related services are provided in separate special education or therapy settings.

7. The Least Restrictive Environment 3 - 21 The Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is defined as the educational setting where a child with disabilities can receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) designed to meet his or her education needs while being educated with peers without disabilities in the regular educational environment to the maximum extent appropriate. free appropriate public education (FAPE) It is important to remember that special education is not a "place," but rather a set of services. Similarly, the LRE provision of the IDEA emphasizes services rather than the placement.

8. Benefits of Typical Settings Promotes community acceptance for children with special needs Allows families to live a more typical life Provides opportunities for children to gain knowledge and skills that are useful in typical early childhood activities Prepares children to live successfully within their communities and society

9. Access to Typical Settings Progress has been achieved nationally in efforts to ensure access to inclusive programs, however universal access to inclusive programs for all children with disabilities is far from reality.

10. What are typical settings? Are designed primarily for children without disabilities or special needs Are part of the array of services available to all children in the community Would be selected by the family if their child did not have a disability Are suited to the child developmentally and chronologically Are based on an age-appropriate early childhood curriculum

11. What typical settings are not Chosen for administrative convenience Chosen for personal convenience Chosen for budgetary reasons Where only children with disabilities or other special needs are served Chosen without informed family input and approval Place unreasonable demands on families Without appropriate adaptations and supports Where caregivers are not supportive and qualified

12. Collaboration Ensures shared responsibility for the IFSP Results in adaptations and accommodations that ensure the child’s access to typical settings Ensures that the individual needs of the child are met within the typical setting Is flexible and matched to the responsibilities and characteristics of the typical setting and its staff

13. Responsibility It is the mandated responsibility of each EI/ECSE program to ensure that options for the location of services represent the full range of options available to all children, and that individualized services are provided within those settings.

14. It is the responsibility of each EI/ECSE program to: Ensure that high quality inclusive options are available to families Establish partnerships with families in order to determine services and settings that best meet their child’s and their family’s needs Cultivate and establish partnerships with community settings Work with community settings to establish clear roles and responsibilities with respect to meeting the needs of the child and family Ensure staffing patterns, support, and training that enable staff to support children’s development and learning within the context of everyday early childhood activities and routines

15. ODE’s Responsibility Establish partnerships with other state, regional and federal agencies and entities with oversight over programs that serve as potential inclusive settings Recognize and promote placements in the typical setting Assist districts in exploring and implementing staffing and funding options that support collaboration Ensure availability of training opportunities for public schools, community, and other early childhood staff in models and skills to provide high quality inclusive education, development, and related services Ensure each child’s right to FAPE Limit bureaucratic barriers

16. WHY? Research indicates that children in typical settings generally do at least as well as children in specialized programs. Inclusion benefits children with and without disabilities, particularly with respect to their social development.

17. Discussion What are some of the benefits for typical settings to provide opportunities for children with special needs? What are some incentives for community preschools to collaborate with EI/ECSE programs?

18. Next Steps: Expanding Opportunities Private Preschool Application http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/specia lty/private/regpacket.doc *Note: scroll to page 15