by Ellen Barnes, Director

In the 1980’s when Jowonio began to include a wide range of children in classrooms together, there were no road maps; nowhere in the literature or in practice had professionals documented this model. Our administrators, teachers, and parents each day welcomed into this community all children, including those with autism and physical challenges, and worked to develop creative and effective teaching practices. The adults and students learned, contrary to the commonly held beliefs about the learning potential of those with significant needs and the commonly held beliefs about the capacity for empathy on the part of typical peers. As children graduated from Jowonio, their parents advocated with their home schools to continue inclusive programming; as a result, in central New York, many school districts have developed innovative “least restrictive” models. These early students and many who have followed them have a different life because of the vision of so many teachers and parents; they have become a full part of a more just and accepting community.

At Jowonio, the vision that has inspired us and informed our practice includes the following:

 All children belong and are welcomed into the educational community.

 Children from all backgrounds with many learning styles, needs and gifts can learn together in a welcoming environment with individualized accommodations; all children have a right to be exposed to age-appropriate curriculum and social opportunities.

 The “least dangerous assumption” is that all students can be competent with the right supports.

 Circles of friendship in classrooms help students understand and value themselves as well as others who may be different in appearance, families and cultures, communication and learning styles. Students exposed to a wide range of peers when they are young get to know others as individuals; they become comfortable and confident in their interactions, and are not confined by the many stereotypes in our society.

 When teachers adapt and individualize instruction, all students benefit.

 We understand children’s behavior as communication, and we engage in clinical thinking to adjust our environments and curriculum approaches to meet the needs of each student rather than requiring a child to be “ready” for a standard teaching approach.

 Inclusive programming requires appropriate staffing and a team approach in which we all-- administrators, teachers, support staff, and parents—solve problems together. Time is committed for planning and staff development opportunities. Together we are better.

 A partnership with parents is critical in appropriately supporting individual students and creating an effective school.

 Use of community resources, including local colleges and universities, can enhance the quality of what we do. Many of our most gifted teachers and therapists have come to us through pre-service experiences.

 Vital to all we have learned and accomplished is the presence of district and school leadership, those administrators who provide a vision of respect and inclusion, support their staff, think creatively and are willing to stretch the system, and keep children and families at the center of it all.

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