Inclusion for students with severe disabilities: what works in practice
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Inclusion works for students with severe disabilities when the team plans it activity by activity. Map each IEP goal onto the general education schedule, make sure the student can communicate in every class, adapt the task while keeping the topic, use peers and adults on purpose, and measure participation and learning. Presence in the room is the starting point, not the goal.
A student with extensive support needs sitting at the back of a 5th grade class with a para and a separate worksheet is in the room, but not included. Inclusion means the student takes part in what the class is doing, learns from it, and belongs to the group. That takes planning, not just a schedule change.
The legal starting point is the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities are educated with peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, and removal happens only when supplementary aids and services can't make the general class work.[1] A student is not removed from an age-appropriate regular classroom solely because they need modifications to the general curriculum.[2] The same applies to lunch, recess, clubs and other nonacademic activities.[3]
This page lays out the steps teams use to make inclusion real, with one fictional student's plan. For goals that fit this group, see the pillar on IEP goals for students with severe and profound disabilities. For the placement rules in more depth, see least restrictive environment.
What you need before you start
- The general education class schedule for the grade, with the routines of each period: warm-up, mini-lesson, group work, independent work, wrap-up.
- The student's IEP goals and present levels.
- The student's communication system, ready to use in every room.
- Time with the general education teacher, even 20 minutes a week. Inclusion fails without it.
Step by step
1. Map goals onto class activities
Make a matrix with class activities across the top and IEP goals down the side. Mark where each goal can be practiced. Most goals fit more places than teams expect. A requesting goal fits every class. A counting goal fits science labs, PE and lunch.
2. Build communication access into every class
Communication comes first. Load class vocabulary onto the device before each unit: 10 to 15 words for a science unit on plants, for example. Teach the class how the student communicates. Give the student real chances to respond, such as answering a poll, choosing a group role or commenting on a read-aloud.
3. Plan supports with the general education teacher
Agree on who adapts materials and by when. A simple routine works: the general education teacher shares next week's plans on Thursday, and the special education teacher adapts by Monday. The supplementary aids and services listed in the IEP, such as adapted materials and AT, are the tools.[4]
4. Adapt the task, keep the topic
The student works on the same topic as the class at a different level. If the class writes a paragraph on the water cycle, the student might sequence 3 water cycle pictures and label one with a word bank. Same content, same time, adapted response. The TIES Center has examples of adapting grade-level lessons for students with significant cognitive disabilities.[5]
5. Use peers and adults on purpose
Assign the student a real role in group work: materials manager, timer, the person who presses the switch to play the video. Teach peers how to wait for a response and how to use the device. Plan when the para steps back. An adult attached to the student all period keeps peers away.
6. Measure participation and learning
Track two things: whether the student took part in the class activity, and progress on IEP goals practiced there. A simple check after each period works: "Took part in the group activity: yes or no. Goal opportunities: 4. Correct: 3." Review every 2 weeks and adjust.
Worked example from start to finish
Maya is a fictional 5th grader with an intellectual disability and cerebral palsy. She uses a power wheelchair and an eye gaze device with about 80 words. In September she spends homeroom, lunch and specials with her grade (about 90 minutes a day) and the rest in a separate classroom.
September: the matrix. Her team maps her 4 goals onto the 5th grade science and ELA blocks.
| IEP goal | ELA read-aloud | ELA group work | Science lab | Lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer who and what questions by eye gaze from 4 choices | Yes, 3 to 5 questions | Yes, 2 questions | Yes, 2 questions | No |
| Comment to peers with the device | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Count sets to 10 | No | No | Yes, counting materials | Yes, counting trays |
| Make choices from 2 to 3 options | No | Yes, choosing a role | Yes | Yes, choosing a seat |
October: adding science. Maya joins the science block (45 minutes, 4 days a week). The special education teacher adapts each lab on Monday. During the plant unit, Maya counts seeds into cups for her group and answers questions about plant parts using a photo board loaded onto her device. A peer partner is taught to wait 15 seconds for her gaze response.
November data. Over 16 science periods:
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Took part in the group activity | 14 of 16 periods |
| Questions answered correctly by eye gaze | 22 of 32 (baseline in the separate class: 12 of 30) |
| Comments to peers per period | Median 3 (baseline: 1) |
| Counting sets to 10 correctly | 7 of 10 trials |
January: ELA. With science working, the team adds the ELA read-aloud and group work. Maya now spends about 3.5 hours a day with her grade. Her para supports two other students in the same class and checks in with Maya at set points instead of sitting beside her.
Common mistakes
- Weak: The student works on a separate worksheet from the special education room. Better: Adapt the class activity so the student works on the same topic.
- Weak: The para sits beside the student all period. Better: Plan when the para steps back and when peers take the lead.
- Weak: The device stays in the special education room. Better: The device goes everywhere, loaded with class vocabulary.
- Weak: Placement decided by the label or by staffing. Better: Placement decided from the student's needs and the supports that would make the general class work.
- Weak: Measuring only minutes in the room. Better: Measure participation and progress on goals during class time.
- Weak: No planning time with the general education teacher. Better: A fixed 20-minute weekly meeting and a shared plan document.
Templates and tools
- Goal templates: IEP goals for significant support needs and goals for the general education setting.
- Communication: AAC goals, such as adding a comment during class discussion.
- Measurement: the opportunity data sheet for goal practice during class.
- Paste each goal into the goal checker.
Related guides: push-in vs pull-out services, paraprofessional responsibilities, and for the separate-setting side, running a self-contained classroom.
Frequently asked questions
Can students with severe disabilities be included in general education?
Yes. IDEA starts from the general education class and requires supplementary aids and services to be considered before removal. A student cannot be removed solely because they need modifications to the curriculum. The IEP team decides placement for each student.
What does inclusion look like for a student with severe disabilities?
The student works on the same topic as the class with adapted tasks, communicates through their own system, has a real role in group work, and practices IEP goals during class activities. Adults support from a distance when possible.
How do you measure whether inclusion is working?
Track participation in class activities and progress on IEP goals practiced there, not only minutes in the room. A short check after each period, reviewed every 2 weeks, shows whether supports need to change.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- IEP goals for significant support needs
- Goals for the general education setting
- Goals for the general education teacher role
- Significant cognitive disability in the IEP glossary
- Inclusion in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- IEP goals for students with severe and profound disabilities
- How to run a self-contained classroom
- Least restrictive environment, with examples
- Progress reports for students with significant disabilities: 12 annotated examples
- Transition planning for students with severe disabilities
- Present levels examples for students with severe disabilities
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.114: LRE requirements, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.116: Placements, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.117: Nonacademic settings, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.42: Supplementary aids and services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- TIES Center, TIES Center, University of Minnesota
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.