A work in progress: inclusion for students with developmental disabilities from the perspectives of principals and teachers

Legislatively and practically, school districts around the world have transitioned to more inclusive service delivery for students with disabilities. Despite consistent and meaningful changes across the spectrum of disability, students with Developmental Disabilities (DD) remain segregated in self-contained classrooms at a high rate. Within a Canadian context numbers vary: some provinces are fully inclusive and others continue to segregate students with disabilities. In Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, the number of students with Developmental Disabilities (DD) in segregated settings remains consistently high (Bennett, S., D. Dworet, T. Gallagher, and M. Somma. 2019. Special Education in Ontario Schools. 8th ed. St. David's ON: Highland Press). Despite these concerning numbers, individual school districts are trying to shift practices to more fully inclusive service delivery. This paper examines one Ontario school district that transitioned to full inclusive education for students with disabilities. Utilising 10 principal and 21 teacher interviews, this paper examines the perceptions of these stakeholders as they reflect on their transition to inclusion and their experiences. Implications discuss the participants’ perceived successes and challenges, and recommendations provide insights to assist school districts in shifting embedded practices of segregation towards full inclusion for all students.