Is Pete Buttigieg's education policy the one inclusion advocates have been waiting for?

Advocates of disability rights are savoring the significance. For the first time in an election cycle, nearly every major U.S. presidential candidate has put forth policy plans that focus on the largest minority group in the United States: people with disabilities. One in 4 adults has a disability. When Pete Buttigieg released his 19-page plan in the fall of 2019, …

15 Ways to Support Autistic College Students

When I got an invitation to see my friend Jordan graduate with a BS in Computer Science from Kennesaw State University, I was ecstatic. Jordan and I first got to know each other because we shared a common interest: advocating for inclusive education. Jordan, who is autistic, was included with his typically developing peers throughout his K-12 school career. …

5 Strategies for Special Education Teachers to Support Students with Challenging Behavior

A question that routinely comes up when I discuss challenging behavior with educators is whether the needs of one disruptive student outweigh the needs of the rest of the students in the classroom. Friends, this is simply the wrong question to be asking. And it's not just a matter of people not asking in the right way. …

4 Ways Educators Can Advocate for Inclusion

Even if all special educators believed in and advocated for full inclusive education, it would be doomed to fail. The reason is math: There are more general education teachers than special education teachers. Dr. Erin Studer, the principal of CHIME Institue in California, shared this analogy with me once. When the special education department leads the charge for inclusion, it's like …

Now, Not Yet by half•alive is my favorite album of 2019. Here are 9 more.

A few years ago, I went through a significant deconstruction of my faith in God. I questioned everything, including the existence of God, that there was even a person named Jesus, and chalked up my spiritual experiences to psychological manipulation. Reader: Where is this going Tim? Me: Hang in there, I promise I'll get to …

Why General Education Teachers Are Essential for Special Education

The team of educators—of which I was one—and family members piled papers, pens, and highlighters into backpacks and purses. We had just completed an annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, a yearly review of special education services and hallmark of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guarantees a "free and appropriate public education," otherwise known as FAPE. …

5 Ways Teacher Training Fails Special Education Teachers

Phone. Wallet. Keys. The routine of checking these items to confirm their existence on my person hasn't wavered in years. When I was in college, I was notorious for losing things. I even lost my car once. One night I went over to the main campus that was across the street from my apartment complex …