Full Inclusion Preschool Project: Year One Research Outcomes Brief Report, 2002

The Full Inclusion Preschool Project (FIPP) was a collaborative, county/state funded grant that included: four non-subsidized preschools, seven school districts and university support. The four-year FIPP grant fully included a total of forty-five students with disabilities, two to five years of age, over a three year period. The preschools reflected the natural proportion of children with disabilities. Interested participants were admitted to the FIPP using a zero reject strategy. The majority of students served by the FIPP were labeled autistic. The primary disability labels of the other participants in order of frequency were: developmental disability, deaf and hard of hearing, emotionally disturbed, cerebral palsy and pervasive behavior disorder. A full range of best practice inclusive strategies were provided for the participants in their preschool classrooms including peer mediation, curriculum adaptation, and integrative therapy. Other essential components included key preschool administration support, school district collaboration, teacher and parent training. One hundred percent of the participants that have graduated from FIPP have transitioned to a general education inclusive kindergarten setting. The following provides a brief report of the outcomes of the first year of operation.