Inclusive Education, Inclusive Lives

A Foundation for Change

About Wyatt Frost

This is Wyatt. Wyatt and his volunteer driver, Earl, were killed in a tragic accident on I-95 on November 18, 2016 (read the news story here). They were hit from behind by a large box truck. Wyatt was 5 years old. Earl was 58.

Wyatt was a sweet little boy who had autism. Although autism didn’t define him, it molded him into the lovable boy he was. He was a boy filled with joy and yes, a little mischievous, but you couldn’t be mad at him. When caught getting into the cookies, he would look at you and say “so silly”. When someone frowned at him, he put his finger on their cheek and moved their mouth up saying” happy”. Autism kept Wyatt from using many words to express himself, so he found other ways to communicate.  He loved his family, snuggling with mommy, playing horsey with daddy and playing with his baby sister, Scarlett. Joy emanated from him as he giggled throughout his day.

Wyatt attended The Morrison Center (learn more here), a developmental day program for children with special needs. We call this an exceptional children’s program. His teachers and assistants were trained to work with children with special needs. He received the speech and language therapy in order to learn how to communicate as well as occupational therapy that taught him how to do everyday things such as handling a fork, or putting on his clothes.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS

Wyatt’s family wondered who would be his friends when he attended public school. It was to that end that Wyatt’s family researched and learned about inclusive education. We learned that children who attended schools with inclusive classrooms had more friends and the children as well as the families reported great social development. In addition to these social benefits, the children in the inclusive classrooms, both typically developing and children with special needs, had higher academic test scores. The inclusive classes performed better than the classes that were separated into “their own kind”.

As part of the Foundations goal to support Inclusive Education, we offer pre-school scholarships for typically developing children to attend Morrison Center with special needs children.

Research supports the benefits of inclusion for young children with and without disabilities.

• Children with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities and the highest needs, can make significant developmental and learning progress in inclusive settings.

• Some studies have shown that children with disabilities in inclusive settings experienced greater cognitive and communication development than children with disabilities who were in separate settings, with this being particularly apparent among children with more significant 3 disabilities.

• Further, children with disabilities tend to have similar levels of engagement as their typically developing peers, and are more likely to practice newly acquired skills in inclusive settings as compared to separate settings.

• Studies have shown that children with disabilities who spend more time in general education classes tend to be absent fewer days from school and have higher test scores in reading and math than those who spend less time in general education classes, 18, 19 and spending more time in general education classes was related to a higher probability of employment and higher earnings.

• In addition to making learning and achievement gains, children with disabilities in inclusive early childhood programs also demonstrate stronger social-emotional skills than their peers in separate settings.  These social benefits are robust and can continue into elementary school and beyond.

• Studies have found that children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms demonstrated more social interactions with peers with and without disabilities, had larger networks of friends, and were more socially competent compared to children in separate settings.

• While studies indicate that inclusive services produce benefits for children with disabilities, these desired outcomes are achieved only when young children with disabilities are included several days per week in social and learning opportunities with typically developing peers,  and specialized instructional strategies are used to meet children’s individual needs.

• Children without disabilities can also benefit from inclusive early childhood programs. Studies indicate that typically developing children can show positive developmental, social, and attitudinal outcomes from inclusive experiences

• They are capable of demonstrating greater compassion and empathy and can have a more positive perception of children with disabilities when peer interactions are adequately supported by classroom teachers.

• They can also develop a better understanding of diversity and disability as concepts.

• Children without disabilities in high-quality inclusive early childhood settings also benefit from developmental specialists who can identify and address delays in development that might otherwise not be identified.

If you are interested in applying for a pre-school scholarship, please contact us at wfmf@twc.com.

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