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Conference Encourages Inclusion Education

On August 3–4, educators from 30 Christian schools met for "Beyond Special Education" conference.

Joel Westa leading the opening session at the Beyond Special Education conference

On August 3 and 4, educators from 30 Christian schools across North America met in Palos Heights, Illinois, for “Beyond Special Education: Inclusion in the Christian School.” The conference, sponsored by CLC Network and Christian Schools International, drew nearly 100 educators to the campus of Trinity Christian College for information on, and encouragement for, inclusion of students of all levels of ability.

Scot Danforth, author of Becoming a Great Inclusive Educator and professor of disability studies and inclusive education at Chapman University in Orange, California, provided the keynote address. His talk, titled “What does disability mean, anyway?” explored useful and hopeful ways of thinking about disability and inclusion.

Beyond Speical Education groups at tablesThe conference also featured addresses on the Christian school’s call to inclusive education as well as sessions addressing the support of students who demonstrate differing needs such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and trauma. The conference also allowed time for participants to converse and connect with each other, building networks for the further exploration and expansion of inclusion education in their schools.

See more photos from the event on our Facebook page.

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