Beyond the Classroom Door - What Real Inclusion Looks Like
Walk into any school today, and you'll likely hear about their commitment to inclusion. Students with disabilities learning alongside their peers in general education classrooms—it sounds terrific, and it is. But here's the truth that many educators and parents are discovering: putting a child in a general education classroom doesn't automatically create inclusion. Real inclusion is about so much more than location.
The Difference Between Being There and Belonging
I've observed countless classrooms over my career, and I can spot the difference immediately. In some rooms, students with disabilities sit at a table with a paraprofessional, working on materials while the rest of the class engages in a lively discussion. In others, every student is an active participant in the learning community, their differences recognized as strengths rather than deficits.
The first scenario? That's what I call "parking lot inclusion"—the student is physically present but educationally isolated. True inclusion means that every student is a valued member of the classroom community, learning grade-level content with appropriate supports, and genuinely feels a sense of belonging.
When inclusion works, students with disabilities aren't just in the room—they're contributing to discussions, collaborating with peers, and achieving meaningful goals alongside everyone else.
Starting with the Right Foundation: Universal Design for Learning
If you're serious about inclusion, you need to be actively using Universal Design for Learning, or UDL in your classroom. This framework changes everything about how we approach teaching and learning.
Traditional teaching often works like this: plan a lesson for the "typical" student, then scramble to modify it for students who learn differently. UDL flips that approach entirely. Instead, you design instruction from the beginning to work for the widest range of learners in your classroom.
Think about curb cuts on sidewalks. They were created for wheelchair users, but they help parents with strollers, delivery workers with hand trucks, travelers with rolling suitcases, and even people who just find steps challenging. That's universal design—what helps one group ultimately benefits many.
UDL operates on three core principles that make learning accessible to everyone:
Provide Multiple Ways to Take in Information: Some students learn best by reading, others by listening, and still others by doing. Present content through varied formats—combine text with images, offer audio versions of readings, use hands-on materials, create videos, or incorporate real-world examples. When you give students multiple entry points, you remove barriers before they even appear.
Offer Multiple Ways to Show What They Know: Why should every student write a five-paragraph essay to demonstrate understanding? Some students might create a presentation, produce a video, build a model, engage in a Socratic discussion, or design an infographic. What matters is that they master the content, not that they all demonstrate it the same way.
Tap into Different Sources of Motivation: Students engage with learning in various ways. Some students love competition, others prefer collaboration. Some need to see the real-world application, while others are motivated by creative expression. Build choices into your lessons, connect material to students' lives and interests, and vary your instructional approaches to keep all learners engaged in the topic and content.
Here's the beautiful thing about UDL: when you plan with diverse learners in mind, you often discover that the accommodations you thought were just for students with disabilities actually benefit many students. The visual schedule you created for your student with autism? It helps the student with ADHD stay organized and reduces anxiety for the child dealing with trauma at home. The graphic organizer for your student with a learning disability? It helps all your students organize their thinking more effectively.
In my next post, I'll share practical strategies that make inclusion work in real classrooms. Stay tuned!
Nicolette Lesniak is an experienced special education teacher leader and IEP Coach. She has presented at regional and national educational conferences for families and educators on the importance of collaboration and partnerships in improving student outcomes. You can contact her at hello@nicolettelesniak.com.
