Inclusion Works

Inclusion works and is a benefit for every preschool child. I am not convinced that it should only be offered to the children who are considered highest functioning because they are the children that will benefit from it and I am not going to change my mind any time in the forseeable future. Yesterday was total chaos as we tried to get nine little ones into coats, hats, gloves, and backpacks. I'm sorry but I am a Yankee. It was in the mid-upper 40s - why were the kids wearing winter coats and hats and gloves anyway??? Good grief, it is going to be a long winter!! Being a friday, they were staging a miniature revolt and I am convinced that I put the same coat on the same child at least three different times because houdini kept slipping back out of it when I turned to put a coat on another child. Oh the fun of wrangling preschoolers! So my little blue eyed boy was sitting ever so patiently in his chair watching this theatrical production. When I finally had wrestled most of the masses into coats I dashed over to wriggle him into his and discovered that one of my "inclusion peers" had lovingly placed a toy on his lap and helped him play with it. His peer thought it was no big deal and gave me a funny look when I asked him if he gave him the toy and thanked him for it (the "you adults are so weird" look). I wanted to jump up and down, laugh, hug both little ones, and yell "Yes!". My class is not one that would normally have any inclusion peers in it and the only reason there are any is because I really believe in inclusion for all children. I believe with all of my heart that every child can benefit from being in a setting that has children of all ablity levels - every child, whether or not the have special needs, benefits from the experience. In this instance, my little one who is my inclusion peer demonstrated an incredible level of compassion and understading of differences. He not only is "tolerant" of different ability levels but he is acceptant of them and appreciative of the fact that everyone in our room is a kid who may not be able to do all of the same things he can do right now but still likes a lot of the same things he does and loves to play just like he does. My little blue eyed boy had the experience of a child recognizing that he was probably bored sitting there as we adults ran around like crazy, finding a toy for him, and helpign him to play - in other words he played with a friend without any adults setting it up. Awesome beyond words! And me - I was reminded that even when other people might tell me I am crazy for adding more children to my classroom when it is not required and for doing more work than is necessary that it is absolutely, positively, without any doubt worth it!! I love the fact that in my classroom we are creating an environment where my little ones are not children with special needs and children who are typically developing - we are just children, a class of amazing and wonderful children. Lets leave the labels at the door.