Reflections on Future Directions for Including Students with Severe Disabilities

Abstract

Little progress has been made in the last 20 years toward developing and sustaining effective inclusive programs for students with severe disabilities. An article by Agran and colleagues examines factors that contribute to this lack of progress and provides some initial discussion regarding alternatives for addressing this seemingly intractable problem. This article extends the discussion by Agran and colleagues by providing recommendations regarding the use of a positive deviance approach to systemic change and school improvement, and also recommends that advocacy efforts are needed to ensure that principals are well prepared to support these efforts.