Meaningful Participation in General Education for Students with Complex Access Needs

(upbeat music) - One of the core elements of authentic inclusion, is students meaningful participation, in the daily instructional routines that happen within a general education class. So that means that when students go into the general education classroom, they're not sitting at the side or at the back of the room, receiving their instruction, primarily from a parent educator, but they're sitting right alongside their classmates and they are joining in, in the same ways that typical students are. Even if, students with complex access needs may have adapted materials, they may have unique communication systems and supports. And the reason why this is important, is well, number one, it communicates to the student, him or herself and to the rest of the class that wow, this kid is really a part of our class. This student doesn't just come in for morning meeting or just participate in advisory or, or art. This, is a kid who's a regular kid like us. And that the differences that this student may have, differences in learning, maybe even differences in the way they move and communicate are not things that, exclude them from being are part of our classroom. In fact, differences in our classroom, are just sort of ordinary, like we all have differences. The more academic rationale for why students should be part of general education instruction, is because research shows that there are academic, social communication behavior and future adult life benefits to their engagement in general ed instruction. And although, a student with complex support needs, may not be mastering all of the general ed curriculum, they may, we may be so supporting them to achieve , the alternate assessment standards, that are closely aligned with the general ed standards. The people in the school building who are experts at academic instruction in the content areas are gen ed teachers, right? Or dually certified teachers,who have spent their whole life becoming literacy experts, science experts, social studies experts. So who better to teach students with disabilities. And when the special education teacher, integrates or pushes in her expertise, which may be in areas like systematic instruction, fading of prompts, time delay, all those, those things that special educators sort of bring to the table. Then you have this blending of both. Instruction from a content teacher and the support of the special education teacher.