On this episode of the Catholic Education Playbook Show, Dr. Michael Boyle, director of content and partnership development for Inclusion Solutions, joins Shawn Peterson and Kimberly Begg to talk about the Catholic approach to inclusive education.
An important topic of conversation throughout the episode is how inclusive education lifts up the entire school community. It celebrates human dignity and uniqueness as created in God's image. Welcoming students with disabilities prepares all students for real-world interactions and challenges preconceived fears.
At the beginning of the episode, Dr. Boyle provides an overview of the history of inclusive education. While the U.S. bishops called for Catholic schools to welcome students with disabilities in 1978, implementation has been slow. Public schools adopted more inclusive models in the late 80s/early 90s due to legal changes, but Catholic schools were late to follow. Financial factors and a lack of understanding of students' faith development needs contributed to this delay.
He outlines the continuum of disabilities from high-incidence issues like learning disabilities and ADHD to lower-incidence needs like autism and intellectual disabilities. Catholic schools are generally more comfortable with high-incidence disabilities. Personal experience with students with disabilities leads to more positive attitudes in educators.
He proposes that specific classroom strategies and professional development for teachers are needed to balance faith and evidence-based approaches. Parent advocacy groups help address financial and capacity barriers. Schools with very successful inclusion programs include John Paul the Great High School in Virginia and St. Nicholas of Tolentine School in Chicago.
In conclusion, Dr. Boyle reiterates the commitment and practical steps needed to welcome all of God's children into Catholic schools. He, Shawn, and Kimberly advocate for sharing more stories of joy in inclusive Catholic communities.