As more schools move toward inclusion, how can general and special educators work together to create warm, welcoming classrooms where all students learn and belong? Discover practical answers in this friendly, down-to-earth teacher's guide. Filled with ready-to-use teaching tips, insights from inclusive educators, and examples that relate directly to everyday classroom experiences, this book will help general and special educators collaborate effectively and build a great "toolbox" of strategies to support all learners within inclusive classrooms. With this highly motivating guidebook close at hand, new and seasoned educators will create engaging, exciting, and joyful inclusive classrooms that support social and academic success for all. STRATEGIES THAT HELP TEACHERS: ensure that all students have access to the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment presume competence and recognize every student's unique strengths meet students' individual learning needs with differentiated lessons and innovative academic supports team up and collaborate with other educators and professionals to make the most of everyone's expertise distinguish an IEP from a 504 plan, and develop and implement both appropriately support students who have behavior challenges with a classroom-wide positive behavior support system promote social inclusion in the classroom and in recreational spaces, from the playground to the lunchroom supervise the important work of paraprofessionals avoid burnout with self-care strategies and stress-busters PRACTICAL RESOURCES: Planning tools and checklists to help you identify student strengths, develop IEPs, plan lessons, strengthen co-teaching, choose modifications and accommodations, and more.

Inclusion has been mandated for 30 years, yet many students with developmental and intellectual disabilities are still educated in separate classrooms or isolated settings for the majority of their school day. Some educators still feel overwhelmed when it comes to creating an inclusive learning environment for their students and do not know where to begin. This helpful handbook would provide important first steps to making inclusive education a reality, guiding teachers on how to include "one child at a time." The book begins with the basics, providing the rationale and benefits for inclusion as well as a list of concrete examples of what sucessful inclusive education looks like in the guide, "How You'll Know It When You See It." In the first chapter, educators learn to establish an inclusive, strenghs-based vision of each student's educational career and life after school. Building on this person-centered approach to planning a student's education and future, this book then provides strategies for each stage of including a child with disabilites. Teachers will learn how to presume and strengthen competence; write inclusive, standards-based IEPs; collaborate with other professionals; establish the student's valued membership in a general education classroom; improve social relationships; provide supports to promote learning and participation; assess the child's academic progress; help the student transition to the next grade, and ultimately plan for life after high school. The book concludes by acknowledging some of the common challenges that hinder inclusion, suggesting strategies for problem-solving each difficulty as a collaborative team. Practical features of this resource include vignettes woven throughout the chapters, checklists, tables, sample IEPS, further resources, and photocopiable forms to help implement inclusion. This book would serve as a guide for all who are new to inclusive education or are at any stage of including a student with developmental disabilities in the general education classroom.