Bonnie, from Bright Futures replied:
She has higher functioning models to watch, but equally important, are the lessons her models are learning from her.

Christian's Mom, from Barkley replied:
Christian has been in a "special needs only" group. He was with children who were all severely compromised and I felt that Christian's mild speech delay was not being addressed - rather he was being grouped with a population that did not necessarily reflect society. Now that he is at Barkley, he can interact with Head Start children as well as children with diverse backgrounds. He has the benefit of learning at his own skill level with models of appropriate language and unique perspectives from children similar to himself.

Brianna's Mom, from White replied:
She is learning something. She is accomplishing goals, dreams, hopes, and fears that the IEP staff and myself have placed upon her. She is achieving success with this program. Brianna loves school and she can attend a regular class and still receive the special education/speech curriculum the she needs to achieve higher goals. And the teacher knows my child. I know there are new teachers coming into her classes, but so far I can see that she has at least one familiar face (teacher) that she knows and can relate to because she has worked with her. That right there makes my feel comfortable to know that not everyone is a stranger to her. This makes her feel comfortable as well.

Debbie, from Bright Futures replied:
Very well.

Devon, from White replied:
The inclusion part is one of the most important parts of this program to me. Before Devin started this program, he just kind of went with the flow. If his sister took a toy from him, he just got another one. If his sister hit him, he wouldn't respond. He never cared to join in on games with others, never "rough housed" with his brother, and most of the time, never joined in on conversations. It was like he didn't know how to become involved. He is a totally different little boy after being in this program. Now he hates being left out of anything. He tries very hard to keep up with his peers and wants to do everything they are doing. How refreshing it was the first day I went into his classroom and saw him raising his hand to answer a question. Now he comes running to the car after school and can't wait to tell or show us what he did that day. He talks about his friends constantly. He doesn't have any idea that he is different from the other children. And the other children love the responsibility of helping Devin. If he isn't sitting where he is suppose to be, they let him know about it. You can tell by the look on his face that he is just a normal little boy growing up and learning with his peers. And the satisfaction that I feel in my heart is unexplainable.

I always remember growing up and going to school. The special education students were always in a classroom by themselves and whether we had a program or assembly all together, they were always kept in their own little group. There was absolutely no interaction with other students. And to this day when I go home, you can still see these same people being together. And they haven't thrived the way that I know they could have with a little bit of extra help and support. And this is why it was so important for us to have Devin in the inclusion part of the program. I know everyone has the same opportunities in life, some of us just have to work harder. And I truly believe that some kids can and will be able to overcome being a special education student. My dream some day is to have Devin back into the classroom learning on the same level as his peers. Some people will tell you that once your child is in special education they will always be there. I have seen how well the inclusion part has worked for Devin and how he has matured in these past three years. I also believe that "if you lose your dreams you die". And I know as long as there are inclusion programs available, we will some day beat these special needs.

Jane, from St. Ben's Preschool replied:
Often when a child has a disability, he is sheltered. I probably would not have expected him to achieve something as quickly except that he wanted to do what the other children were doing- so he did it. Sometimes he did things at school for months that he did not do at home, because the expectation was not there.

Kevin and Tony, from St. Ben's Preschool replied:
By inclusion in a "normal" classroom, Katie is surrounded by role models. It provides a stimulus to do things that would be absent in a classroom of children like Katie. As Katie matures it is important that she learn to function in the "normal" world. She needs to learn to communicate, the appropriate way to act, and how to "play" with her peers. Isolating her would only create an artificial environment that would be impossible to re-create in any other setting.

Kim, from Barkley replied:
She benefits because of the social interaction, communication with and exposure to all types of children. It has really helped her develop her self-confidence. She is always excited about going to school. It is such a big part of her life.

Mary, from Bright Futures replied:
In every way! She doesn't feel left out or different and she models her behavior on other children she is dealing with.

Stephanie, from St. Benedict's Infant/Toddler Program replied:
I think he will learn to pick up on what others are saying.

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