This module is for families of children with disabilities. It is designed to assist families who want to ensure that their children receive a high quality education. The module is based on the belief that a high quality education can best be achieved in an inclusive setting where children with disabilities spend their days in neighborhood schools and in regular classes with students their own age. It is also based on years of experience that shows that inclusive education, when done well, enables children to gain self confidence, a positive self image, social behaviors, as well as the academic and other skills necessary to feel valued and to be included in our communities.
Primarily, this module is about helping families understand what inclusive education is about and how they can play important roles in helping their children have a quality inclusive education. It also addresses legal issues, ways to think about and provide support for inclusion, and offers suggestions to deal with problems and concerns that may arise from time to time. At the end of the module additional online resources are offered for more in depth information on specific issues.
This module is based primarily on the resource entitled Achieving Inclusion: A Parent Guide to Inclusive Education in New Brunswick published by the New Brunswick Association for Community Living in 2000. This guide contains detailed information on many of the topics that will be addressed in this module. As such, parts of this module will provide links to the relevant sections or chapters in Achieving Inclusion to allow you to explore and discuss the topics in further detail.
