Promoting the Instructional Inclusion of Young Children With Disabilities in the Primary Grades

We describe a process of curriculum adaptation that was used by teachers in an inclusive elementary school. It was used to enhance the degree to which young children with mild to profound disabilities were instructionally integrated in primary grade classrooms. The underlying assumptions of the process are described, as are the components of the process. We use case study examples of 3 students with mild to profound disabilities to demonstrate how the process can be applied in content area subjects to optimize the instructional inclusion of students, while not sacrificing the individualized nature of instruction. Implications for teaming and school practices are presented.