Preface
Contents |Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 | Professional Development | Resources | Training Guides | Appendix A | Appendix B | Appendix C | Appendix D |
I learned about the meaning of inclusion when I become the director of a new preschool in 1960. We were totally integrated: 50 percent children with disabilities and 50 percent without. The children and families taught me and my staff that inclusion is much more than merely allowing children with and without disabilities to be in the same classroom. Each child must be part of the group, participate in all activities, and feel comfortable about his abilities and needs.
Over the years, I have worked with more than 1,000 children. Their stories stay with me, especially Ken s.
She was three years old when I first met her. She was small and thin, and she had a sweet, gentle smile that
was always there. She liked to listen to stories, participate in music activities, and see her friends each day.
She also had cerebral palsy.
Though Keri couldn't walk, she was still included in every activity. We made three special chairs so she could sit next to her friends during circle time, while also getting the leg support she needed. When Keri received physical therapy, she wasn't taken out of the room. Rather, the physical therapist worked in the classroom, not just with Keri, but with other children with and without disabilities. They, too, benefited from the small-group activities. When her speech therapist suggested different exercises we could work on with Keri during the day, we made it into a game. All the children loved "silly sounds" time. When the other children danced, Keri danced too, in her teacher's arms.
Over the years, I kept in touch with Keri's mother. She called me when Keri was elected to the high-school student council. She called to announce that Keri had gone to her prom. I was honored to attend Keri's high-school graduation. Just a few weeks ago, I found out that Keri, now 19 years old, is living on her own and working at a nearby hospital. I beam every time I hear the news.
What made the difference for Keri? I think it was that Keri learned, at an early age, how to make her wishes known. She learned to get people to listen until she was understood. And she learned that she could be part of a class, part of a community. And she insisted on that kind of interaction wherever she went.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) process also contributed to Keri's success. The IEP offered a blueprint for her success in school and in life. It gave her teachers a tool for translating the goals and objectives into developmentally appropriate classroom activities. The IEP offered her parents a realistic view of Keri's strengths and needs and a vehicle for accessing resources. The IEP also offered her parents a process they could use to advocate for Keri throughout her school career. A wise rabbi once said, "If I am not for myself, then who is?" Keri's parents learned that if they were not for their child, no one would be.
When Keri attended our preschool, we worked closely with her parents. In the beginning, we served as models and coaches. We encouraged them to exercise their rights, and acknowledged them as experts in their knowledge of Keri's strengths and needs. And whenever there was an IEP meeting, we sat at the table with them. With time, they became comfortable speaking in a voice that was loud and clear, articulating what they knew Keri needed and deserved. They learned to interact, and they became her best advocates. And now, Keri has achieved what we had always hoped: she has become a young woman living on her own, dealing with the world on her own terms.
Eleanore Grater Lewis
Associate Director, New England Resource Access Project
Education Development Center, Inc.
Keri's story illustrates what this guide aims to show: how Head Start staff can provide the assistance and support that children with disabilities and their families need as they navigate the system during the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process. For many families, the process can be a frightening one, with all the testing, the discussions, the meetings with specialists. It may be the first time they come to the realization that their child has a disability. Head Start staff can play a central role in supporting families throughout the process, from referral through implementation, and finally in the transition from Head Start to public school. Head Start staff can also help parents build the knowledge, skill, and confidence they need to be effective advocates for themselves and for their children.
Successfully including all children in Head Start demands a comprehensive approach, one that involves all the players, and is responsive to the special needs and strengths of children and their families. That is the purpose of this technical guide: to help Head Start teaching staff develop the skills they need to work collaboratively with families, specialists, and each other in using the IEP and IFSP to provide quality educational services for infants and young children with disabilities and their families.
Head Start managers play an important role in the process. They can help ensure that the IEPs/IFSPs are understandable to parents and staff, and that they are accessible to the education team; only then can Head Start teachers use these documents as blueprints to guide their practice. Head Start managers can also set the tone by serving as models in reaching out and working collaboratively with local education agencies (LEAs), early intervention programs, and other agencies involved with children and families in their program. In addition, Head Start managers can demonstrate their support for staff by allocating time for training, by planning for follow-up from the very start of the process, and by being involved as participants themselves.
Each program will need one key person to coordinate this staff development effort and identify suitable trainers. We recommend selecting trainers who are knowledgeable about the content of this guide and understand the day-to-day realities of Head Start staff. The Education guides in the series lay the foundation for the skills introduced in this technical guide. We hope that taken together, these materials will strengthen Head Start's capacity to better serve all children and their families.
In developing this guide, we spoke with Head Start staff across the country. We also met with parents like Keri's, who continually interact with professionals from numerous service systems as they strive to advocate for their children with disabilities. The stories that families shared and the insights they provided have been invaluable. This guide is dedicated to them.
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