Joglo students with varied abilities experimenting with color.
Joglo Preschool in Central Java, Indonesia has developed a remarkable inclusive early childhood program. This year, of the forty students at Joglo, twenty-four have special needs, conditions such as autism, dyslexia, sensory impairments, Down Syndrome, or being non-verbal. Traditionally in Indonesia these children were treated in solely clinical settings, which did not include the parents or families.
Also remarkable is that this program developed over 7 years in a virtual collaboration between the Principal Nanik and Joglo teachers with Raleigh Sadlier, an Occupational Therapist in Ann Arbor, MI and a Fulbright Specialist. Raleigh has been advising the teachers every two weeks, assisting with diagnoses, modifications, adaptations, and exercises to engage students. It takes this kind of sustained attention to see real development — in children, teachers, and parents. Nanik describes their experience in more detail in this article: Connected and Supported to Implement UDL at Joglo Preschool.
There was a long stretch of slow progress that accelerated when Raleigh started to accompany the parents as well, addressing both school and home strategies. This was a huge benefit for these parents and children. For the first time they began to understand their children and their own needs, and then to feel that their insights and actions to support their children were valued. The extraordinary results in these children, families, and communities is a direct result of a highly-skilled therapist being willing to volunteer over such a long period of time.
Good news!! Raleigh hopes to visit Joglo Preschool in person for the first time in January 2027!
Together with the Joglo teachers and parents, Raleigh plans to write a practical guide for Indonesian teachers and families on how to include children with varied abilities and needs in activities using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This practical guide could prove to be very useful for teachers and parents worldwide!
Nanik has just completed a five-year project to document “A Just, Peaceful Classroom Culture Curriculum: An Alternatives to Violence Project and Permaculture Curriculum for Young Children and their Families.” She is currently seeking a formal publisher. She hopes that a Guide for Applying UDL in Indonesian Classrooms might become a companion document. A just, peaceful classroom culture supports all children and at the same time including all children creates a natural context for learning ways to be just and peaceful.
We need you! Your Support Matters.
Please donate to “AWP / Joglo Preschool” to make this amazing endeavor possible!
Thank you!
Joglo students each get a book to look at pictures and read information about Indonesia to discuss with their friends.
Video presentation (1 hour 15 minutes) to the International Inclusion Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
