Inclusive Education Resources

  • A dark background featuring colorful cutouts of hands surrounding a central red speech bubble that reads "INCLUSIVE EDUCATION" in bold white text.

Inclusive Education Resources

Inclusive Education Resources

Inclusive education practices are actions and approaches that ensure all students, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, have equal access to opportunities and resources. Inclusive classrooms are those in which students with disabilities are educated alongside their nondisabled peers to the "maximum extent appropriate," with specialized services and supports provided to help students succeed. Placement in a general education classroom, the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), should be the first and primary consideration.

“Inclusion is a right, not a privilege for a select few." - Chief Judge John Gerry 

The resources below provide information and guidance for general and special educators, related service providers, parents, paraprofessionals, and other individuals/groups who work, or will be working, with students in inclusive settings.

A close-up shot of a black computer keyboard focusing on a single custom key that glows with light-blue text reading "Accessibility."

Accessible Educational Materials

Accessibility is not an afterthought—it is a proactive design choice. When instructional materials are designed with accessibility in mind, they benefit everyone.

A close-up view of a person using assistive technology on a wooden desk, gripping a large blue joystick controller with their left hand.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology (AT) can level the playing field, foster independence, and ensure every learner can fully participate in the classroom. 

Wooden blocks arranged to spell out the acronym PBS. Three stacked wooden dice on the left display the red letters P, B, and S vertically. To their right, three stacked rectangular wooden blocks display the words "POSITIVE," "BEHAVIOR," and "SUPPORT" in bold black text.

Behavior Supports & Interventions

Behavioral supports and interventions in school refer to a set of strategies and practices used to promote positive student behavior by teaching expected actions, reinforcing positive behaviors, and addressing challenging behaviors proactively.

Two female teachers of different ethnic backgrounds standing in a bright classroom and smiling as they collaborate, with elementary students visible at desks in the foreground and background.

Co-Teaching

Two teachers, one classroom—sharing instructional leadership and assessment to support every student's growth.

A diverse group of smiling young adults or students leaning over a table and placing their hands together in a central stack, symbolizing teamwork, unity, and collaboration.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Explore materials that reflect diverse perspectives, histories, and cultures to ensure every student feels seen and valued.

A top-down view of people collaborating at a wooden table, pointing at pink and yellow sticky notes arranged between open notebooks and study materials.

Differentiated Instruction

Practical tips for modifying lessons for neurodivergent students and students with IEPs or 504 plans.

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Disability Specific Resources

Explore disability-specific information, tools, and strategies to support the needs of diverse learners.

A group of children and adults sitting around a classroom activity table filled with colorful art supplies, laughing and engaging with a young child holding up a blue egg carton

Family Engagement

Family engagement refers to a collaborative, strengths-based partnership between educators and families. It is a two-way relationship built on mutual trust, cultural respect, and ongoing communication.

A man and two children sitting at a table. The man appears to be helping one of the children with an assignment.

High-Leverage Practices (HLPs)

Learn about the High-Leverage Practices in Special Education initiative, led by the Council for Exceptional Children and the CEEDAR Center.

An infographic illustrating four social concepts using circles filled with green and red dots. "Separation" shows two distinct circles, one with green dots and one with red. "Exclusion" shows a large circle of green dots with red dots placed outside it. "Integration" shows a small circle of red dots contained within a larger circle of green dots. "Inclusion" shows a single circle where green and red dots are evenly mixed together.

Inclusive Classrooms

Learn more about inclusive classrooms, where students with disabilities are educated alongside their nondisabled peers.

A joyful classroom scene showing three children sitting at a table together, smiling and engaged in a collaborative learning activity. A boy with glasses in the center wears a colorful striped sweater, flanked by two girls who are interacting with him in an inclusive, friendly environment.

Inclusive Language

Inclusive language avoids biases, stereotypes, and expressions that may directly or inadvertently exclude, demean, or diminish any group of people.

A backlit, golden-hour shot of a young boy in a wheelchair watching a group of children playing soccer in a grassy field

Inclusive Sports & Recreation

Inclusive sports and recreation focus on making activities accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, by modifying rules, equipment, or the activity itself. 

A young woman with curly hair sits cross‑legged with eyes closed in a calm meditation class, while others in the background sit on the floor in a bright room.

Mental Health

Explore mental health resources, intervention contacts, and wellness tools to support emotional well-being.

A vibrant, multicolored infinity symbol representing neurodiversity, displayed above the text "NEURODIVERSITY" in bold, black lettering, with the slogan "Different, not less" written in a smaller, grey script font below it.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity honors natural differences in how brains work, shifting the focus from deficits to supporting and celebrating neurodivergent learners.

Official logo of the New Jersey Department of Education.

NJDOE Inclusive Education Practices and Partnerships

Empowering all students through accessible, high-quality education built on the core values of inclusion, belonging, and shared success.

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On-Demand Professional Learning Videos

Explore these on-demand professional learning videos designed to foster inclusive education, family engagement, and student success.

A young man with Down syndrome sitting in a modern office or classroom space smiles and clasps hands in a friendly greeting or celebration with a male job coach or mentor.

Post-Secondary Transition

Coordinated support designed to prepare students with disabilities for life after school—focusing on education, employment, and independent living skills.

A close-up shot of an educator or professional woman with curly hair wearing a teal blazer and an ID badge lanyard. She is standing and focused on writing or drawing on a tablet with a white digital stylus, with a blurred classroom environment in the background.

Professional Resources for Inclusive Education

Connect directly to trusted professional organizations at the forefront of inclusive education. 

A close-up profile view of a young boy looking intently at a glowing teal sensory bubble tube in a dimly lit room.

Sensory Integration

From sight and touch to balance and body awareness, sensory integration helps the brain make sense of everyday inputs to build a strong foundation for growth and self-regulation.

NJDOE logo with a yellow box reading "New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning Competencies and Sub-Comptencies. Below is a blue banner with the letters SEL.

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) builds the core skills needed to navigate feelings, foster empathy, achieve positive goals, and make thoughtful life choices.

Word cloud featuring special education terms like teacher, classroom, achivement, therapy, autism, etc.

Special Education 101

Break down barriers with clear, plain-language resources designed to help families and caregivers understand essential special education terminology and procedures.

A side view of an adult teacher in a yellow hoodie guiding a young student wearing a striped sweater as they solve a geometry problem on a large chalkboard.

Systems of Support

A proactive, school-wide framework designed to identify student needs early and deliver tailored support for their success.

A smiling female educator leans over a classroom desk to give a young girl with glasses a high-five during a lesson

Teacher/Paraprofessional Teams

Paraprofessionals partner with teachers to deliver targeted academic, behavioral, and classroom support so every student can succeed.

A diagram outlining the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It pairs three brain illustrations highlighting different neural networks with corresponding text boxes labeled "Engagement" (green), "Representation" (purple), and "Action & Expression" (blue).

Universal Design for Learning

Grounded in the science of how we learn, UDL optimizes teaching to empower every student to become a purposeful, resourceful, and strategic learner.

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In collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) Office of Special Education (OSE), we provide FREE services including professional development, technical assistance, and professional learning opportunities for school districts, educators, and families of students with identified disabilities. 

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Disclaimer

These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Learning Resource Center-South of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. The Learning Resource Center-South bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.