How to Communicate the Shift to Inclusive Education to Families

by Drs. KPF & JC | The Inclusion Podcast

SHOW NOTES

Click to download the transcript for Episode 33

Key Takeaways:

Families’ resistance to inclusion often stems from past messaging that separate, specialized services were better, requiring educators to reframe inclusion as both legally aligned and beneficial for their children.
Inclusive education requires access to general education content, curriculum, and peers, ensuring classrooms reflect natural proportions of students with and without disabilities.
True inclusion pairs placement in general education with tailored supports, adaptations, and collaborative efforts to meet each student’s unique needs effectively.

Highlights from the Handout:

Download it now at https://www.inclusiveschooling.com/download33 to equip yourself with clear, actionable language grounded in legal rights, research, and inclusive practices, fostering stronger partnerships with families and a more inclusive school environment.

Julie’s Favorite:

Opportunities for Belonging: Let families know that inclusion means that their child will have the same opportunities to participate in all classroom activities, which will really promote a sense of belonging.”

Kristie’s Favorite:

Inclusion with Supports: Don’t say, ‘Oh, your child will be included,' or ‘We're moving towards inclusive education.' We need to say inclusion with supports because it means the team will have to work to figure out how to adapt things, when to provide modifications, how to differentiate, when to offer choice.

Practical Tips:

Reframing Family Concerns About Legal Rights
Help families understand that moving toward inclusive education aligns with their child's legal rights under IDEA, ensuring access to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, which benefits their child academically, behaviorally, and socially. (Discussed at 5:45)

Communicating Inclusion with Supports
When discussing inclusion, emphasize to families that it’s not just about placing their child in a general education setting but ensuring that supports like adaptations, modifications, and differentiated instruction are in place to meet their needs. (Discussed at 10:13)