Edited by Michael F. Giangreco and Mary Beth Doyle; 324 pages. Subtitle: Ideas for Educating Students With Disabilities
Though intended as a manual for regular education teachers, this book is interesting reading for parents if only because it offers such a cheery, can-do vision of inclusive classrooms, motivated professionals, and accepting classmates. With inclusion -- badly done inclusion, too often -- being pushed in many districts, it's good for parents to have a how-to guide in hand that's written by and for educators. Pass it on.
- Conveys an upbeat and can-do attitude about inclusion
- Acknowledges that inclusion is more than just putting kids in classrooms
- Shows respect for parents and their inclusion in the process
- Gives parents an idea of what can be done if professionals are willing
- Large type and open layout makes for easy reading
- While it's interesting reading for parents, it's really meant for teachers
- Longer on enthusiasm than on details for getting the job done
- May not match up with what you really see going on in your own district
- QG 1: Including Students With Disabilities in the Classroom
QG 2: Building Partnerships With Parents and Caregivers - QG 3: The Cultural Nature of Inclusion
QG 4: Supporting Friendships for All Students
QG 5: Self-Determination - QG 6: What Students Want Teachers to Know
QG 7: Communication Systems in the Classroom
QG 8: Positive Behavior Supports - QG 9: Universal Design for Learning
QG 10: Differentiated Instruction
QG 11: Co-Designing Responsive Curriculum - QG 12: Instructional Strategies
QG 13: Supporting Literacy Learning in All Children
QG 14: Writing Matters - QG 15: Making Math Meaningful for Students With Special Needs
QG 16: Creating Inclusive High School Classrooms - QG 17: Transition from School to Adult Life
QG 18: Getting the Most Out of Support Services - QG 19: Creating Partnerships with Paraprofessionals
QG 20: Administration in Inclusive Schools - Quick-Guide Extras
QGE 1: Assisting Students Who Use Wheelchairs: Guidelines for School Personnel - QGE 2: Community-Based Instruction
QGE 3: Simple Technology to Encourage Participation
"The inclusion of students with the full range of special educational needs means so much more than merely the physical placement of these students within general education classrooms. Creating a quality inclusive school challenges us to take a comprehensive look at our core values and beliefs regarding diversity, the efficacy of our practices, and many other aspects of our daily operation. You will need to re-examine many of the policies and practices that have been part of the traditional structure of your school to ensure that there is alignment between your school's inclusive mission and its actions."
This passage, from one of the 23 "Quick-Guide" booklets compiled in Quick-Guides for Inclusion, encapsulates the concerns many parents of children with special needs have about inclusion -- and, maybe, why parents need to read books like this one. It's written for mainstream teachers, but conveys an enthusiasm about inclusion that you may not often see in your own school, and provides at least a general idea of what an appropriate program might look like.
The "Quick-Guide" booklets have 10 one-page guidelines each, along with a "Dear Teacher" letter, a "Guidelines-at-a-Glance" list, and an assortment of selected references. Most are aimed at elementary grades, although there is one section specifically for high-school classrooms. There are guidelines on teaching reading, writing, and math to mixed classes; on the appropriate use of paraprofessionals; on adapting therapy schedules to an inclusive setting; on including parents in the process, and even on properly helping a student in a wheelchair to get around.
You may find you'll want to copy some of these booklets for your child's teacher now -- or pass the whole thing on to administrators whose policies and practices don't align with their inclusive mission.
