BUT
BUT THEY
BUT THEY DISTRICT OF OREGON IS DOING THE OPPOSITE, INTEGRATING
EVERY SINGLE CHILD EVERY DAY
AND IT IS PAYING OFF.
>> Reporter: WELCOME TO THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE YOU IF
YOU HAVE AUTISM, SEVERE
DYSLEXIA, OR ADHD, YOUR SIBLEY
PART OF THE CROWD.
GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS
HERE ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS FOR
EVERY CHILD, INCLUDING KIDS
WITH DISABILITIES LIKE THIS
NINE-YEAR-OLD NATHAN.
NINE-YEAR-OLD NATHAN. >> IT SAYS BOWWOW.
>> Reporter: HE HAS AUTISM AND
IS NONVERBAL.
IS NONVERBAL. >> WITH THE KIDS IN THE
DISTRICT ARE INTEGRATED?
A GOOD EVERY DAY?
>> IT HAPPENS 100%. 100%.
>> Reporter: COMPARE THAT TO
THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH
SPENDS 100% OF HIS DAY IN A
SEGREGATED CLASSROOM.
SEGREGATED CLASSROOM. EVEN AT LUNCHTIME, HE IS
SEPARATED FROM THE KIDS WHO DO
NOT HAVE DISABILITIES.
NONE OF THE STUDENTS EVEN KNOW
HIS NAME.
HIS NAME.
HIS NAME. >> IS A SHOVING THEM ASIDE
MAKE IT IS SHOVING THEM ASIDE,
LIKE THEY DO NOT EXIST, LIKE
THEY'RE TAKING UP REAL ESTATE
IN THE SCHOOLS.
>> Reporter: STUDIES SHOW KIDS
WITH DISABILITIES DO BETTER
WHEN THEY SPEND TIME WITH
TYPICAL LEARNERS AND THE OTHER
KIDS SEE THE BENEFITS TOO.
KNOWING THAT, PARENTS SAY THEY
PUSHED FOR MORE INCLUSION OF
THEIR SON WHO IS AN AVID
SWIMMER, READER, AND DRUMMER.
BUT THE ANSWER AT THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL?
SCHOOL?
SCHOOL? NOT FOR YOUR CHILD.
>> WE HAVE MET ROADBLOCK AFTER
ROADBLOCK FROM THE
MINISTRATION.
MINISTRATION. THEY JUST DO NOT SEEM TO BE
INTERESTED AND IT IS HORRIFYING.
>> Reporter: SHE HAS COMPANY IN
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
OUR INVESTIGATION FOUND ONLY
55% OF KIDS WITH DISABILITIES
SPEND A MAJORITY OF THEIR DAY
IN GENERAL EDUCATION.
AND FOR STUDENTS WITH
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES LIKE
DOWN SYNDROME AND AUTISM, THAT
NUMBER IS DOWN TO 5%, ONLY TWO
STATES IN THE COUNTRY, NEVADA
AND ILLINOIS ARE THE WORST --
HAVE WORSE INTEGRATION NUMBERS
THAN THAT.
THAN THAT. >> READ.
>> READ.
>> READ. READ THE SIGNS.
READ THE THINGS THAT WORK.
LOOK AT GREAT EXAMPLES OF OTHER
DISTRICTS WHERE OTHER DISTRICT
ARE DOING BETTER.
>> Reporter: THAT BRINGS US
BACK TO OREGON.
WHERE NATHAN HAS SPENT ALL OF
HIS THIRD GRADE YEAR ALONGSIDE
HIS PEERS. HE HAS A FULL-TIME
AIDE WHO HELPS HIM NAVIGATE HIS
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. HERE
DAY. HERE IS THE RESULT, FOR THE
FIRST TIME EVER, NATHAN IS
FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS, HE IS
FORMING BONDS WITH PEOPLE
OUTSIDE OF HIS FAMILY AND AT
THE AGE OF NINE, HE GOT HIS
FIRST EVER INVITATION FOR A
PLAY DATE.
PLAY DATE. EVEN THOUGH NATHAN CANNOT
SPEAK, THE KIDS ARE CLEARLY
MEDICATING -- COMMUNICATING.
>> I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME
WITH YOU, IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: NATHAN'S MOTHER
TOOK TO FACEBOOK COME
OVERWHELMED A SCHOOL GAVE HER
CHILD A CHANCE TO THRIVE.
>> ALL THE TEACHERS OUT THERE,
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
>> Reporter: THAT DAY, DANIELLE
FOUND THIS BOOK IN NATHAN'S
BACKPACK, 30 PAGES OF HAND-
DRAWN PICTURES AND NOTES TO HER
SON FROM EACH CLASSMATE, IMAGES
OF NATHAN PLAYING WITH, NOT
APART FROM, THE CROWD.
>> IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL
EXAMPLE OF COMPASSION AND
UNDERSTANDING AND TRUE INCLUSION
AND LOVE.
AND LOVE.
AND LOVE. >> Reporter: OF THE SCHOOL
BEGAN WORKING TOWARDS TOTAL
INCLUSION A FEW YEARS AGO AND
IT SHOWS IT'S WORKING.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SUCH
AS DOWN SYNDROME, AND AUTISM
SPENT MORE TIME IN REGULAR
CLASSROOMS, MORE OF THEM WERE
EARNING DIPLOMAS.
EARNING DIPLOMAS. THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THE
GRADUATION RATE OF STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES WENT UP FROM
71% TO 79%, A FAR CRY FROM
WASHINGTON'S RATE OF 50%.
IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD,
GRADUATION RATES IMPROVED FOR
THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY, FROM
80% TO 93%.
>> YOU THINK BECAUSE OF YOUR
EXPERIENCE THIS COULD HAPPEN
MOST ANYWHERE?
MOST ANYWHERE? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: THIS DOCTOR V
INTEGRATION CHARGE -- LED THE
INTEGRATION CHARGE.
INTEGRATION CHARGE. KIDS WITH ELECTORAL DISABILITIES
INCLUDING, WATCH HER REACTION
HEARING THE NUMBER.
>> 5%.
>> 5%.
>> 5%. >>
>> 5%. >> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> THAT, I THINK THERE'S A LOT
OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. A
THERE. A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.
>> NOT TURN THE PAGE.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE OF
NATHAN'S HIGH NEEDS, HIS
PARENTS USED TO BE AGAINST
INCLUSION.
INCLUSION. HIS MOTHER TALKED ABOUT THAT ON
FACEBOOK TOO.
FACEBOOK TOO. >> I REALLY, TRULY WAS AGAINST
INCLUSION.
INCLUSION. I FELT LIKE IT IS GREAT IF IT
IS GREAT FOR YOUR CHILD COME
AWESOME.
AWESOME.
AWESOME. BUT IT IS NOT GREAT FOR MY, SO
DO NOT PUSH IT ON ME.
>> Reporter: ALL THAT CHANGE
THIS YEAR WHEN THEY SAW
NATHAN'S PROGRESS AND THE 30
PAGE BOOK.
PAGE BOOK. >> I WILL TREASURE THIS FOREVER.
IT'S JUST ONLY ONE FOR HIM IS
THE FREEDOM TO HAVE PEOPLE
AROUND HIM THE CARE ABOUT HIM
AND WANT TO EMBRACE HIM. IT IS
SO BEAUTIFUL.
SO BEAUTIFUL. >> HOW DO THEY DO IT THERE?
IT ALL STARTED IN 2012 WITH A
POSTED NOTE.
POSTED NOTE. THE MINISTRY SOUTHERN THE STORY
WROTE ON A POSTED NOTE 100%
INCLUSION.
INCLUSION. AND THAT WAS HER GOAL.
SO THE ENTIRE DISTRICT WORKED
ON AND CHIPPED AWAY AT OVER THE
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. THEY DID THINGS LIKE MOVE
RESOURCES AROUND, GAVE EXTRA
TRAINING TO TEACHERS, SO ALL
THE EXPERTISE WAS NOT HUDDLED
UP IN ONE ROOM.
THEY DID FIND SOME EXTRA MONEY,
BUT SHE REALLY SAID THE KEY WAS
NOT MONEY, IT WAS REALLY A
MINDSET.
MINDSET.
MINDSET. AFTER VISITING THAT SCHOOL
DISTRICT, I BELIEVE IT.
JUST PUT YOUR MIND TO SOMETHING
AND YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW CAN
BE DONE.
BE DONE.
BE DONE. >> I GUESS MY FIRST INSTINCT
WAS THIS DISTRICT MUST BE
SMALLER OR IT MUST HAVE A
BIGGER BUDGET THAN SAY A
FEDERAL WAY.
FEDERAL WAY. >> LIKE IS IT A PRIVATE SCHOOL?
NO IT'S A PUBLIC SCHOOL, 16
SCHOOLS, 10,000 KIDS, SO, OF
COURSE, IT IS NOT ANYTHING LIKE
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
BUT, I THINK IT IS REALLY AN
EXAMPLE THAT SHOULD BE
INSPIRATIONAL.
INSPIRATIONAL. WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE NEED
TO DO BETTER HERE IN WASHINGTON