HEAD START®

Setting the Stage: Including Children with Disabilities in Head Start

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3
| Continuing Professional Development | Resources

MODULE 3: Connecting With the Broader Community

Outcomes | Key Concepts | Background Information | Activity 3-1 | Activity 3-2 | Activity 3-3 | Activity 3-4 | Activity 3-5 | Next Steps
download these pdf attachments: Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3 | Handout 4 |
Handout 5 | Handout 6 | Handout 7 | Handout 8 | Handout 9 | Handout 10 | Handout 11

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, participants will be able to:

• Recognize that there are basic principles underlying the laws and regulations that protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.
  
  
• Identify how these basic principles apply to everyday practice and what they can do within their roles to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.
  
  
• Identify existing barriers for full participation through careful examination of the Head Start program.
  
  
• Recognize that children with disabilities require additional services and supports to be fully integrated into the program and identify their roles in providing such supports.

See At A Glance on p. 7 for an overview of activities in this module.

Key Concepts

• Staff need to understand how the laws and regulations protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities apply to their program.
  
  
• Inclusion requires commitment, resources, and collaboration among parents, staff, and other service providers.
  

Background Information

It takes much more than awareness, sensitivity, and commitment to promote belonging for children with disabilities. It also takes resources–money, personnel, and materials. Head Start staff, along with families and other service providers, must be able to solve problems and bring specific ideas to the table. Inclusion also requires that children get the extra support they need, such as special services and environmental adaptations. But first, Head Start staff need to understand the principles underlying the laws and regulations that protect the rights of children and adults with disabilities.

Activity 3-1: It's the Law

Purpose: Head Start has been a pioneer in including children with disabilities. Even before any federal educational mandates existed, Head Start began reaching out to and serving children with disabilities. Fortunately, laws and regulations about the rights and protections of children and adults with disabilities have been enacted over the years. These laws provide a mandate to end discrimination against individuals with disabilities. They also protect individuals' essential right to participate in the community and have access to critical services. This workshop activity will help participants understand the principles underlying these laws and regulations and how these principles apply to everyday practice.

Preparation

Arrange for: Easel, newsprint, markers, and tape

Duplicate: Handout 1-Principles Underlying the Laws and Regulations (p. 113): one for each participant

Handout 2-All Things Considered (p. 114): one for each participant

Handout 3-Laws and Regulations (pp. 115-116): one for each participant

Handout 4-Rights and Protections Under the Law (pp. 117-118): one for each participant

Leading the Activity

1. Introduce the activity and review the agenda with participants. Explain that including children with disabilities is best practice and required by the Head Start Program Performance Standards. It is based on federal law.
   
   
2. Tell participants that you will describe some of the basic principles that underlie the laws and regulations protecting individuals with disabilities. Give each participant a copy of Handout 1-Principles Underlying the Laws and Regulations. Suggest that participants use this handout to keep track of the main ideas.
   
   
3. Use the Lecture Guide below to discuss the basic principles underlying the laws and regulations.

4. Next give each participant a copy of Handout 2-All Things Considered. Explain that the worksheet is not a test of what participants know. It is a tool to help them think about how the principles apply to everyday experiences.

5. Read each item aloud. Give enough time after each item for participants to write down their answers. Suggest that participants look at Handout 1-Principles Underlying the Laws and Regulations for ideas.

6. When participants complete the worksheet, use the Discussion Guide below to conduct a large-group discussion. For each item, encourage participants to share their ideas. Then ask what these principles mean for their programs (and their roles). Consider recruitment and enrollment, parent involvement, facilities, confidentiality, personnel, and transportation.
   

Tip for the Trainer
Participants may share situations that raise questions about how the basic principles underlying the laws apply to their Head Start program. Acknowledge that there are not always clear-cut answers. The laws and regulations are always changing and many gray areas remain. For each item on the worksheet, ask participants whom they could ask if they had questions about a similar situation. For example, they might consult their supervisors or staff from their local Resource Access Project.

7. End the discussion by asking participants to share similar examples from their own experiences. Use the time to help participants recognize how the principles relate to their specific roles in the program.
   
   
8. Distribute Handout 3-Laws and Regulations and Handout 4-Rights and Protections Under the Law to participants. Point out that the principles discussed during the workshop form the basis of 3 laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Emphasize that the Head Start Program Performance Standards describe Head Start's obligations to follow federal laws of non- discrimination and to be active partners with Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in implementing IDEA. These Performance Standards also affirm Head Start's long-standing commitment to inclusion and they promote best practices.
   

Lecture Guide

Use the following key concepts and points to guide your presentation.

Nondiscrimination: Too often society views accommodations to individual needs as gifts or favors. This suggests that the person who receives the accommodation should be grateful; and that the accommodation is optional. However, it is a basic right, not a privilege, for individuals with disabilities to have opportunities to participate fully in school, the community, and the workplace. It is therefore discriminatory and illegal to exclude children solely on the basis of the type of their disability or the severity of their condition. Furthermore, programs may not refuse to hire or promote persons with disabilities solely because of their disability.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Children with disabilities have the right to be educated in integrated settings with children without disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Full inclusion often requires providing those additional services and supports that respond to the needs of children and families. This means that Head Start programs must work closely with LEAs and other agencies to ensure that children with disabilities receive the special education and related services they need to succeed in regular education settings. Children cannot be removed from the regular education environment unless their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) states that even with extra supports and services their needs cannot be met in a regular classroom.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as a Contract: Every child, ages 3 to 21, who receives special education services must have an IEP. The IEP is a written statement of a child's education program. It is developed by a team consisting of the child's parents, teachers, and a number of other specialists. The IEP determines the services that the child will receive. The IEP serves as a contract, one that cannot be changed unless the team reconvenes and parents sign the revised IEP to show their agreement. (If they don't want to sign, the IEP cannot be changed.) The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) describes what services infants, toddlers, and their families receive.

Parents as Codecisionmakers: Parents know more about their children's capabilities and needs than anyone else. Their participation in all aspects of the education process leads to better services and developmental outcomes. Parents have the right to take part in and approve all educational decisions regarding their children. A parent's signature on the IEP is required. If parents ever disagree with their child's evaluation, identification, or placement, they have the right to request a due process hearing from the public school. This means they can contest the school's actions. Head Start staff need to educate parents about their rights so that parents can be effective advocates for themselves and their children.

Confidentiality: All families have a right to confidentiality. This means that information about Head Start children and families cannot be shared with outside agencies without parents' (or legal guardian's) written permission. Information can only be shared within Head Start on a "need-to-know" basis. Disclosure (talking about the personal lives of children and families) is unethical and illegal. Even if children's names are not used, any inappropriate discussion that makes children and families identifiable is a violation of privacy.

Discussion Guide

Use the questions below to guide a large-group discussion about each item on Handout 2-All Things Considered.

Item 1: You are Joey's teacher. The occupational therapist says that Joey has made a lot of progress and that her schedule is pretty tight. She asks you if she can cut back on the amount of time she sees Joey. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• What does Joey's IEP say?
  
  
• Have you or the occupational therapist talked to Joey' s parents about the occupational therapist's ideas? Do they agree? If so, would they want to consider the possibility of revising Joey's IEP?
  
  
• What do other members of the IEP team think?

Basic Principles

• The IEP as a Contract. The IEP serves as a contract that cannot be changed unless the team meets again and the parents agree with a signature.
  
  
• Parents as Codecisionmakers. Parents have the right to be involved in and approve all educational decisions regarding their child.

Item 2: You have been Andre's home visitor for two years. Next year he will be going to kindergarten. You find out that the public school may recommend at the next IEP meeting that Andre be placed in a special education classroom. Andre's parents wonder if he belongs in a general education classroom. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• Have you talked with Andre's parents about the different options for Andre's placement?
  
  
• Do they think that Andre's needs could be met in a regular education setting if extra supports and services were provided?
  
  
• How can you help Andre's parents prepare for the upcoming IEP meeting?
  
  
• How can you or someone else from Head Start serve as an advocate for them during the meeting?
  

Basic Principles

• Least Restrictive Setting. Children with disabilities have the right to an education in an integrated setting with children without disabilities whenever possible and beneficial.
  
  
• Parents as Codecisionmakers. Parents have the right to be involved in and approve all educational decisions regarding their child. A parent's signature on the IEP is required.
  

Item 3: You are a bus driver. You find out that a child with severe asthma may be riding on your bus. You just don't feel that you have the skills to care for this child. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• Can you refuse to let the child ride on the bus? Why or why not?
  
  
• Have you talked to your supervisor or the Head Start director about your concerns and your fears?
  
  
• What information, support, or training do you need to care for the child?
  
  
• How do you develop a plan to ensure that all children are safe?
  

Basic Principle

• Nondiscrimination. Programs cannot exclude children with a certain type or level of disability from participating in Head Start. The Performance Standards also state that all children, including children with disabilities, should receive Head Start services and be included in the full range of activities normally provided to all Head Start children.

Item 4: A mother wants to enroll her child in your program. You find out that the child is not toilet-trained. Your program doesn't have any changing tables. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• Can you refuse to enroll a child based on his or her toileting skills? Why or why not?
  
  
• What are your state or local health and child-care licensing requirements regarding the changing and disposing of diapers? How can you meet those requirements?

Basic Principle

• Nondiscrimination. According to Head Start policy, programs cannot deny enrollment to a child on the basis of toileting skills, regardless of whether or not that child has a disability.

Item 5: You are Geri's assistant teacher. On your way home from work you bump into Geri's uncle. He wants to know why Geri isn't learning as fast as other children. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• Is Geri's uncle her legal guardian?
  
  
• If not, have Geri's parents signed a release of information?

Basic Principle

• Confidentiality. All families have a right to confidentiality. This means that no information about the child or family can be shared with anyone else without the parents' (or guardian's) written permission.

Tip for the Trainer
Participants may say that sharing information can help staff better care for the child. Point out that it is important to distinguish between information that is relevant to the care of the child (e.g., information related to the child's educational plan) and information that is not relevant. They must also consider with whom to share this information, where, and when. Advise participants that when in doubt, they should say nothing or politely say, "I'm not able to discuss this with you."

Item 6: You are the director. Karim's mother tells you that she wants to volunteer in her son's classroom. But his classroom is in the basement and there are no elevators or ramps, and the bathroom is not accessible. You just don't know how she could manage with her wheelchair. According to the principles, what do you need to consider?

Guiding Questions

• Have you talked with Karim's mother about what type of accommodation would be reasonable for her?
  
  
• Have you also involved staff in coming up with a solution, e.g., moving classrooms around so that Karim's classroom is wheelchair accessible?
  
  
• In the long term, what barriers will you need to eliminate?
  
  
• What organizations could serve as resources in your planning?
  
  
• What key players will you need to involve?

Basic Principle

• Nondiscrimination. It is a basic right, not a privilege, for individuals with disabilities to have opportunities to participate fully in school, the community, and the workplace. Head Start programs must continue to improve accessibility of program facilities and services for persons with disabilities, including staff, parents, and children. Reasonable accommodation is key to ensuring nondiscrimination. Reasonable accommodation (any change to the job or work environment) must be tailored to meet the individual's needs. One size does not fit all.

Summing Up

Close the activity by summarizing the guiding principles underlying the laws and regulations. Emphasize that these laws provide individuals with disabilities and their families with essential rights to participate and have access to critical services. Head Start's long-standing experience in including children with disabilities offers a solid foundation. Stress that Head Start staff need to understand these principles and how they apply to their programs and to their specific roles. Only then can they advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and their families within the program and the larger community.

Activity 3-2: Principles Underlying the Laws

Purpose: Head Start has been a pioneer in including children with disabilities. Even before any federal mandates existed, Head Start began reaching out to and serving children with disabilities. Fortunately, laws and regulations related to the rights and protections of people with disabilities have been enacted over the years. These laws protect the essential right of individuals with disabilities and their families to participate and have access to critical services.

This coaching session will use scenarios and reflective practice to help participants understand the principles underlying the laws and regulations related to serving children with disabilities. It will also help them recognize how these principles apply to their programs and their specific roles. This understanding will enable them to advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and their families in their program and in the larger community.

Preparation

This session has two major parts: 1) an introduction to the basic principles underlying the laws and regulations that protect individuals with disabilities and 2) a discussion about a series of scenarios which will help participants identify how these basic principles apply to everyday practice. At the end of the session, participants will receive an assignment. The assignment will help participants identify how they can protect the rights of individuals with disabilities within their program and in their community, To prepare for this session:

• Review all the directions and handouts for this session.
  
  
• Duplicate Handout 1-Principles Underlying the Laws and Regulations (p. 113), Handout 2-All Things Considered (p. 114), and Handout 5-Finding Some Answers (p. 119): one for each participant.
  
  
• Create a list of experts that participants can contact if they have questions about how the principles underlying the laws apply to typical Head Start experiences.
  

Conducting the Session

1. Welcome participants and briefly discuss the purpose of today's session. Explain that including children with disabilities is best practice and required by the Head Start Performance Standards.
   
   
2. Tell participants that you will discuss some of the basic principles that underlie the laws and regulations that protect individuals with disabilities. Give each participant a copy of Handout 1-Principles Underlying the Laws and Regulations. Use the Lecture Guide that appears on pp. 92-93 to review the basic principles with participants.
   
   
3. Give each participant a copy of Handout 2-All Things Considered. Explain that the worksheet will help them think about how the principles apply to everyday experiences.
   
   

4. Read each item aloud. Participants may write their answers or just think about how they would respond to each item.
   
   
5. Discuss each item on the worksheet. Use the Discussion Guide that appears on pp. 93-97 to encourage participants to share their ideas. During your discussion, ask participants to share similar real-life situations they have encountered. Ask: "How did you handle the situation then?" "How would you handle it differently now?" "Why?"

Tip for the Coach
Participants may share situations that raise questions about how the basic principles underlying the laws apply to their Head Start program. Acknowledge that there are not always clear-cut answers. The laws and regulations are always changing, and many gray areas remain.

Help participants identify who they can turn to in their program or in their community when they have questions. You may suggest that participants ask their supervisors. They may also contact their local Resource Access Project (RAP) for technical assistance and materials about the laws and how they apply to Head Start. The Resources section includes organizations that provide up-to-date information on the civil rights of persons with disabilities.

Wrap-up and Assignment

Briefly summarize the session with participants. Emphasize that it is a basic right, not a privilege, for individuals with 'disabilities to participate fully in school, the community, and the workplace; and we all play a role in protecting those rights. Tell participants that the first step is to realize that they have questions about how the principles apply to everyday practice. The next step involves knowing how to find some answers.

Ask participants to think about the principles for a moment. Then ask them to think of one situation they (or someone else in the program) experienced that raised questions for them. The situation they choose will serve as the basis for their assignment.

Tips for the Coach
If participants have difficulty identifying a situation, you may 1) share a situation that you have encountered; 2) create a situation that would be relevant for participants and for their roles in the program; or 3) have participants choose one situation from those listed below.

• A father wants to enroll his child in your Head Start program. You find out that the child has a significant disability. You think another program might be better for his son. According to the principles, what do you need to consider before you respond?
  
  
• You are a Head Start teacher. Once a week you meet with the speech therapist to talk about children's progress. This week the therapist asks about Latoya. "Doesn't her mother have a drug problem?" she asks you. According to the principles, what do you need to consider before you respond?

Give participants a copy of Handout 5-Finding Some Answers and review it with them. Ask participants to complete the handout and bring it to the next coaching session, On Target. Thank participants for their participation and confirm a time and place for the next meeting.


Activity 3-3: On Target

Purpose: The principles discussed during the previous session form the basis of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These laws provide a mandate to end discrimination against individuals with disabilities. They also protect individuals' essential right to participate in the community and gain access to critical services.

Head Start Performance Standards describe Head Start's obligations to follow federal laws of nondiscrimination and to be active partners with Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in implementing IDEA. In this coaching session, participants will learn about the laws and regulations that protect the rights of individuals with disabilities and how they apply to their programs.

Preparation

This session has three major parts: 1) reviewing the assignment from the previous session; 2) an introduction to the basic laws and regulations protecting the rights of children and adults with disabilities; and 3) taking a tour of the site to check program accessibility. (For this tour, participants will use guidelines consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and ADA.) At the end of the session, participants will receive an assignment. Their task is to identify potential problem areas for accessibility within their own programs. To prepare for this session:

• Review all the directions and handouts for this session.
  
  
• Arrange for easel, newsprint, markers, tape, and tape measures.
  
  
• Duplicate Handout 3-Laws and Regulations (pp. 115-116), Handout 4-Rights and Protections Under the Law (pp. 117-118), and Handout 6-Barriers Checklist (pp. 120-122): one for each participant.
  
  
• Select one section of Handout 6-Barriers Checklist to complete during the session. Use the section to plan the route of the tour you will take with participants.

Conducting the Session

1. Welcome participants and briefly discuss the purpose of today's session.
   
   
2. Ask participants to refer to their notes from their assignment, Handout 5-Finding Some Answers. Have participants take turns describing the scenario they selected, their questions, and what they learned.
   

Tip for the Coach
While you review the assignment, encourage participants to talk about what they learned about the principles underlying the laws and regulations. Also encourage participants to reflect on the
process they used. Ask for specifics: "How did you get your leads?" "What resources did you discover?" "How might you use a similar process next time you have a question?"

3. After discussing the assignment, introduce the basic laws and regulations protecting individuals with disabilities: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Give participants copies of Handout 3-Laws and Regulations and Handout 4 - Rights and Protections Under the Law. Review the handouts with participants and answer any questions they may have.
   
   

4. Prepare participants for their tour by focusing on ADA and Section 504. Point out that to comply with these laws, Head Start programs must ensure access to program facilities and services for persons with disabilities. Every part of a building does not have to be physically accessible, but program services as a whole must be accessible. Physical access means that people with disabilities can get into the building, move around in hallways and rooms, and use bathrooms and telephones.

5. Tell participants that a first step in making the program more accessible is to identify program barriers. Give participants a copy of Handout 6-Barriers Checklist. Explain that you will complete one section of the checklist together.

6. Walk through the building with participants and use the checklist to look for potential problem areas for accessibility.

7. Debrief with participants. Use the following questions to guide your discussion: "How is the program accessible to children and adults with disabilities?" "In what areas does the program do well?" "What barriers remain?" Record participants' responses on newsprint. Save the newsprint and bring it to the next coaching session.

Wrap-up and Assignment

Briefly summarize the session with participants. Then give them their assignment: to complete Handout 6-Barriers Checklist. Explain that in the next session, Moving Forward, they will use their checklists to develop a set of recommendations for program improvement. They will also have a chance to visit an inclusive classroom to identify barriers to and effective strategies for meeting the needs of children with diverse abilities. Thank participants for their participation and confirm the time and place for the next meeting.

Activity 3-4: Nuts and Bolts

Purpose: While acceptance and commitment set the stage for inclusion, full inclusion frequently demands additional services and supports–the nuts and bolts–to make it work. Head Start staff often feel overwhelmed by the demands of their jobs and the needs of the children and families in their program. This workshop activity is designed to help staff identify what is needed, not only by children with disabilities, but by their families and by staff as well. By learning how to identify specific needs, Head Start can develop strategies to access resources.

Preparation

Arrange for: Easel, newsprint, markers, and tape

Duplicate: Handout 7-Directions for Group Leaders (p. 123): one for each team leader

Handout 8-Planning Worksheet (p. 124): one for each group of 4 to 6

Handout 9-Carla's Story, Part I (p. 125): one for each participant

Handout 10-Carla's Story, Part II (pp. 126-127): one for each participant

Review: About Inclusion (pp. 8-13)

Leading the Activity

1. Introduce the activity and review the agenda with participants. Explain that Head Start programs will be including more children with significant disabilities–children who are deaf or physically challenged, and children who have mental retardation or chronic illness. Explain that this activity will help participants identify what type of information or additional help they need to tap each child's strengths and facilitate a child's full participation.

2. Tell participants that during the next hour they will work in small groups to analyze the story of Carla, a child with disabilities who was actually enrolled in a Head Start program. Explain that participants will brainstorm questions to ask Carla's family and other service providers. Point out that while participants will be working as members of cross-component teams, they should focus on Carla's story as it relates to their particular roles.
   
   
3. Divide participants into groups of 4 to 6 people, making sure the groups represent a good cross section of roles within the program. Ask for one volunteer from each group to lead the small-group discussion. Give leaders a copy of Handout 7-Directions for Group Leaders. Ask for another volunteer from each group to be the recorder. Give each recorder a copy of Handout 8-Planning Worksheet.

4. Distribute Handout 9-Carla's Story, Part I to all participants and read it aloud to the whole group. Tell the groups they have 20 minutes to discuss Carla and complete Handout 8-Planning Worksheet. While the groups are working, hang up 3 pieces of newsprint. Write one question from Handout 8-Planning Worksheet on each piece of newsprint: "What questions would you and your team want to ask Carla's family?" "What questions would you and your team want to ask other staff and service providers, such as Carla's occupational therapist or nurse?" "What other questions, concerns, or fears would you have?"

5. At the end of the 20 minutes ask for volunteers from each small group to report back, using their completed Handout 8-Planning Worksheet. Record responses on the appropriate sheets of newsprint.

6. Briefly summarize information on the 3 sheets of newsprint. Then lead a discussion, using the following questions as a guide:
   
   
   • What did you learn?
     
     
   • Were there any surprises?
     
     
   • If this were an actual planning meeting, what would your next steps be?
     
     
7. Read Handout 10-Carla's Story, Part II aloud to participants. This story provides information about the planning and collaboration that was actually involved to include Carla in a Head Start program.
   
   
8. Briefly relate the group-generated information on the newsprint to, what actually happened for Carla. Highlight both the similarities and the differences. Then have participants discuss what they learned from Carla and the planning process.
   
   
9. Briefly summarize the main points from the section About Inclusion by describing what inclusion means for Head Start. Mention who benefits and why, and what it takes to make it work.
   
   

Tip for the Trainer
You may distribute copies of About Inclusion as a handout.

Summing Up

Remind participants that planning must occur before a child enters the program. Family, staff, and service providers need to work together to identify additional information, services, and supports that are needed to integrate a child with disabilities. Emphasize that families are key players in making inclusion work; and that we can all learn a lot from them. This means that Head Start staff need to find meaningful ways to plan and implement the Head Start program with parents. Point out that each family has unique needs, strengths, and preferences. Even families with similar needs may want very different approaches to meeting those needs.

Activity 3-5: Moving Forward

Purpose: Because children with disabilities have unique needs, they often need additional services and support to be fully included in the program. Head Start staff, along with families and other service providers, need to plan and solve problems together to remove existing barriers. They also need to identify the extra services and supports that may be required. This coaching session will help participants identify what they can do within their roles to provide needed supports.

Purpose:

This session has three major parts: 1)reviewing the assignment; 2) developing a set of recommendations for program improvements; and 3) conducting an observation at an inclusive preschool setting to identify barriers to inclusion and strategies for fostering it. At the end of the session, participants will choose which Next Steps they will work on to extend their learning. To prepare for this session:

Preparation

• Review all the directions and handouts for this session, A Letter from a Head Start Parent (p. vi), About Inclusion (pp. 8-13), and Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice (p. 111).

• Arrange for easel, newsprint, markers, and tape.
  
  
• Post the newsprint listing participants' responses from the previous session.
  
  
• Duplicate Handout 11 -Observation Checklist (p. 128) and Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice (p. 111): one for each participant.
  
  
• Make arrangements to visit an inclusive preschool classroom where you can observe for 30 minutes, and then meet with teachers for 20 minutes. The classroom you select should include at least one child with a significant disability. A Head Start classroom would be ideal, but it is not a must. The classroom may be offsite. Contact the classroom teachers in advance to find out when you should arrive, how to greet children, where in the classroom you should sit, etc. Use this information to develop a set of guidelines for participants to follow.
  
  
• Read through the Resources section (pp. 135-142), particularly those recommended for Module 3. Note resources that may be helpful for participants as they begin to apply their new skills to their daily work.
  

Conducting the session

1. Welcome participants and briefly discuss the purpose of today's session. Then tell participants that they will first spend time reviewing their assignments.
   
   

2. Ask participants to take out their notes from Handout 6-Barriers Checklist. Have participants take turns sharing their findings. Questions to ask include: "In what areas is the program accessible to children and adults with disabilities?" "In what areas does it fall short?" "What does the phrase physical access mean to you in terms of your program?" "In terms of your role?" "In what ways can Head Start staff make the program more accessible to both children and adults with special needs?" Record responses on newsprint.
   
   

Tip for the Coach
Handout 6-Barriers Checklist will give participants a yardstick for measuring their facility and identifying program barriers. Help participants analyze their results, and make two recommendations for program improvements. Try to ensure that their results and recommendations are heard. Talk to participants about the best way for them to share their findings. For example, they may present their findings and recommendations at the next staff meeting or submit them to the management team.

3. Prepare participants for their observation by explaining that inclusion requires identifying barriers to full participation. It also requires that children with disabilities get the added support they need, including special services and environmental changes.
   
   
4. Give participants a copy of Handout 11-Observation Checklist. Tell participants they will use this checklist to identify barriers to inclusion as well as strategies for promoting it. Review the items on the checklist with participants, and encourage them to add items of their own. Also help participants develop a set of questions to ask the teacher after their observation session.

Tip for the Coach
If you will be observing a classroom at another site, provide participants with some background information about the program and the children it serves. Give them guidelines for entering the classroom, interacting with children, and observing their activities.

5. Accompany participants on their classroom visit. During your visit, have participants complete the checklist. Complete the checklist yourself. Take additional notes about barriers and creative strategies that staff use to foster inclusion.
   
   
6. After the observation, meet with the classroom teachers. Use this time to find out how and why teachers made certain adaptations; and what types of planning and collaboration went on behind the scenes.
   
   
7. When you return to your site, have participants take turns sharing their observations. First focus on the type of adaptations teachers made to meet the needs of children in terms of room arrangement, display of materials, classroom activities, and the barriers to full participation.
   
   
8. Then turn your discussion to the importance of teamwork. Emphasize that staff, along with families and other service providers, need to be able to plan and solve problems together to identify and remove barriers to full participation. Members of the team must also identify what is needed, not only by children with disabilities, but by their families and by staff as well, in order to move forward. Planning is not a "one-shot deal," but an ongoing process–one that invites collaboration and reflection, and allows for growth and change.
   
   
9. Discuss what roles participants can play in making inclusion a reality. Help them list two goals and the steps to take and supports they need to reach those goals. For each goal, ask:
   
   
   • Who else will help?
     
     
   • How will you know when or if you've been successful?
     
     
   • When will it be accomplished? (Set a target date.)
     
     

Have participants record their responses and share them with at least one other person.

Tip for the Coach
If participants have difficulty setting goals for themselves, you can help them get started by asking some questions. For example, you might ask: "How can you let people in the community know that Head Start serves children with disabilities?" "How can you make the program more accessible and welcoming to children with disabilities and their families?" "What adaptations can you make to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to participate in program activities?" You may also share some goals of your own.

Wrap-up and Next Steps

Summarize the key points from the session, and give participants a copy of Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice. Help participants choose the Next Step(s) they would like to pursue and set a place and time for a follow-up meeting. Together, develop a plan for how they will continue to work with you and other Head Start staff and families to promote and sustain inclusion.

Applaud participants for their efforts. Tell them what you have learned with them and from them. Briefly summarize the main points from the section About Inclusion by describing what inclusion means for Head Start. Mention who benefits and why and what it takes to make it work. You may distribute copies of About Inclusion.

Close the session by reading aloud the letter that appears on p. vi. Emphasize that inclusion does not stop at the end of the day or the end of the program year. Inclusion is a vision, one that lasts a lifetime.

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice

As a supervisor you can help staff members practice what they have learned in this module. Ways to accomplish this include:

1. Help staff develop and work on a "Back Home Plan." These plans might be individual plans or plans developed by job-alike groups.

   Each plan should include a specific goal or goals and strategies to reach the goal(s). For example, goals might include developing one strategy to let people in the community know that the Head Start program accepts children with disabilities; adapting common classroom materials to meet the specific needs of an individual child; or working more closely with specialists. Have staff share their plans with at least one other person.

2. Invite a consultant–an adult with a disability–to survey the building and program operations. Have staff prepare for this event by planning the route for the tour and by developing a set of questions for the consultant. Staff can then walk with the consultant. One staff person may serve as the host; another as interviewer; and another as note taker. Have the consultant consider not only the classrooms, but also the common space. What areas are accessible to children and adults with disabilities? Which areas are not? What are the greatest barriers? What types of adaptations may be needed? In the long term, what barriers will the program need to eliminate?

   After the tour, debrief with staff. Help them think about what changes need to be made and who else needs to be involved in discussing possible changes. Whoever these people are, involve them in the discussion and work toward decisions that can be carried out. Also encourage staff to share their findings and progress at the next staff meeting.

3. Have staff select a "buddy"–someone in the program who has a similar role. On a regular basis, have buddies talk about strategies they are using (or would like to use) to foster inclusion. Buddies may also work together to develop a planning tool for identifying the supports that children with disabilities need to be included in the program.

4. Staff can use a number of strategies to ease children's transition from Head Start to public school. Use Handout 10-Carla's Story, Part II (pp. 126-127) to help staff analyze what transition means for children (especially for those with disabilities) and their families. Then have staff develop specific transition plans for children and families in their own program.