Early Choices Illinois Inclusion Initiative YouTube Channel

Early Choices Illinois Inclusion Initiative YouTube Channel

The Early CHOICES inclusion initiative promotes increasing high quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child birth to age 5. Our goal is to increase the number of children with disabilities receiving specialized services in regular early care and education settings.

Research on the Efficacy of Inclusive Education

“Arm yourself with a summary of the research on inclusive education.” This 11 page brief prepared by Dr. Jenny Mancini Ruffo sites a base of research spanning over 40 years, comparison studies, research on students with complex support needs, and students without disabilities educated with children with disabilities. The research documents evidence supporting the clear benefits of inclusive education for children with and without disabilities.

Early CHOICES Inclusion Initiative Resources

The Early CHOICES, Illinois Inclusion Initiative promotes increasing high quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child birth to age 5. Our goal is to increase the number of children with disabilities receiving specialized services in regular early care and education settings. The website holds free on demand training modules, Understanding Inclusion, for care providers and families. Find this and other resources in the links below.

Illinois Inclusion Brochure (PDF) provides an example of a framework of information on inclusion that would be helpful for famililies.

Tapping Into the 5 Senses to Support Students with Disabilities (and all students!)

Our ability to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see plays an essential part in our everyday lives. These senses help us interpret thoughts and feelings about our surrounding environment and contribute to well-being. In the classroom, when students understand how to address each sense, they are more aware of what’s happening around them and within their body and mind.

The article describes 8 strategies to incorporate senses into the classroom and sites this article, Sensory Strategies to Support the Mental Health of Students with Special Education Needs (PDF), that explains universal strategies for sensory and movement activities can help promote learning and well-being for all students.

My STEM Adventure App

This free, teacher approved, award-winning app is for children with and without disabilities and their caregivers is in English and Spanish.

Join Leila Diaz as she guides young children and their families or other caregivers to explore the world of STEM both indoors and outdoors and create a storybook that details their investigation! As part of each of the 10 adventures, families and other caregivers are also able to learn about why the STEM concepts are important, what the children are learning, and also receive tips on how to guide children as they embark on the adventure together.

STEMIE Learning Trajectories

STEMIE (Innovations for Inclusion in Early Education) and Learning and Teaching with Learning Trajectories collaborated with early STEM incubators to develop and refine the learning trajectories for science, technology, engineering, and math. What is that? Visit the website, watch the video and learn more. Inclusion Facilitators will be interested in the Guide to Adaptations (PDF). It includes a framework for adaptations to the environment, materials and instruction.

Step Up AT

Step Up AT coaches teachers, teacher assistants, teacher support specialists, school districts, and other agencies to adopt evidence-based assistive technology (AT) practices. This evidence-based, customizable program helps improve early literacy outcomes for young children (ages 3-5) who have disabilities. It is recommended by the federal Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA).

• Early Literacy Training Courses provide easy-to-understand AT basics for both veteran and novice early educators.
• Guided Learning at Home is a video series that helps families promote early literacy at home.

Additional videos are available on the Step Up AT YouTube Channel.

Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children With Disabilities Under the IDEA

New guidance on Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children With Disabilities Under the IDEA helps increase understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA’s) requirements for assistive technology (AT) devices and services. These resources from the Office of Educational Technology (OET) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) also dispel common AT misconceptions and provide examples of how to use AT devices and services for children with disabilities. Providing children with disabilities with the tools needed to succeed can help break down barriers and create a more inclusive and equitable educational system for all.

The Truth About Diversity in Schools (Video)

In this recording, Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak discusses why presuming competence is necessary to address the diversity of the modern classroom, how our intentions can lead to ableist practices, why the dominant culture perpetuates ableist practices and exclusion vs. inclusion, and how to move away from a medical model.

Assume I That I Can! (Video)

This short video produced in honor of World Down Syndrome Day brilliantly illustrates myths and stereotypes that can limit the potential of people with Down Syndrome and people with disabilities in general!

To learn more about this topic see the article by CBS News that describes the background behind the video: Viral Ad Challenges Perceptions of Down Syndrome (Video)