Inclusion
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Inclusion is the practice of educating students with disabilities in general education classes, with the supports they need to learn and belong.
Topic: Services, placement and staff
In plain terms
Inclusion is more than placement. In an inclusive class, the student is a full member: participating in lessons, group work, field trips and social life, with instruction designed so everyone can access it. It often relies on co-teaching, universal design for learning, accommodations and planning time for teachers. The word does not appear in IDEA, which uses least restrictive environment instead.
How it shows up in an IEP
Goals for included students can be worked on during general education lessons, and data can be collected there too. Writing goals around class routines, such as group discussion or independent work, makes inclusion practical.
Example
A student with Down syndrome is in a fourth-grade class. During science, the student works with a partner, uses a picture vocabulary list, and has a goal for answering questions with a device.
Not the same as LRE
LRE is the legal requirement and decision. Inclusion is a practice and a belief about belonging in general education. Read the definition of LRE.
Related terms
- LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)LRE is the IDEA requirement that students with disabilities learn alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate for each student.
- Co-teachingCo-teaching is a model in which a general and a special education teacher share instruction for one class that includes students with IEPs.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)Universal Design for Learning is a framework for planning lessons with flexible options from the start, so more students can access and engage with learning.
- Supplementary aids and servicesSupplementary aids and services are supports that let a student with a disability learn in general education classes and activities alongside peers.
- Push-in servicesPush-in services are special education or related services delivered inside the student's regular classroom during ongoing lessons.
On IEP Atlas
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