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• Huskies at play, hearts at work
  

  When UW Athletics reached out to the Haring Center’s Experimental Education Unit (EEU), they weren’t just offering volunteers, they were planting the seeds of a powerful partnership. What began with student-athletes showing up to play has grown into a deeply meaningful collaboration built on shared joy, belonging and the belief that all children deserve to thrive. Through this partnership, UW student-athletes are helping to reimagine what community, connection, and inclusion can look like, one playful moment at a time. This isn’t a new initiative. As Lana Sumner, assistant principal at the Haring Center, shared, “Since I’ve been here, it’s been happening all quarters.” Student-athletes from a range of sports — football, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, and gymnastics — regularly visit EEU students during recess and playtime, bringing joy and curiosity to a learning environment that centers children with and without disabilities. “They just have somebody to play with,” Sumner explained. “It’s wonderful. Teachers can step back and observe how the kids interact with others and how that play is extended.” These simple playground moments are building bridges. “It just helps to build a greater community,” Sumner said. “We’re in our little bubble here in our school, but it gets us to know other people on campus.” Coaches and athletes often express how “cute” and “fun” the visits are, and for the kids, the excitement is palpable. “The little kids get excited when there’s that recognition that, oh, the athletes are here.” At the heart of this partnership is an inclusive philosophy: all children, regardless of ability, deserve opportunities to learn, play and grow. “I hope that [the student-athletes] understand inclusive education settings better,” Sumner said, “and see that all people of all abilities can learn and play and grow and have fun together.” That spirit of inclusive joy took center stage during Husky Heroes, a new community event launched by Philip Carpio, assistant director for diversity, equity, and inclusion in UW Athletics. Husky Heroes invites children and adults with disabilities to experience Husky athletics in a way designed just for them.Caprio was inspired by his own family. “I have a nephew who is autistic, he requires a lot of assistance. He’s nonverbal,” Carpio shared. “I wanted to create an event that allowed kids and adults to be able to experience like Husky athletics in a way that worked for them.” The result was a vibrant, accessible celebration. “It’s a carnival-style field day,” Caprio described. “We had the noise canceling headphones, sensory bags, giveaways, all the stations were adaptable.” The event was hosted free of charge, thanks to support from Symetra, and included snacks, games, and more than 60 student-athlete volunteers. “We wanted to make sure that we literally just had something for everybody.” But the event’s impact rippled far beyond the day itself.“Our student-athletes absolutely loved the event,” Carpio said. “It allowed them to create a little bit of a community amongst themselves, but the sole focus was the kids.” For Carpio it’s about reminding everyone — athletes, children, families — that “sport is truly for everybody.” And that “they still want to be them, and they can be them. It just may look a little bit different.” Parents were moved. “We definitely had several parents that were literally like in tears,” Carpio recalled. “They’ve never been provided the event at no cost, we were doing it for the community, for no other reason than we wanted to do it.” This commitment has deep roots. For Carpio, who is Hispanic and queer, the work of inclusion is personal. “If I want people to stand up and fight for my identities, I have to be willing to do the same. We can’t let hate win,” he said. “We have to show love and empathy for each other.” And thanks to this work, that love is showing up, in small hands reaching for hula hoops, in giant athletes crouching at eye level, in spontaneous games of tag, and in the shared laughter echoing off a playground surrounded by glass. As Carpio ssput it: “We have 570 student-athletes that are trying to navigate this world as young adults, and we have to be the example.” Thanks to this partnership, they already are.

• Student spotlight with Chi Baik
  

  Chi Baik is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Special Education at UW whose work focuses on early communication for children with cognitive disabilities and inclusive teaching practices. She coordinates community programs through the Haring Center in partnership with Open Doors for Multicultural Families. Read her Q&A below to learn more about her! Chi Baik Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re focusing on in your doctoral studies? What inspired you to pursue this path? My name is Chi Baik and I am entering my 4th year here at UW! I am a doctoral candidate studying Special Education and I’m working on my dissertation this year. I am originally from Seoul, South Korea but immigrated to the US when I was 4. I grew up in Silver Spring, MD which is right outside of Washington D.C.! Prior to moving to Seattle for school, I was a preschool special education teacher supporting young children with extensive support needs. Through my own professional experiences, I became passionate about providing high-quality early support for children with significant cognitive disabilities. In particular, my research focuses on improving communication outcomes for young children who do not yet have access to systematic forms of communication. I am also interested in the impact of teachers’ perceptions of disability on teaching and inclusionary practices. How did you get involved with the Haring Center, and what has your role been in the collaboration with Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF)? My advisor, Dr. Angel Fettig, is the director of research at the Haring Center! Through her, I’ve become more involved in research and partnership efforts with the community. Specifically, our lab has collaborated with ODMF (https://opendoorswa.org/), an organization that supports multicultural students and their families in navigating special education services. Our role in that support has mainly been to provide children and families with opportunities to attend early learning playgroups and parent education seminars! UW students plan and lead these sessions and it has been an awesome way to collaborate and connect with students and families in our community. My role is to coordinate these efforts with ODMF as well as assist in planning/leading sessions. What does a typical day look like for you coordinating the lab efforts with ODMF, and what kinds of work or support do you provide to families? My day-to-day work with ODMF can look very different! My main responsibility is to make sure everything is planned and ready so that things run smoothly. This generally just means a lot of email correspondence. In collaboration with UW, we run monthly playgroups and parent trainings. Our playgroups are planned and led by a group of our Master’s students who study either Special Education or Speech-Language Pathology. These playgroups have a different, culturally-relevant theme for families each month. For example, some of our themes this past year were: Indigenous Heritage Month, Eid and Ramadan, Cinco de Mayo, and Lunar New Year. The goal of these playgroups is to encourage and support parent-child interactions for children with disabilities. Students create lessons plans (which I’ll review and coordinate materials for) and implement them once a month in 3-hour sessions. For our parent trainings, our doctoral students in Dr. Fettig’s lab, who are all studying Special Education, plan and lead sessions. Session topics are decided in collaboration with ODMF and reflect families’ interests. Some of our topics last year were: Disability Resources/Advocacy, Child Development/Social Skills, Therapies and Related Services, and Challenging Behaviors. Students create about an hour-long presentation with relevant resources and then have time for a Q&A from families. These sessions are delivered online once a month and, in the evenings, to be flexible and meet families’ needs. Through your work with ODMF and the families they serve, what have been some of the most meaningful experiences or lessons you’ve taken away? As a child who grew up in a low-income, immigrant family whose parents were not proficient in English and did not know how to navigate school systems, I understand the impact of the work that ODMF does on a personal level. I am so happy to see that there are organizations like ODMF who are dedicated to supporting families like mine and even happier that I get to support them in their work. I would say that my most meaningful experiences have been in seeing the relationships between children, families, UW students, and ODMF staff grow throughout our partnerships together. We often see the same children and families attend our playgroups and parent trainings and it’s wonderful to get to know each other not just on a professional level, but on a more personal level as well. Outside of your research and work, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? In my free time, you can catch me at a lot of different concerts because I love live music! I also love enjoying the beautiful weather in Seattle and am usually lounging on the beaches in the summer. When I’m inside, I spend a lot of time doing puzzles, solving crosswords/sudoku, or building legos.

• Where kids thrive

  On any given morning, at the Haring Center’s Experimental Education Unit (EEU) at the University of Washington (UW), you might see what Lia Soneson describes: “a group of boisterous, happy kids with a huge range of needs and abilities and all the teachers working together seamlessly integrating learning, fun and exploration throughout.”  Indeed, you might see a speech therapist kneeling beside a child at the sensory table, a teacher adapting a lesson in real-time for three different learning styles, and a group of kindergarteners laughing together at story time. Some using words, others gestures, all equally engaged. This is where education stops being about fitting children into systems and starts being about building systems around children.  The Soneson Family. Left to right: Lia, Svea, Björn and Olin. For Lia and her daughter Svea, diagnosed with Potocki-Lupski Syndrome (PTLS), the path to the EEU was paved by years of collaborative care. “With new diagnoses every few months and major medical hurdles, we had to become experts on Svea when no doctors were. The therapists at Boyer Clinic, our incredible pediatrician, and specialists at Seattle Children’s helped us tackle each challenge one day at a time.”  When they toured the EEU, Lia felt the culmination of that support network expanding. “[My husband and I] both had tears in our eyes seeing how supportive and caring the environment was. Every single person we talked to and saw interacting with the kids was patient, kind and so supportive.” At the EEU, Svea found not just another program, but a community that deepened what her therapies had built.  A philosophy of flexibility  This commitment to meeting children where they are doesn’t just exist in theory at the EEU, it’s lived daily by educators like Pete Hoff (MEd, ’16, Early Childhood Special Education). A veteran kindergarten teacher, Pete embodies the program’s core belief: “We never have to say, ‘We can’t support this child.’” He shares a story about a student who delighted in flicking the classroom lights on and off, a moment that, to some, might seem like a mere distraction. But Pete and his team chose to look deeper. They saw a spark of curiosity, a child exploring their environment in a way that felt meaningful to them. Rather than redirecting the behavior, they embraced it with empathy and creativity, weaving it into the classroom routine by inviting the student to be in charge of the lights during transitions. This simple shift sent a powerful message: you belong here, just as you are. This is how every lesson unfolds at the EEU — with flexibility. In a single morning circle, one child may sing along, another points to pictures to communicate, while a third takes breaks when needed. Each child is engaging with the same concepts in the way that suits them best. Teachers move with quiet intention, seamlessly adapting materials, shifting activities and celebrating every form of participation. There’s no single “right” way to engage, only the deeply held belief that when we honor how children naturally learn, real growth follows.  The impact is tangible. Lia has watched Svea blossom. “She has grown so much this year, and is really comprehending so much more,” she says. She recalls a moment early in the school year: “One of the first few weeks of school, I popped into the observation room… Teacher Pete came over and put his hands low to the ground and said, ‘it’s time to wash your hands, Svea!’ Then he just waited with his hands down there for about 10 seconds… Seeing the kindness and patience of that moment made me immediately start crying.” Evidence in action The kind of inclusion families like Lia’s experience at the EEU didn’t happen by accident. It’s built on decades of research and innovation from the Haring Center. Since the 1970s, researchers there have been asking bold questions and developing some of the most trusted approaches in special education. From teaching children with Down syndrome to read when few believed it was possible, to creating Project DATA — an inclusive, school-based model for young children with autism — their work has consistently reshaped what education can look like. Tools like the Building Blocks framework have given teachers across the country practical ways to adapt classrooms so that every child can learn and participate fully.  At the EEU, that research comes to life in everyday moments, particularly in classrooms where flexibility is the norm and every child is seen as capable. As Principal Chris Matsumoto explains, “Creating a community where everyone is valued and there is a true sense of belonging requires a commitment to inclusion and equity from staff, families and children. It is the commitment, passion and hope of the community that makes inclusion possible at the EEU and beyond.” EEU student Svea playing. Indeed, that sense of belonging is something Lia sees in her daughter every day. Svea lights up when the bus arrives in the morning, and comes home eager to share her world. “When we got the school photo, she spent so long looking at everyone, pointing them all out, trying to say their names. I think she loves observing her peers, and she learns from each of them,” Lia says. These connections don’t just happen; they’re made possible by a classroom designed to welcome and celebrate each child. As Teacher Pete puts it, “Everyone, no matter how they participate, is a valued part of our classroom community.” Redefining what’s possible As Svea prepares to transition to a new school, Lia reflects on how meaningful this year has been for their family. “We wish the EEU went through grade five, but are thankful to have had one year,” she says. “The sense of security, support, inclusion and care Svea feels at the EEU is a great foundation that we hope she carries with her into elementary school and beyond.” Pete sees this transition as part of their mission: “As a training site for future teachers, the EEU’s role is to model …