by Julie Reynolds

Created on: July 13, 2010

Let's first start with defining more clearly what inclusion is and means. “Inclusion means teaching all children together, regardless of ability level. Inclusive programs celebrate children's similarities as well as their different abilities and cultures. In inclusive classrooms, children with special needs take part in the general education curriculum based on their ages and grades. They are not put into a separate classroom, but rather the curriculum and the room are adapted to meet children's needs.” (Inclusion in Preschool Classrooms)      

I learned that children can definitely be successfully included into the regular preschool program, but you have to have a plan of action to make it work. From my own experience, I found that you can't just plop the child into the regular classroom without this plan of action and expect it to work. While the teachers had no problem with my son Michael, and he didn't really cause problems, there were those in leadership at the daycare who were scared of him. This was a daycare that I had started working at, and I was aloud to bring my children with me. The director, after I had been there, maybe 3 days, I found out was telling the other teachers at the daycare that my son on the autism spectrum was retarded. The director also, when we were putting up a bulletin board in my classroom, told me of an experience that a friend of hers had with a child on the Autism Spectrum. She tried to tell me that my son would grow up to do the same things this child did, which were, he would become violent, and uncontrollable. This director started cutting my hours, because she didn't want to have my son there. On the other hand, there is one child that I read about that was successfully included into the regular preschool/daycare program. His name was Jimmy. The parents, and the daycare director were on the same page, and they were able to put a plan into action for Jimmy that would make his inclusion successful. “Through the cooperation of the childcare director and teacher Jimmy was enrolled. An itinerant early childhood special education teacher from the school system visited every week to work with the classroom teacher on planning activities, and routines, and guidelines that would meet Jimmy's special needs. During the first months, an assistant teacher (payed for by the school system) came to the classroom for a few hours a day to assist Jimmy when he needed a little extra help, and also

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