Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

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Why it works

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities benefit from inclusion in the school community, but meaningful inclusion requires more than physical presence: appropriately high expectations, individualized and functional goals, supports and modifications, and genuine participation and belonging. Research shows inclusion, done well with the right supports, benefits these students and their peers. Teachers support by presuming competence, collaborating with special educators, providing supports and modifications, and planning for real participation, not just a seat in the room.

The research: Research on inclusion of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: plan meaningful inclusion

Teachers leave with supports and a plan for real participation for one student.

For a student with an intellectual or developmental disability (or profile), presume competence and set appropriately high expectations.
Plan supports and modifications for genuine participation.
Collaborate with special educators on individualized and functional goals.
Plan for belonging, not just presence.

Presume competence, include meaningfullyStudents with intellectual disabilities learn and belong with the right support. Presume competence, provide supports, and plan for real participation, not just presence.

Facilitator notes

Presume competence and set appropriate high expectations.
Provide supports and modifications, and collaborate on goals.
Plan for real participation and belonging.

Presence without participation is not inclusionA seat in the room with nothing meaningful to do is not inclusion. Presume competence, provide supports, and plan for genuine participation.

Adapt it

Elementary: supports, functional goals, participation, belonging.
Secondary: modifications, functional and transition goals, participation.
All settings: presume competence, supports, real participation.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities: include meaningfully

Participation, not just presence: presume competence, provide supports, collaborate on goals, plan for belonging.

The student or profile:
How I presume competence and set high expectations:
The supports and modifications for participation:
My collaboration with special educators on goals:
How I plan for belonging, not just presence:

Make it stick

Presume competence:

Presume competence.
Include meaningfully.
Bring a meaningful-inclusion win to the team.

Common questions

Can students with intellectual disabilities really be included in my class?

Yes, with the right supports, modifications, and collaboration. Inclusion done well benefits these students and their peers. The key is meaningful participation, not just presence.

What does meaningful inclusion look like?

Appropriately high expectations, individualized and functional goals, supports and modifications, and genuine participation and belonging, not sitting in the back doing something unrelated.

What should I assume about what a student can do?

Presume competence, assume the student can learn and participate, and provide the supports to make it possible, rather than underestimating. Collaborate with specialists on goals and supports.