Written by: Rachel Brauner, Extension Program Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month occurs each March and provides us an opportunity to reflect on empathy, understanding, and advocacy. The theme for 2024 is A World of Opportunities, helping raise the collective consciousness about the experiences of individuals...

Children with disabilities may have a difficult time when they start to recognize the ways in which they are different from their peers. These differences may become more noticeable to a child when they enter a new setting, such as entering preschool, moving to the general education classroom, or entering middle school. Additionally, it is even more difficult when the child does not see or hear themselves reflected in that setting’s materials or environment. Teachers at all grade levels can support inclusion by using several strategies related to representation suggested by Yu and colleagues (2016).

All students, including those who are young or have disabilities, can engage in leadership activities, beginning in early childhood. Qualities such as determination, passion, and accountability may not come easily to all children. Therefore, it is necessary for teachers to intentionally plan for leadership opportunities, label students’ leadership strengths, and scaffold each child’s leadership ability.