October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Then-kindergarten Drew outside of his elementary school.
By: Valerie C. Williams, OSEP Director
Last month, I was looking for a great back-to-school message and came across a sign posted outside an elementary school in California. The sign painted in different colors on wooden boards read:
WELCOME
ALL ABILITIES
ALL RELIGIONS
ALL ORIENTATIONS
ALL CULTURES
All COLORS
LOVE lives here
The sign was shared four years ago by the mom of a then-kindergarten student named Drew.
Drew Bausman sitting in a UPS truck on UPS Day, June 2022.
I recently checked in with Drew’s mom, Becky, to see how school is going, and she shared that her son has had amazing inclusive experiences in two different schools in two different districts. In fact, Drew made national headlines a few years ago when he became a UPS driver for a day.
I love the quote embedded in the news story, “Joy is my platform as it relates to Down Syndrome because to be honest, having a kid with Down Syndrome has been the greatest source of joy in my life.”
I asked Drew’s mom, Becky, some follow-up questions by email, and I want to share an excerpt from our email exchange.
Valerie: Tell us a little about Drew. What does Drew like about school?
Becky: Drew is a social, athletic, loving kid who lives to make friends and spend time with them. At school he easily slips into the “big man on campus” role — he knows everyone’s name and they know his, and he’s delighted to see them all.
He loves school because that’s where the people are. There’s a daily kickball game, and he gets to read and learn cool things.
Valerie: How is Drew’s start of the school year going?
Becky: He’s had a strong start. Drew is in the general education classroom 87% of the time, supported by a 1:1 aide who (delightfully) carried over with him from last year and who knows him and his motivations well.
Seven weeks in he is eagerly diving into his homework — focused mostly on math and reading books, which is one of his favorite things to do. He appreciates the structure and engaging delivery of his teacher, who’s a great match.
The school team tells us he’s demonstrating a whole new level of independence and verbal communication this year. We suspect he’s going to crush his individualized education program (IEP) goals at this rate.
Drew Bausman, Age 9
Valerie: I see that Drew’s school has an inclusion policy statement, which reiterates their commitment to “…fostering inclusivity and valuing diversity…for ensuring our students meet their potential…To that end we embrace inclusion school-wide as an ongoing and ever-changing approach that aims to increase access and engagement for all students by identifying and removing barriers to learning.” Would you please describe how parents are made aware of the policy and how it impacts Drew’s education.
Becky: If I could wave a magic wand, I would have every public school in our nation adopt this inclusion policy. Consider these three powerful sentences from it:
- We provide services to students with IEPs through the pedagogical lens of Inclusive Practices.
- Students with special needs receive the majority of their services within the general education classroom, with special education and general education teachers sharing the responsibility of providing variability and support.
- Students with disabilities have a strong presence, access, and voice in the general education classroom.
The policy is published on the school’s website and shared directly by the administration with any parents who inquire about it. It has had a profound impact on Drew’s education.
First, he’s challenged, daily. The inclusion approach begins by presuming competence, and then meets him where he is. He is exposed to the full curriculum and afforded the opportunity to learn at his highest potential, every minute of the day, with the support of his aide and the teaching team.
Second, he’s able to learn side by side with his friends — and just as important, they’re able to learn side by side with him. That means he and his whole class are not only learning things like multiplication and science together, but also empathy, curiosity, comfort with differences, and a variety of styles of communication. In the world in which our kids are growing up, these skills will be crucial for all of them.
Valerie: Have you started thinking about middle school and beyond for Drew? What would you like his upper grade education to look like?
Becky: We have a vision statement for Drew. It serves as our North Star for every decision we make as his parents. We open every IEP meeting by sharing it with the team, to align and guide us in our discussions.
It’s this:
We envision Drew living a life of choice. He’ll spend his days engaged in work and activities that make him feel productive and fulfilled. He will have the problem-solving skills, life skills, and academic skills to achieve his own definition of success.
It was great to meet Becky virtually and learn more about Drew’s education. In the coming months, I’d love to profile additional families, schools, districts, and changes in state systemic practices. Please reach out to my staff members, Daniel Schreier or Juli Taylor if you would like to share your good news.
Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum or pedagogy.