Education Copy

Because my son with Down syndrome genuinely struggles with reading and math, he is pulled out for small group instruction in those subjects. However, he is included with everyone else for science, history, and subjects like physical fitness. His assignments are modified, and he has a classroom aide. He has many friends at high school and does very well with extra help.​

—Stephanie Meredith
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Early intervention is now very common because of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Most children with disabilities between 0 to 3 receive therapeutic services as a public benefit through Early Intervention services. These programs help children with disabilities make progress toward meeting their developmental milestones and can be a significant comfort to families who find out they can receive free or low cost services, like speech or physical therapy, that their child will likely need. Find Early Intervention providers in your state to help families access the support they need right from the start.

In addition, more children with disabilities are being educated in inclusive settings with their peers and receiving specialized instruction as needed. Research shows that inclusive education benefits all students by exposing the population of “typical” students to greater diversity and teaching opportunities. (Shogren et al. 2015) Most students with disabilities are able to complete high school and some go on to college. In fact, we now have over 260 college programs for students with intellectual disabilities in the US (thinkcollege.net).

Resources & Supports:

• ECTA Center
• ThinkCollege.net

References

Shogren, K. A., Gross, J. M., Forber-Pratt, A. J., Francis, G. L., Satter, A. L., Blue-Banning, M., & Hill, C. (2015). The perspectives of students with and without disabilities on inclusive schools. Research and practice for persons with severe disabilities, 40(4), 243-260.