TIPS - Table of Contents

All children benefit from having the opportunity to learn and develop in an environment that includes their peers - both those who have a disability or special need and those children who are developing more normally.1 Including a child with special needs in your school-age program is not only possible, but may take only a few adaptations to your programming or site. A good developmental school-age program can usually provide services to most children with special needs. The purpose of this tip sheet is to provide a checklist to measure those things which you have already accomplished in setting up your inclusive classroom, and to suggest other things you might yet want to consider.

Enrolling A Child With Special Needs

• Find out all you can about the specific changes or considerations you will need to make to care for the child
• Assure parents of your confidentiality regarding the information they share about their child’s disability
• Find out what the parent’s expectations are for their child
• Check to see if the child’s needs match your programs goals and objectives
• Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, a child with disabilities must be included in your program unless:
  
  • A child’s condition poses a direct threat to the other children, or your staff, and the direct threat cannot be eliminated through reasonable accommodations.
  • A child’s condition would require architectural changes that cannot readily be achieved
  • A child’s requirement for special equipment or services would impose an undue burden or would fundamentally alter the nature of the program and there was no reasonable alternatives
  • A child’s condition would require changes in policies, practices, or procedures that would fundamentally alter the nature of the program and there are no reasonable alternatives. 2

1. Child Care Providers Guide To Caring For Children With Special Needs, Community Coordinated Child Care, Inc. (4-C) 

2. Serving Children With Special Needs in School-Age Care, Technical Assistance Paper Number 5, State of Indiana