10 Reasons to Support Inclusive School Communities for ALL Students

Students with disabilities may require an educational program that is individualized for most of the school day. This is done by first identifying the priority learning objectives for an individual student with disabilities that will help the student make progress in the general curriculum and using these as goals in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Then it is critically important to carefully determine the times, places, and activities in which the IEP goals can be addressed in the general education environment alongside their peers without disabilities. In this way, the IEP for a student with disabilities meshes with the instructional goals of peers while still meeting individual educational needs. The natural flow of productive interactions and learning in general education environments makes them ideal places in which to expect active student participation and high levels of student accountability for their performance. Students with disabilities can practice skills in these supportive learning contexts even though specific goals and objectives aligned to the grade level content may vary greatly among students.

Related Resources

TIES-IRIS Center Module: Inclusion of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Supports in the General Education Classroom

Article/Tool: Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education and the Inclusive IEP

Professional Development Module: TIES 101: Communication Supports in the Inclusive Class