Each year, the TASH Conference strengthens the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders within the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for an inclusive world. This year’s conference theme, “Gateway to Equity,” explores inclusive communities, schools, and workplaces that support people with disabilities, including those with complex support needs, in living a fair, just, and balanced life. Return to TASH website.
Despite the continued emphasis on students with complex support needs accessing grade-level standards-based curriculum (GLSB), access to the general education curriculum remains quite low for this population of students. One reason for this lack of access may be the failure of teacher training programs to prepare general and special educators to plan and implement GLSB instruction. There are a number of tools currently available to support teachers in planning grade-level standards-based instruction for students with complex support needs. These tools are based on solid theory and previous research on teaching students with complex support needs. However, the efficacy of these tools in achieving the intended outcome of preparing teachers to make general education curriculum accessible to all students has rarely been explored. Therefore, this study, examines pre-service and in-service teachers' perspectives on two planning tools commonly used for developing instruction for students with complex support needs. Results suggest that although teachers perceive each tool as useful, there were differences in teachers' perceptions of how each tool supported making GLSB curriculum accessible. Objectives: 1. Participants will gain understanding about the implementation of special education legislation in Finland 2. Participants will learn about the culture of trust toward teachers, principals and schools 3. Participants will gain understanding about the school climate that is necessary for students to feel a sense of belonging 4. Participants will learn about the policy implementation necessary for all students to feel that they belong (what the US could possibly learn from Finland and vice versa)