The Benefits of Inclusive Community Preschool
Amber Grossman’s Story, written by Molly Brown
40 years of research demonstrate the benefits of inclusive education for ALL students. When classrooms are inclusive, children with disabilities maintain better attendance, develop stronger skills in reading and math, have less behavioral challenges, and are more likely to participate in school groups and have jobs or pursue further education after high school. Children without disabilities show greater academic outcomes, are more tolerant of differences, have increased self-esteem and develop more diverse, caring friendships (Hehir & Grindal, 2016).
This message resonates with a lot of parents, including Amber, a parent from Grants Pass whose young son experiences autism. In this blog post, Amber activates her advocacy by sharing about the importance of inclusive, community-based preschool.
Amber (she/her) has always had big dreams for her son. She wants him to feel welcomed by his community, to feel safe and cared for in his classroom, and to be included with his peers. As her son was transitioning out of early intervention services in 2020, Amber was excited to hear that he would attend an “inclusive” preschool program through her county’s ECSE program. However, as the pandemic began derailing program plans, the county informed Amber that not only was her son’s program going to be segregated, it would also be fully online. Amber asked if they could help her find a community-based preschool in the area but was told this was not possible.
Frustrated by the thought of her son being placed in a fully online, segregated program while other children his age were attending preschool in-person, Amber felt a spark ignite which activated her to find an inclusive option on her own. She began researching community preschools where her son could attend with his peers and still be supported. She discovered several preschools within her community that were interested in serving her son. After determining that the first was not a good fit, Amber and her son landed at one which has met their family’s needs.“His teacher took her personal time to research my son’s diagnosis; looking at what would most benefit him, making resources for him, and including him fully into the classroom. She would praise him for what he did and encourage him when he found things difficult. Being in a community classroom with kids his age has significantly helped his vocabulary.”
Amber recognizes her privilege in being able to afford private preschool fees and in having the resources to navigate finding a program on her own. The injustice of this made Amber step back and think about the many other families who don’t have access to community preschool. Maybe they also were told there were no other options. Maybe they didn’t know that they could get financial assistance to attend a community-based program. Maybe transportation is an issue for these families. This lit a fire in Amber. “I want to advocate for those who don’t have the time, who don’t have the financial resources, and for those who don’t have any knowledge about the process”. She wants to do the hard work of supporting more inclusive community preschools in her area and beyond. She has seen, first hand, the benefits of inclusive learning for her son.
When we asked Amber what she dreams of for her son this is what she had to say. “I hope he always knows that he is completely special. He may need accommodations but he is smart, he is brave, and he deserves anything that everyone else deserves. He is no different than any other child”. The collaborative and inclusive environment that her son has found so early on in preschool is setting up the trajectory for his life. To be included, celebrated, listened to, and supported, just as every other student is.