Rhode Island International Film Festival 2009

For many three and four-year-olds, learning how to live in the world begins in a preschool classroom. Children with developmental disabilities are no exception. This intimate documentary follows four-year-old Ronen, a young boy with Down syndrome, who attends a fully inclusive early childhood education center. Through his story we learn what it really means for a child to be included: the triumphs, the struggles, and the positive effects on everyone involved: classmates, parents, teachers, and community. Through interviews with teachers, administrators, parents and disability professionals, the film explores the inclusion process in depth, and concretely demonstrates that inclusive classrooms can benefit all children, both those with special needs and their typical peers. This is a rich, evocative exploration of how inclusion works, from the nuts and bolts of a successful inclusive classroom to the benefits and challenges of educational practices that help all children to learn and to find their place in the world.