Collaborative Problem-Solving to Promote the Inclusion of Young Children with Significant Disabilities in Primary Grades

The installation of a collaboratively-based problem-solving process was undertaken over a 2-year period in an elementary school in which students with mild to profound disabilities were physically integrated. Teachers and students participated in collaborative problem-solving (CPS) process training sessions and then used CPS to identify and solve issues related to the physical, social and instructional inclusion of students in the classroom. Data were collected to evaluate the process over a 24-month period in 12 different classrooms. Findings revealed that the CPS process was implemented as designed teachers judged CPS to be easily incorporated into existing practices; and CPS promoted outcomes valued by administrators, teachers, and parents.