About The Guest(s): Lori Miranda is an advocate for inclusive education and the Director of Pre-K Exceptional Student Education (ESE) in Palm Beach County, Florida. She has been instrumental in implementing inclusive practices for young children with disabilities in the county's school district, Head Start programs, and community centers. Summary: Lori Miranda discusses the importance of inclusive placements for students with disabilities in Palm Beach County. She explains that the traditional model of removing students from their natural environments and sending them to separate special education programs was disruptive and limited their opportunities for socialization and learning. To address this issue, Palm Beach County implemented a collaborative approach, partnering with community centers and Head Start programs to provide inclusive education for young learners with disabilities. Miranda highlights the challenges they faced in implementing this model, including concerns about behavior management, funding, and teacher buy-in. However, through extensive training, relationship-building, and a commitment to putting children and families first, they were able to overcome these barriers and create a successful inclusive program. She also discusses the positive impact of inclusive placements on students' transitions to kindergarten. By providing support and services in their natural environments, students are better prepared for the general education setting and have a higher likelihood of continuing in inclusive classrooms. Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/2jWLSDDkk-cKV2lPhwr9WbfF1qQ Key Takeaways: Inclusive placements allow students with disabilities to remain in their natural environments and receive support and services in community centers and Head Start programs.Building relationships and trust with community partners and teachers is crucial for the success of inclusive programs.Palm Beach County's inclusive model has resulted in 100% of students transitioning to general education kindergarten. Resources: Partners in Education Video (Palm Beach County School District): https://youtu.be/VEpX6EqCV50 Palm Beach County School District: https://www.palmbeachschools.org/domain/456 MCIE: Website: https://www.mcie.org/ Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-List Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusive YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.