Inclusive education for everyone

Our daughter sees her brother who cannot speak as completely normal. On inclusive education, outreach support, and why contact between all children enriches everyone.

Our eldest daughter recently told us that someone in her class had asked whether she minds having a brother like Hárris. “Why would I?” she replied. “He is just a brother, like all brothers — he just cannot speak.”

It made me think. It was an innocent, well-meant question, but it says a lot about our education system — about an image of “normal” that we created ourselves and keep strictly separate from everything that deviates from it. We let our “typical” children have little contact with children who develop differently. That is a shame for everyone involved.

Our daughter does not know Hárris any other way; to her he is completely normal. Not strange or difficult, but exactly right as he is. It should be more normal for all of us that people are allowed to be different.

But then I come to a difficult subject: inclusive education. You can shout whatever you like about it, but the fact is that it is very complicated. I could pretend otherwise, but Hárris really needs specialist support right now. Where do you find that — and how does it fit within a regular group?

As you may know, we have managed to keep him in regular daycare for now, with outreach support. Wonderful! Still quite an undertaking: someone comes to daycare every morning especially for him. For the teacher it is an adjustment. I see a lot of willingness at our school to help and think along. The local authority turned out to be wonderfully flexible too. I feel privileged in that — it will not be like that everywhere.

But is there really no other initiative for this? Are there not more parents who want their “different” child to start in a place that assumes competence — among children who, simply by being themselves, contribute positively to each other’s development? Where the focus is on opportunities rather than limitations?

Where do you find a place where children can access regular daycare or school, alongside groups for children who develop differently? Children with developmental delays where it is not yet clear whether — or which — diagnosis will be given. Children with speech-language difficulties. Children for whom it is not yet known how much specialist care and education they will need later. Children who can function well in regular education with or despite their limitations. Where people genuinely look for each child’s future perspective?

That would have been wonderful not only for Hárris; it is also valuable for “typical” children to meet “other” children in this way. It enriches everyone to learn about different forms of development — to experience that “normal” is not a given.

Then perhaps they will not need to ask in the future what it is like to have or be a child like Hárris. Then they will know it does not mean there is no quality of life or no opportunities. Then they will have seen with their own eyes that different does not mean less or only difficult. Then you give them a life lesson that cannot be put into words, only learned by seeing and experiencing it. That is inclusive education for everyone!