Think Inclusive Podcast

What does autistic independence look like?In today's episode, we interview Haley Moss (autistic attorney, author, and advocate) about her book, The Young Autistic Adult's Independence Handbook.Haley shares with us the main message she wants to get across to autistic individuals who are seeking independence, alternatives to guardianship, and strategies for educators to foster self-advocacy in their students.This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we interview Lisa Drennan, inclusion expert and founder of Merge Consulting.We discuss how families of children with disabilities can advocate joining community recreation groups like the YMCA or even a local summer camp. And that the strategies for advocating for change in recreation spaces are not that different from what we use for school. We discuss how teachers can create cultures of belonging for their students, as well as how educators can find belonging in their schools.Referenced in this episode:Pathways to FriendshipThis episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About the Guest(s):Alida Miranda-Wolff is the CEO and founder of Ethos, a consultancy firm specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) transformation. She is notable for her book, "Cultures of Belonging: Building Inclusive Organizations that Last," which explores strategies for fostering inclusive environments. Alida's background spans higher education at the University of Chicago, non-profit work in immigrant and refugee rights, and a pioneering role in venture capital as one of the first Latina directors. She has taught at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and General Assembly, cultivating a deep understanding of DEIB initiatives. Through Ethos, Alida aims to innovate and apply DEIB strategies that resonate with modern organizational dynamics.Episode Summary:In this insightful episode of the Think Inclusive Podcast, Tim Villegas engages Alida Miranda-Wolff, the CEO of Ethos and author of "Cultures of Belonging," to delve into creating inclusive educational environmen

What is Critical Race Theory and what do advocates for inclusive education need to know about the Anti-CRT movement?For this super-sized episode, we share the story of an inclusive Maryland principal who was pushed out of taking a job as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director in Cherokee County, Georgia. A devastating side-effect of the backlash against CRT is the damage that has been done to educational equity initiatives. These initiatives are the very ones that inclusive education advocates have been trying to connect the dots from disability rights to equity for all students. We interview four individuals with experience and expertise in CRT:King Williams, a filmmaker, and journalist in Atlanta, GAAlida Miranda-Wolff, a professional in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging sector in Chicago, ILEddie Fergus, a professor at Temple UniversityPete Newlove, a doctoral student at the University of Colorado and current high school English teacherTranscript: https://c80acee1-5663-46ff-a2d6-b4c

Diana Pastora Carson is the host of the Beyond Awareness Podcast.Her TedTalk, "Walking with Joaquin," chronicles her family's journey to bring home her brother after living in an institution for 15 years. She joins us on Think Inclusive to talk about her journey as an educator who advocated for inclusive education, what it’s like now that Joaquin has been home for close to ten years, why she started the Beyond Awareness podcast.Books Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & CommunitiesEd Roberts: Champion of Disability RightsThis episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE.Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in

Today on the podcast, we welcome Greta Harrison, the host of the Born Fabulous Podcast.We talk about the reason for starting "Born Fabulous," why hope should be an essential characteristic of an educator, and the goal of inclusion is always life in the community. This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE.Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Friday Inclusionists!Today we have a special pop-up podcast interview with some folks I met at the CEC Conference in Orlando this week.  They presented a session called, “The Intersection of Race and Disability: Where Do We Go from Here?” I think it is an important reminder for us that inclusion and equity go together, and that when we are talking about inclusive education, we really mean all students. Here is a special bonus interview from the Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Orlando, Florida. CW: the R-word is used in its historical context and in its relation to educational criteria for special educationGuestsDena Slanda, Ph.D.: Dena.Slanda@ucf.eduZerek Mayes, Ed.D.: Zerek.Mayes@gmail.comEric Wells, Ed.D.: Eric.Wells@ode.oregon.govLindsey Pike, MSW: Lindsey.Pike@ucf.eduReferencesAntiracism and Universal Design for Learning by Andratesha Fritzgerald Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education by Paul Gorski &

Today on the podcast, we welcome Amanda Darrow (Utah Pride Center) and Shamby Polychronis (University of Utah) to talk about honoring intersectionality between the disability and LGBTQIA+ communities. We cover a lot of ground including the difference between gender/sexuality/sex, pronouns, stats on people who identify as both LGBTQIA+ and disabled, and ways educators can make classrooms more inclusive for both communities.Amanda and Shamby also respond to the question, "If kids consume media that has LGBTQIA+ representation, won't they just get confused?"Referenced in our interview: The "Genderbread" PersonThis episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE.Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted

Happy Holidays!To finish off 2021, we are featuring four interviews. One that you haven't heard yet, Lou Brown, and three that you might have caught in our feed if you've been listening for a while: Katie Novak, Alfie Kohn, Cheryl Jorgensen.The first is a previously unpublished clip from my 2019 interview with the co-founder of TASH, the late Lou Brown. I always meant to revisit this interview and I'm so glad I did for this episode. Next up is my interview with universal design for learning expert, Katie Novak. We talk about how ineffective traditional assessments are because they are not universally designed, even though the most recent education law says they should be. My interview with Alfie Kohn, author of the book punished by rewards, was our most listened to episode of 2021. And the clip you are about to hear is probably one of the reasons why. Alfie, I mean, Mr. Kohn, lays out his argument for why educators should steer clear from using any extrinsic reward system in their classroom.And fina

Today on the podcast, we talk with Anthony Ianni, the first autistic Division 1 college basketball player and author of the book, Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dream. We talk about what it was like growing up, not knowing about his autism diagnosis until high school, playing for the Michigan State basketball team, and what he would tell young people on the autism spectrum about following their dreams. Also in the episode, Tim references the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's "about autism" page as well as their book, "Welcome to the Autism Community." This episode's transcript can be found here. Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podc

Content Warning: In today’s episode, we will discuss depictions of the living conditions of institutions for people with disabilities in the 1960s and certain attitudes about people with disabilities that worked there.Today on the podcast, we talk to Howard Shane, author of the book Unsilenced, associate professional at the Harvard Medical School, and the Director of the Autism Language Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.We talk about what it was like to work at Belchertown State School, an institution for people with disabilities, in the 1960s. We also highlight some of the stories from his book, including how some of his students used an early form of augmentative and alternative communication. Also, special guest, Carol Quirk (CEO of MCIE) drops by at the beginning of the episode to reflect on her experiences working in institutions after she read Howard Shane's book Unsilenced.This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive

Today on the podcast, we discuss the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (otherwise known as the SDLMI). Our guests, Karrie Shogren and Sheida Raley are both from the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities. We talk about what self-determination really means, what is the SDLMI and how it is implemented in inclusive classrooms, and why the SDLMI is really for everyone.This episode's transcript can be found here.To learn more about the SDLMI visit selfdetermination.ku.edu.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have a question or comment? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we interview author, educator, and consultant, Jenna Rufo about her book Reimagining Special Education, and how we can use inclusion as a framework to build equity and support all students. We also discuss what it looks like for students who are not included 80% or more of their day in general education and if there is a bare minimum to what we call inclusive education.This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.What do you think about our new podcast logo design? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Think Inclusive Podcast, we interview systems change expert and inclusive education advocate, Michael McSheehan. We talk about what started him on his journey of advocating for inclusive education, his work with SWIFT Schools, the connections between Mult-Tiered Systems of Support and Universal Design for Learning, and if he agrees with the statement, "inclusion done badly is still better than segregation." His answers might surprise you. This episode's transcript can be found here. SWIFT Schools Videos "Together": a SWIFT film on Integrated Educational Framework "Whatever it Takes": SWIFT Inclusive Academic Instruction Film SWIFT Domains and Features at Henderson School Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastSurvey. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a prod

Today on the Think Inclusive Podcast, we interview Janice Fialka and Sara Jo Soldovieri, two passionate advocates for inclusive education.We talk about what we really mean by inclusive education, what might make the biggest impact to bring inclusive education to school districts, and how to talk to families who think segregated special education classrooms are really best for their child.This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcast.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we interview Emily Ladau, disability rights activist and author, about her new book Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally. We discuss why this book needed to be written, if there is only one model of disability that is valid, and we even play a little game called, “is it ableist?”This episode's transcript can be found here.Take our podcast listener survey: bit.ly/TIPodcastVisit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we interview Genia Stephen, host of the Good Things in Life podcast. We talk about why she started the podcast, what some of the differences and similarities are with the educational systems in the United States and Canada, and if there is such a thing as perfect inclusion.This episode's transcript can be found here.Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we talk with Eric Garcia, author of "We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation."We discuss the biggest misconceptions of autism, why simply existing is not inspirational, and what his dream for the future of a more inclusive world looks like. This episode's transcript can be found here.Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we talk with Marilyn Friend, expert and author of numerous books and articles on co-teaching. We discuss what co-teaching is and what does it look like? Do schools have to provide a co-teaching service model? And how does co-teaching further the practice of inclusive education?This episode's transcript can be found here. Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, we talk with Sarah Wishart, filmmaker of Excluded, a documentary that features the stories and voices of students who have been excluded from school in the United Kingdom. We discuss why she was inspired to make the film by something she saw on Twitter and why she thinks exclusion isn’t good for anyone.This episode's transcript can be found here.Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web.Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education.Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.usFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.CreditsThis podcast is a production of MCIE. Support the podcast and become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.