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Play has crucial and wide-ranging benefits to children and the people around them. When children of all abilities play together, kids learn to appreciate the differences between people and respect the perspective of others. Playing together connects our community and creates fun, happy memories we call all share.  These programs are designed to allow people with and without disabilities to recreate together. Give us a call to discuss inclusiveness options in our other recreation programs.  Please contact Meg Rogosienski at 552-6271 or email Meg. McCormick Park is home to Silver Summit, a new, universally-accessible playground. The All-Abilities Playground Project continues to raise funds to expand the playground.  Learn more at The Playground Project. 

Register Now! Early Registration $30.00 - By October 1st  After Oct 2nd -- $45.00

Dr. Jorgensen is Project Director for the Institute on Disability at The University of New Hampshire and Director of the National Inclusion Education Initiative for students with Autism or Related Disabilities. Dr. Jorgensen Outlines Steps for Genuine Classroom Inclusion, with clarity, proven research and true compassion. The time to change the vision for the future of students with autism and other related disabilities begins Oct 7th!

Register for this webinar When: Wednesday, January 26 at 1:00 p.m. Mountain This web tour will include information about: The National Inclusive Education Initiative's web-based professional development offerings  The Institute on Disability's Facebook community of practice The Including Samuel website  I am Norm youth empowerment initiative and website Inclusive education bookstore/resources

Spearheaded by a group of 20 teenagers, a national campaign is kicking off this month designed to reshape youth perceptions of inclusion and ideas about what’s “normal.” The “I am Norm” campaign is centered on online videos, social networking and a series of advertising buys slated for next year, which organizers say they hope will spark conversation about inclusion of people with disabilities and what it really means to be normal.

What: This webinar series provides an interactive and engaging look at today's most pressing issues in inclusive education, including: supports and opportunities that enhance self-advocacy, differentiated instruction and universal design for learning, youth engagement, relationship building and many more. The presenters in this series are some of the foremost experts on developing inclusive school environments. When: March 2, 9, 23, 30 and April 6, 13  1-2:30 p.m. Mountain Click here for More Details Click here to Download Registration Form Click here to Register Online

The longer there is a strong distinction between general and special education, the worse it is for students who are labeled with a disability. It perpetuates the language of us and them. These two worlds need to meet and the sooner they meet, the better. I will try to make it as simple as possible. In my opinion, there are the three things that need to happen in order for our schools to become better for all learners. Back to top Making things better for all 1) Acceptance – Create environments of acceptance in the classroom. We may not all be the same, but we are all deserving of understanding and acknowledgement of our strengths. 2) Access – A curriculum that is accessible to all learners! Modifications, accommodations and assessment are the key components to giving our students with special needs access to the general curriculum. 3) High Expectations – Never assume that what we are teaching is going over our students’ heads. This sells us (as educators) and them (as learners) short. We must always presume competence of our students and give them the support that they need in order to be successful. Oh…and I forgot about the wildcard: Technology! Assistive technology is often the missing piece to getting a reliable communication system for our students; not to mention accessing the curriculum by moving beyond paper and pencil work. The farther technology advances, the more access our students will be able to have.

MOSSAIC: Mentorship, Organization, and Social Support for Autism Inclusion on Campus MOSSAIC is support for people transitioning to the U of M who have autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome, or other social/organizational challenges.  This program is offered by the RiteCare Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic.   MOSSAIC provides: Weekly time with experienced peers (U of M juniors or seniors) to address your individualized needs such as: Walk through your class schedule Organization of materials & time Self-advocacy & when to disclose Campus safety Shared living space Understanding academic expectations Problem solving opportunities Evening seminars to support student needs & provide social opportunities.  If interested, please contact:  Jennifer Closson at 406-243-5261 or jennifer.closson@mso.umt.edu  Bethany Rigles at 406-243-2208 or bethany.rigles@mso.umt.edu

This website is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism and other disabilities. Most of my work involves collaborating with schools to create environments, lessons, and experiences that are inclusive, respectful, and accessible for all learners.

DESCRIPTION: Including children with autism in community preschools/childcare programs can be challenging due to potential behavioral difficulties, sensory integration difficulties, as well as social, communication and learning differences. This workshop will address the specific challenges of including children with autism in preschool/childcare setting. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of autism and will leave the presentation with tips, strategies, and principles to address inclusion challenges. WHEN AND WHERE: Saturday May 8, 2010 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Lewis and Clark Library 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena

Free webinar – presented by the LRE Part B Community of Practice When: Friday, May 14, 2010 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Mountain What: Disproportionality and Inclusion in the Least Restrictive Environment In this webinar, the Executive Director of Iowa’s Parent Training and Information Center, ASK, will provide an overview of their efforts and outcomes and will share "lessons learned" on disproportionality and Inclusion in the Least Restrictive Environment.

Click here to Register - Registration will close at 5:00 p.m. ET 6/ 21/2011 What: The SAMHSA ADS Center invites you to a free training teleconference to learn how consumers/survivors of mental health and substance use conditions are working together with private and public officials to make socially inclusive systems across many dimensions of community life—housing, employment, education, arts and culture, transportation, civic and entrepreneurial leadership, health and recreation. Speakers will provide strategies for building diverse collaborations to map community assets and discover individual capacities that benefit communities and the delivery of social services. As a participant in this teleconference, you will see that social inclusion is achievable and learn how YOU can be part of the change. When: Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time

Click here to pre-register for this event online What: At this conference, we value various, distinct groups coming together to learn and build capacity and collaboration. Are you… A family member? Come learn ways to increase family and school collaboration, and find out what strategies your children’s teachers will be using in the classroom so you can support participation at home, in school, and in the community! A general or special educator, or school professional? Participate and access innovative, research based educational strategies, relevant to a wide range of hot topics in education today, that will enhance learning for ALL your students. And, these practical strategies can be put into practice immediately in your classroom! An Administrator? Join us and learn how to lead your teachers to support all students to achieve. Learn strategies and programs to share with your staff as well as information on parent involvement, effective collaboration, and updates on the law. When: February 9-11, 2012 Where: Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center Denver, Colorado

The LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) Community of Practice offered a series of webinars on inclusion over the past year. They are now making the recorded archived webinars available to the public. Please click here to download the full list of webinars with instructions on how to access them (PDF)

Inclusive education is still not widely practiced in schools across the United States. As a result, only the lucky few have seen what inclusion really is. Those that haven’t, are generally left to sift through myths, misunderstandings and the occasional truth. Therefore, there is quite a bit of confusion as to the real meaning of an inclusive environment.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The secret to boosting the language skills of preschoolers with disabilities may be to put them in classrooms with typically developing peers, a new study finds.Researchers found that the average language skills of a child’s classmates in the fall significantly predicted the child’s language skills in the spring – especially for children with disabilities.The results support inclusion policies in schools that aim to have students with disabilities in the same classrooms alongside their typically developing peers, said Laura Justice, co-author of the study and professor of teaching and learning at The Ohio State University.

Things were so simple before. If a student was struggling in your classroom…there obviously was something wrong with them. Not your teaching methods (or curriculum for that matter). Things are not so simple anymore…nor were they ever…really. The prevailing attitude of “my way or the highway” in education is dying…albeit a slow death. There are those who cling to it because that is what they know. So…I can’t really fault them for it. As with any “practice,” one that involves a community, methods change and evolve…so the educational system of my days will look different 20 years from now.

We are our own biggest enemy. Our assumptions that is...and we all bring them to the table when thinking about the role of school, special education, and inclusion. Let me see if I can boil down the issue (as I see it) as succinctly as possible. Teachers, principals, therapists, district administrators, psychologists, lawyers or any other educator representing the district are extremely anxious about unrealistic expectations from parents. Parents, advocates, self-advocates, students, lawyers representing the families or any other party are extremely anxious about the school district not giving the appropriate services and/or placement for their child with disabilities. Can you see the problem? It is trust.