Eric Garcia | We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation
Today on the podcast, we talk with Eric Garcia, author of “We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.”We discuss the biggest misconceptions of autism, why simply existing is not inspirational, and what his dream for the future of a more inclusive world looks like. This episode’s transcript can be found here.Download our new resource, The Best […]
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. […]
Marilyn Friend | Co-Teaching
Today on the podcast, we talk with Marilyn Friend, expert and author of numerous books and articles on co-teaching. We discuss what co-teaching is and what does it look like? Do schools have to provide a co-teaching service model? And how does co-teaching further the practice of inclusive education? This episode’s transcript can be found […]
Sarah Wishart | Excluded: A Young People-Led Film On School Exclusions
Today on the podcast, we talk with Sarah Wishart, filmmaker of Excluded, a documentary that features the stories and voices of students who have been excluded from school in the United Kingdom. We discuss why she was inspired to make the film by something she saw on Twitter and why she thinks exclusion isn’t good […]
Wyatt Oroke | Having High Expectations for All Students
Today on the podcast, we talk with Maryland’s 2020 Teacher of the year, Wyatt Oroke about what it means to have an inclusive classroom. We discuss his perspective on how having high expectations for all of his scholars is essential and what his dream for the future of education is. This episode’s transcript can be […]
Melissa McCullough | What Inclusive Preschool Services Look Like
Today on the podcast, we talk with Melissa McCullough, Director of Early Childhood for the East Moline School District in Illinois. We discuss what a truly inclusive preschool program looks like and what they are doing to move past the outdated model of providing specialized services in separate places. This episode’s transcript can be found […]
Eddie Fergus | Disproportionality in Special Education
Today on the podcast, we talk with Dr. Eddie Fergus of Temple University. We discuss the disproportionate number of students of color being identified in special education and what we can do about it. We review how restorative practices might be used in inclusive schools and how the biggest barrier to inclusion might be who […]
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 […]
BONUS: Megan Gross and Nancy Brundrett | What Inclusive Education Looks Like at Poway Unified
Today on the podcast, we talk with Megan Gross and Nancy Brundrett of the Poway Unified School District in Southern California. They tell us how their district has changed how they educate students with significant disabilities and their role in supporting Poway schools with inclusive education. Megan Gross is the author of the books The […]
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 […]