What is your educational background?

I hold a bachelors and a masters degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Wichita State University and certification in early childhood special education.

What other experiences, or staff development has prepared you for inclusion?

I had a friend who worked in an inclusive setting and it was through her experiences and sharing that I began to see the benefits of inclusion. Once I began working in an inclusive program, I attended several conferences; a KITS (Kansas Inservice Training System) summer institute, read several books on inclusion, and participated in training from the Circle of Inclusion grant. The best experience has come from being part of inclusive programs and working with other team members to provide inclusive services to children and their families.

What is your job role?

As the Early Childhood Special Education Transition Teacher, I work with Early Childhood Special Education Teams, Parents, and Elementary Building Teams to assist in the transition of children from ECSE services to Kindergarten special and regular education services.

What is your role regarding the inclusive component of the program?

Primarily, my role is to facilitate the exchange of information between ECSE programs, Parents, and Elementary Programs, through program observations, meetings, and transition planning.

How has your role changed or have you adapted your role as it related to the inclusive program?

Children in ECSE programs in Lawrence are served through various inclusive models. Our goal is to make the transition to Kindergarten services as smooth and with as much continuity as possible.

What were you biggest concerns about participating in an inclusive program?

I came to this job from another inclusive early childhood program, so I have seen how effective inclusion can be. I believe that team development is a key to successful inclusion, so my biggest concern was about becoming part of a "new" team. Starting over with new people is not always easy.

What were your experiences related to these concerns once inclusive services were implemented?

All teams are different. The team in Lawrence operates differently because it includes different people with different strengths and different team experiences, so my role on this team is different. When new teams are beginning, there is a period of getting to know each other and building trust. Becoming part of a new team takes time, but even during that beginning phase there are great benefits for children, as teams meet to solve problems for children. And ultimately, the benefits for the children and the professional are worth the effort it takes.

What do you see as the benefits of moving toward inclusive services?

I believe there are many benefits of inclusion. Children receiving special education services are able to learn in a "least restrictive environment". They have more opportunities to learn than in a self-contained or mainstreamed program, because as members of a classroom they learn from their peers. Peers in inclusive classrooms learn to accept each other for the sameness and differences we all have. All of the children benefit from the added support of special education staff. Professionals also benefit because we have an opportunity to learn from each other.

Can you offer one or more anecdotes which illustrate the benefits of inclusion?

It is in the "little" things that the benefits of inclusion are noticed. Children eating together at lunch, playing outside or at a center together, walking in the class line, walking to the bus by themselves. These are "little" skills that children learn, at school, yet children in special education classrooms don't always have the opportunity to learn.

It is also in the "academic" areas that children benefit. Children receiving special education services have the opportunity to experience the regular education curriculum in a way that is adapted or modified for their needs. Sometimes this is in the form of an adaptation just for the child (matching letters in an activity instead of writing them), or sometimes it is a change for the whole class (using a teaching strategy or curriculum that will benefit all students). I know a kindergartner who was receiving ECSE services and learned to write his name, because he was motivated to do what his peers were doing. His ECSE Teacher would not have picked this task as an appropriate activity at the time, yet worked with him on writing his name because of his internal motivation to learn.