Gary Brucker, Program Director for Courage for Youth Association and Lauri Swann Hunt, founder of Ollibean, are guests at our roundtable this week.  The topic we are discussing is the notion that inclusion is more than a program and is based on attitudes and belief systems. In addition, it is important that schools must foster these attitudes through emotional and relational development in students.  This is a discussion you won't want to miss!  

Listen to Frances Stetson and Mary Eaddy.

How should we be teaching our students with special needs? We start by presuming competence and believing that all children be held to high academic expectations.  To hear more about the importance of presuming competence, listen to guests, Paula Lieb and Lauri Swann Hunt share their thoughts with Nicole and Terri.  

Carolyn Coil, education expert and author, and Frances Stetson, CEO of the Inclusive Schools Network, join the roundtable on The Inclusive Class Podcast this week.  Together with Terri and Nicole, our roundtable guests will describe the elements of an inclusive classroom. We will talk about scheduling, supports, curriculum, accomodations, IEPs and more. This is one podcast you don't want to miss!

Confused about inclusion?  Listen to The Inclusive Class Podcast this week and learn what parents need to know about inclusive education. You will understand what inclusion is, how schools become inclusive, options for inclusion, and how to work with staff to create a more inclusive environment for your child. Lauri Swann Hunt from the site, Ollibean and Amanda Morin, author of The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education will be at our roundtable this week.

Amanda Morin is our guest on this epidsode of The Inclusive Class Podcast. She is with us to talk about ways in which parents can advocate successfully for their child's special education Amanda is an education writer and author of two books, the newly-released, The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education and The Everything Kids' Learning Activities Book. In addition to being an author, Amanda works with organizations such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities and Child Mind Institiute. In addition, she has experience as a kindergarten teacher, early intervention specialist and parent trainer with additional training in advocacy and IDEA.  

Nancy Peske, co-author of Raising a Sensory Smart Child, returns to the show to talk about anxiety in kids with sensory processing issues. For more information go to www.theinclusiveclass.com.  

What is Universal Design for Learning and how can it be used to support learners in the inclusive classroom? On this episode of The Inclusive Class Podcast we have guest, Dr. Loui Lord Nelson, join us to discuss the importance of UDL and how it can be used successfully to help all learners access the curriculum. Loui Lord Nelson has extensive experience through practice and research with UDL. She is an Educational consultant specializing in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), CAST cadre member, and currently works at the University of Kansas - SWIFT Project as a UDL Specialist. In addition, she has recently authored a book published by Brookes Publishing called, Design and Deliver. For more information about this show, go to www.theinclusiveclass.com.  

This week on The Inclusive Class Podcast, we talk with Christi Kasa, Ph.D., about differentiating lessons to reach all the learners in a classroom.   Christi Kasa is the owner of Inclusion University, a consulting company that helps parents and educators create successful inclusive schools. Christi is also a professor and Department Chair in the College of Education at the University of Colorado.    Christi began her career teaching in the public schools of California as a general education teacher, special education teacher, and an inclusion facilitator. Christi conducts research on inclusive schooling, collaboration and co-teaching, and communication for people with autism and other movement differences.

Listen to guest, Celia Oyler, as she describes ways in which teachers can use research-based practices to faciliate inclusion. Celia taught in public schools for 15 years before getting her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For 10 of those 15 years she worked in inclusive classroom settings. She is currently a Professor of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Oyler is also author of the book, Learning to Teach Inclusively. For more information, go to www.theinclusiveclass.com.

***There were some technical difficulties with this show but please keep listening as there is some fantastic information!*** We are pleased to have Dr. Ashleigh Molloy join us on this episode of The Inclusive Class Podcast. Dr. Molloy is going to help us understand what the role of a paraprofessional is in the inclusive class and how a paraprofessional can facilitate inclusion. Dr. Molloy is a respected and recognized expert on inclusion with a Ph. D in Disability, Diversity and Special Needs Education. He is currently the Director of the TransEd Institute where he consults and presents at international conferences on varied educational topics with a special focus on diversity issues as seen through the lens of inclusion. In addition, Dr. Molloy is an author and an internationally renowned presenter who has appeared on both radio and television programs.  For more information about this episode, go to www.theinclusiveclass.com.