Think Inclusive

We say “inclusion” all the time. Michael McSheehan, owner and lead consultant of Evolve & Effect, says it’s time to say what we mean. He and four co-authors set out to write guidance about paraprofessionals and ended up writing the Five Features of Student Experience in a Continuum of Supports for Inclusive Education.
The five features are location, accessibility, participation, affirmation, and agency. Each one is measured by what the student experiences compared to classmates without disabilities, not by what the classroom has. Michael explains why a student doing the same content with a para off to the side is not participating, why affirmation starts with “Is my name on the roster?”, and why special education and general education run on theories of learning that mix like oil and vinegar.
After the interview, Michael plays Awake Among the Stars, our micro role-playing game adapted from Alone Among the Stars by Takuma Okada, and names a planet after his childhood dog.
Expanded show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/say-what-you-mean-michael-mcsheehan-on-the-five-features-of-inclusion-1404/
Sponsors
IXL, an all-in-one K-12 platform that adapts to each student and builds a personalized learning plan: https://ixl.com/inclusive
Behavior 360 from Inclusive Schooling, professional learning that treats behavior as something to understand rather than manage: https://inclusiveschooling.com/mcie-behavior

Magen Rooney-Kron started out co-teaching in Chicago Public Schools. When she asked where her students with intellectual disabilities went after high school, the answers were “I don’t know” and “they go home.” The class meant to prepare them for work had them putting spoons in bags. She has worked on transition ever since, and today she is an assistant professor of inclusive education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Tim and Magen talk about why so few people with intellectual disabilities have real jobs, why paid work in the community beats job shadowing and task boxes that reset every day, and why a student who “doesn’t want to work” might just not want to bag groceries. Magen explains dignity of risk: letting students try, make mistakes, and face real consequences, with the right supports in place.
Her most striking finding: teachers said the work site was the first place their students were included and held to high expectations. Not the classroom. The job. The episode closes with Awake Among the Stars, where Magen’s Captain Dash explores a jungle world and names it Tedasaurus.
Expanded show notes and full transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/real-jobs-real-risk-magen-rooney-kron-on-transition-and-employment-1403/
Sponsors
IXL, an all-in-one K-12 platform that adapts to each student and builds a personalized learning plan: https://ixl.com/inclusive
Behavior 360 from Inclusive Schooling, professional learning that treats behavior as something to understand rather than manage: https://inclusiveschooling.com/mcie-behavior

Andrew Goff threw a mug that said “Best teacher ever” at a wall. It was his twelfth year in the classroom, and the email that set it off came from someone he had counted as an ally. His second memoir, Shattered and Becoming: A Teacher’s Journey Between Policy and Purpose, is about the year that followed.
A new principal told Andrew he could not speak Spanish with the three-quarters of his pre-K class who spoke it. The policy did not actually say that, and Andrew found out too late to use it. Two boys in that classroom, both labeled with autism, both named David, were thriving with embedded supports. When Andrew brought the data, the answer was that it worked in his classroom but would not work in anyone else’s. Both boys ended up in self-contained autism classrooms.
Andrew will not let us make villains out of the people whose decisions caused that harm, and he explains why without letting anyone off the hook. We also get into designing curriculum for the margins, the not knowing mindset, and following the breadcrumbs after a fifteen-year federal grant is canceled by email. Then Andrew becomes the first guest to play Awake Among the Stars.
Expanded show notes, resources, and the full transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/shattered-and-becoming-andrew-goff-and-the-weight-of-being-enough-1402/
Sponsors
IXL, an all-in-one K-12 platform that adapts to each student: ixl.com/inclusive
Behavior 360 from Inclusive Schooling, professional learning that treats behavior as something to understand rather than manage: inclusiveschooling.com/mcie-behavior

Emma Rufo went to a restaurant in her wheelchair and was handed a kid’s cup with a lid. Everyone else at the table got a regular one. She came back another day walking with crutches, and got a cup with no lid.
Emma and her mom, Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo, join Tim to talk about what happens when adults decide instead of asking. Emma describes the year her school assigned her an aide, why it felt like being watched rather than helped, and how she got the support removed. Jenna talks about advocating as a parent after almost two decades as a special educator and administrator, and about being dismissed as just another anxious mom.
Plus, the debut of Awake Among the Stars, the micro role-playing game that now closes every episode.
Expanded show notes, resources, and the full transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/just-ask-what-inclusive-support-really-feels-like-with-jenna-and-emma-rufo-1401/
Sponsors
IXL, an all-in-one K-12 platform that adapts to each student and builds a personalized learning plan: ixl.com/inclusive
Behavior 360 from Inclusive Schooling, professional learning that treats behavior as something to understand rather than manage: inclusiveschooling.com/mcie-behavior

Meg Grigal is the director of Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston. With over 25 years of experience researching pathways to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities, she has been a pivotal force in transforming inclusive postsecondary education and leading the charge for innovative research and action.
Clare Papay serves as the Senior Associate for Inclusive Postsecondary Education at Think College and a co-principal investigator on national projects. Her expertise stems from nearly a decade of experience working closely with systems and programs designed to expand access to college for students with intellectual disabilities.
In this enlightening episode of Think Inclusive, host Tim Villegas is joined by Dr. Meg Grigal and Clare Papay from Think College. Together, they tackle the crucial question: Can students with intellectual disabilities attend college? The conversation sheds light on the surprising possibilities and initiatives in inclusive postsecondary education, centered around the successful incorporation of students with intellectual disabilities into higher education institutions.
Meg Grigal and Clare Papay discuss how families often don’t realize that college boundaries have expanded to accommodate students with intellectual disabilities. They delve into how programs like Think College are leading this transformative movement, turning skepticism into affirmation through real-world examples and dedicated campaigns like the Think Higher video. Emphasizing the importance of personal visits to witness campus life, the guests underscore how seeing these programs in action can dramatically shift perceptions and expectations for what students with intellectual disabilities can achieve in a college setting.
Complete show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/unlocking-college-access-for-students-with-intellectual-disabilities-with-think-college-1343/
This episode was made possible with generous support from Think College. Learn more at thinkcollege.net.