KERA News

Texas is trying to do a better job of including young children with disabilities in classrooms alongside their peers. Federal law already requires schools to educate children with disabilities alongside children without disabilities whenever appropriate. But that doesn't always happen in preschool and childcare classrooms, and a new state plan is trying to understand why, and what Texas can do about it. The Texas Early Childhood Inclusion Plan for 2026–2030 was developed jointly by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Workforce Commission. In a bi-partisan effort, state lawmakers directed the agencies during the last legislative session to identify barriers to inclusion and recommend ways to address them. More than 1,200 families, educators, childcare providers and others participated in a statewide survey. More than half pointed to a shortage of trained specialists — including special education teachers, occupational therapists and speech therapists — as one barrier to inclusion. The plan calls for more teacher training, smaller classes and better coordination among programs. It also asks the state to explore additional funding and financial incentives to recruit and retain early childhood educators and specialists