Oregon's Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative (OECIC) is a statewide effort bringing together lead agencies in the early childhood system to enhance and expand inclusive opportunities for Oregon's young children with and without disabilities. Coordination of the Collaborative is provided by The Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon University, through a sub-grant awarded by the Oregon Department of Education.
The TRAC Training is a professional development curriculum designed to enhance the skills of early childhood care and education providers. The curriculum, developed, evaluated and refined over the past 15 years, has proven quality and utility. The Teaching Research Institute offers Trainer Training and follow-up support to professionals implementing the curriculum. TRAC Trainer Training is supported by the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Oregon Value Statement: Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. Natural settings are those in which the child would spend time had he or she not had a disability. These settings include, but are not limited to: Home, preschools, nursery schools, Head Start programs, kindergartens, neighborhood school classrooms, childcare, places of worship, recreational (such as community playgrounds and community events) and other settings that all children and families enjoy.
Adopted from the DEC Position Statement on Inclusion by the Oregon's Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative Steering Committee on March 28, 2008.
1. It is the LAW. Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) & IDEA (2004)
2. Research shows that children with and without disabilities benefit from being in an inclusive setting.
3. Including children in natural settings in their communities is the right thing to do.
An inclusive setting has children with and without disabilities learning together in a quality preschool environment. The setting incorporates developmentally appropriate practices along with support for general education staff to enable them to meet the needs and educational goals of children receiving services.
Coming soon...stories from and about children in inclusive settings.
Send us your story. If you or a family member with autism has attended an inclusive preschool, send your story to: Tom Udell