13. Inclusive Education and Phases of the Haring Center

Studies of inclusive practices and programs are the next chapter in the Haring Center’s story.

The 50-year history of the Experimental Education Unit (EEU) at the Haring Center has been marked by two phases: expanding public education service to all children during the 1960s and 1970s and strengthening best practices during the 1980s through the early 2000s. While we continue to innovate in the field of early education and advocate for increasing access to high quality programs, we recognize 2016 as the beginning of the movement for inclusion.

At the Haring Center our staff recognize that every child has skills they are good at and skills they are working on, and that while children may be different from one another, they also have similarities that unite and draw them together. EEU teachers and leaders believe that children with special needs do not need to be educated separately from their peers in order to learn successfully, and that, in fact, all children learn best when they are included in a diverse, supportive classroom community. To promote optimal learning for all children, we ensure that the classroom environment and curriculum are well-designed and meaningful, then use individualized strategies to meet the needs and capitalize on the strengths of children with special needs.

Through meaningful participation in inclusive classrooms, all children have the opportunity to meet and build friendships with people who have different backgrounds, interests, and abilities. Inclusive classrooms and communities recognize and celebrate differences, which normalizes difference for children at an early age and lead to increased empathy and acceptance. Through knowing that everyone belongs and contributes to their community, our students become advocates for the inclusion of everyone as they grow up.

Haring Center researchers and educators are in initial stages of this phase, identifying and exploring the essential practices that will allow us to support the implementation of inclusive classrooms and communities more broadly beyond the walls of the Haring Center. Just like the work of previous phases of the Haring Center, this will be no small endeavor.

The ultimate goal for this phase of the Haring Center is to help create a world where every child will be able to go to their neighborhood school and receive a high quality education, regardless of their abilities. And, as that child continues through life, he or she will have the opportunity to enjoy meaningful participation in their own community.