This is a photographic essay I began when my daughter Victoria started her first play group in a main stream nursery at the age of two and half, in 2002. As I believed in inclusion of children with Down's syndrome in main stream education I thought I should document both her, and a few of the other children we knew. This has been a continious project as I visited these children all through their years in primary school.
I think it has helped parents, professionals and others to face the fact that there are many reasons for children with Down's syndrome being given the opportunity to attend their local school. Inclusion brings both accademic and social benefits and does not lead to discrimination as they have the opportunity to develop relationships with other children from their community. It also provide models for normal and age appropriate behaviour. Other children will also gain an understanding about disability, learning how to care for and support children with special needs.

The will of everyone invloved to make it happen is the most important ingredient of successful inclusion.

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