All students with disabilities are general education students first. As shown from this diagram, solid general education is of upmost importance in an inclusive environment. The base of this tree relies on the expertise of the general education teacher in the areas of: Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction & Scaffolding. Look Below for further information and resources on these 3 terms. Click on the hyperlinked information for Roles & Responsibilities of both the general education and special education in an inclusive environment and also information on Specially Designed Instruction. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)- is an approach to teaching that aims to give all students equal opportunities to succeed, no matter how they learn. While some teachers in traditional schools may use UDL principles and practices on their own, traditional and UDL approaches to education are very different. This definition is provided by Understood.org and more information on the topic can be found by clicking on the hyperlink above.

Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction. This definition is provided by Readingrockets.org and authored by Carol Tomlinson, for information click on the hyperlink above.

Scaffolding means the supports that teachers build into their lesson planning and provide to students in the learning process (for example, modeling, the correct answer, using pictures, helping students connect what they already know to the new information being taught.

This definition is provided by the June 2014 Special Education Field Advisory Memo http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/commoncore/instructionCCLS-parents-614.htm

The IRIS center is a good resource for additional information on scaffolding https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sca/cresource/q1/p01/#content

Are you scaffolding or rescuing? Here is an article that discusses these terms https://choiceliteracy.com/article/are-you-scaffolding-or-rescuing/