10 Videos That Tell the Stories of People Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
The following ten videos tell the stories of people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Blog Articles
Sally and Regina: A Fable of Two Twins and Their Different Educational Journeys
One of the great storytellers in disability advocacy was Lou Brown, co-founder of TASH, who passed away a little over a year ago. And so today, on Tell A Story Day, I wanted to share one of Lou’s fables that he gave me permission to update and share. The story of Sally and Regina, the
Sally and Regina: A Fable of Two Twins and Their Different Educational Journeys Read More »
7 Myths About Inclusive Education
This blog post contains content created and published by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the TIES Center, and the University of Washington Haring Center for Inclusive Education. It is being shared with permission. Click here to access the full, original resource. Despite decades of research that prove inclusive education benefits all students,
7 Myths About Inclusive Education Read More »
Self-Determination: More than Just a Set of Skills
By Charles Walters What do you think of when you hear the term “self-determination?” Perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind involves the specific skills that we have come to associate with self-determined behavior. These are things like self-advocacy, problem solving, and choice making, to name a few. In this reflex to associate
Self-Determination: More than Just a Set of Skills Read More »
How to Find a School District’s Least Restrictive Environment Percentage
How do you find what percentages of students with disabilities in your school district are included over 80% of the time in general education? Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), each state must develop a State Performance Plan and publish an annual report that evaluates how they are implementing the requirements of IDEA.
How to Find a School District’s Least Restrictive Environment Percentage Read More »
Why You Should Stop Using These 5 Ableist Phrases
According to Access Living, ableism is “the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability.” While it might be easy for you to say, “I’m not
Why You Should Stop Using These 5 Ableist Phrases Read More »
8 Ways Your School Might Be Doing Inclusion Wrong
One middle school that I consulted with wanted some suggestions on how to improve their inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in specials (art, music, and physical education). A special education teacher walked me down to the art classroom, where the art teacher prepared for her next class. In the large art room, there were
8 Ways Your School Might Be Doing Inclusion Wrong Read More »
When You Include Students, They Learn More, Achieve More, and Are More Engaged
In 2003, Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS) educated students with significant disabilities very differently than they do now. At the time, they were known as a “center school district,” meaning students with significant disabilities were bussed away from their neighborhood schools to attend specialized schools. “There was never even an idea that a child with
When You Include Students, They Learn More, Achieve More, and Are More Engaged Read More »
Funding Doesn’t Have to Be a Barrier to Inclusive Education
One of the most common reasons people give as a barrier to inclusive education is funding. And it makes sense, right? If we want a genuinely inclusive education for our students, we have to pay for it. Except funding doesn’t have to be a barrier. Inclusive education is about changing an educational system to be
Funding Doesn’t Have to Be a Barrier to Inclusive Education Read More »
The Intersection of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Inclusive Education
Melissa Winchell’s guest post advocates for the integration of culturally responsive teaching and inclusive education in classrooms to better represent and understand disabled identities, teach about disabilities as socially constructed, and work with students to dismantle ableism, thereby transforming classrooms into genuinely inclusive spaces.
The Intersection of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Inclusive Education Read More »