“…No Parent Expects…”
By Cindy Frostad, Parent and Educator

The very word Inclusion infers Exclusion.
Parents do not send their children to school expecting them to be Excluded.

No parent expects their child to be excluded from activities, from being involved in social experiences, from learning wonderful and new things.

No parent expects their child to be separated from their peers, placed at the back of the classroom or located elsewhere for hours, or days or months.
Or years.

No parent expects to be asked, 'Will you be bringing your child to school tomorrow? It is only a half-day.'

No parent expects their child to experience loneliness at school, to see on their face the signs of frustration and disengagement, of social isolation and depression.

No parent expects their child to be taught by anyone other than an educator who has acquired appropriate teacher education tools and training in support strategies, who embraces diversity in learning and has developed the capacity to find ways to build on students’ existing natural strengths and sense of self-worth.

No parent expects anyone to know as much as they do about their child, for they are the keepers of the most knowledge about their child. It makes sense to engage this resource.

No parent enrolls their child in school, in life, without hoping for and expecting the best of them.

No parent ever expects to have a child who is considered to be different.

Parents will always be sending their children to school...

...expecting them to be included.