40 Big Ideas

Summary

Inclusive education means students of all abilities can learn together and get the support they need. For a long time, young people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD) didn’t go to school at all. Then they were put in schools or classrooms that were just for people with IDD. Now, some schools have inclusive classrooms, but most do not. We have to think of all students as belonging in classes together. We can’t just wait for one school at a time.

Education has undergone a significant, but still incomplete, transformation in recent decades in how it serves students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). Today, there is wide variability in the educational experiences of these students. Involvement in public schools has progressed from total exclusion to segregation in separate classrooms or schools, to partial integration, where students with IDD spend only part of their day with peers without disabilities. Some schools have taken further steps toward authentic inclusion, where students with IDD are full members of general education classrooms and school communities. True inclusive education, as defined by the TIES Center, means every student is valued, actively engaged in general education, and supported to succeed academically, socially, and in extracurriculars alongside grade-level peers.

As inclusive systems evolve, a growing number of schools are working to build cultures of belonging, moving beyond compliance to fully honor the dignity and humanity of every student. This progression tends to flourish in schools where diversity, including intellectual disability, is embraced as an essential part of the community, and where all students are seen as valued, contributing members of school life. The goal is to achieve true inclusion with full belonging.

Why embrace inclusion? Federal legislation, court rulings, and research on evidence-based practices all support inclusive education as the most effective approach for students with IDD and have proven beneficial for students without disabilities as well. Key laws have shaped this shift: Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability-based discrimination in federally funded programs; the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reauthorized in 2004, guarantees a free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment; and the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act reinforces that all students must receive instruction aligned to grade-level standards and the needed accomodations to participate in assessments.

Despite meaningful progress, most schools continue to fall short in fully including students with IDD. According to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services , only 19% of students with intellectual disability, compared with more than 60% of all students with disabilities, are in general education for 80% or more of the school day. Based on common barriers, here are three key lessons to support continued progress toward inclusive education and belonging.

• Every student is a general education student. Too often, schools sort students by how much they differ from perceived norms, leading to separation, lowered expectations, and instruction that lacks real-world relevance. In reality, classrooms have a wide diversity of learners. Each student’s learning should be based on the general education, grade-level standards, and every student generates general education funding. Using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in general education helps address diverse needs from the start. When teams adopt this mindset, special education becomes a support for success, not a separate track within education.
• Collaboration isn’t just a nice thing. It is crucial. As noted more than two decades ago in Impact , “If the adults are separate, the kids are separate.” This captures the reality of the shared engagement and combined skills required to support all learners within inclusive education systems. General and special education teachers, specialized support personnel, paraprofessionals, district and school leaders, families, and students are all necessary and important collaborators for ensuring success. Inclusive education requires ongoing and robust collaboration.
• Inclusive education system change is big and complex, but doable. Schools and districts that successfully implement inclusive systems do so by intentionally building their systems over three to five years. They learn from each phase, using that experience to expand and improve their approach. While system-wide change can seem overwhelming, it becomes manageable when broken down into actionable steps. The key is not to be paralyzed from starting the change process, but to set clear, achievable goals and take the first step.

Judy Heumann, the esteemed disability rights activist, learned at an early age to expect success. “Most things are possible when you assume problems can be solved,” she noted in her fight for equal access. History has taught us that barriers to inclusive education for students with IDD persist, but we know they are solvable, and the goal is worthy of continued dedication.