What is your educational background?
I have a dual Bachelor's degree in Human Development and the Family and Special Education. I also have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE).

What other experiences, or staff development has prepared you for inclusion?
I have taught in Lincoln Public Schools for 15 years and have always included typically developing "peer models" in my classroom.

I chose "inclusive practices in the preschool classroom" as one of the major emphasis in my Master's program and did research in this area.

What is your job role?
I am part of the "teaching team" in our classroom and have particular responsibility as the IEP (Individualized Education Program) manager for the children with special needs.

What is your role regarding the inclusive component of the program?
During our morning session, I function as a co-teacher for all the children in the room. All planning, teaching, home visiting is done collaboratively with the other members of the team. During the afternoon session, I serve as lead teacher and am responsible for enrolling peer models in our program.

How has your role changed or have you adapted your role as it relates to the inclusive program?
In the five years that I have worked with the preschool program at the Barkley Center, I have increased my collaboration skills and expanded my role to working with a greater number of children without disabilities within the classroom setting. Each year, I become even more fully aware of the benefits of an inclusive program.

What were your biggest concerns about participating in an inclusive program?
I have always been such a believer in inclusive programs that I do not recall having any specific concern. I did wonder if the staff people who had not worked in the special education area would feel as strongly about how beneficial it could be for all the children.

What were your experiences related to these concerns once inclusive services were implemented?
All of the staff members working in our preschool classroom are avid proponents of inclusive education. We are working hard at "spreading the word" to our colleagues both within and outside special education/regular education.

What do you see as the benefits of moving toward inclusive services?
Some of the benefits of inclusive services are: children of similar ages and a wide variety of abilities getting to know each other and become friends, collaborative training and staff development, parents of all the children receiving information on child development in all stages, services to children with their "neighborhood" peers, the opportunity for staff to share information and expertise with one another.

Can you offer one or more anecdotes that you feel illustrates the benefits of inclusion?
A few years ago, a child with disabilities (orthopedic, cognitive, language) and a typically developing child became friends in our classroom. One day, as the typically developing child (Tory) was helping the other child (Dillon) remove his coat and hang it in his "cubbie," Dillon took his first steps "on his own." Tory ran around the corner into the main part of the room where the children were beginning to be seated at the snack tables and shouted, "Hey, you guys, Dillon's walking!" As Dillon walked (with Tory's help) to his table, the children burst into clapping and cheers. I will remember this moment forever. Many of the parents commented to me later about their children coming home to tell them the wonderful news about their FRIEND, Dillon.