Building a Truly Inclusive Montessori School: Beyond Buzzwords and Into Practice

By Maria Eva Chaffin, Founder of Seeds of Life Montessori Academy

Let’s be honest, “inclusion” is one of those words that sounds beautiful on paper. But creating a truly inclusive Montessori school is not just about adding a few accommodations or accepting a child with an IEP. It’s a commitment. A daily practice. A mindset shift.

At Seeds of Life Montessori Academy, inclusion is not a program. It’s who we are. We’ve built our entire environment with the belief that neurodivergent children, children with disabilities, children who process the world differently, all belong in Montessori. And not just belong. They thrive.

But to make that happen, school leaders must go beyond intention. It requires preparation, training, and action.

1. Start with the Adults—Prepare the Prepared Adult

You can have the most beautiful materials and the perfect classroom setup, but if your adults aren’t prepared to support a wide range of learners, the system fails.

At Seeds of Life, every adult, teacher, assistant, admin, even aftercare staff, receives training in:
- Understanding neurodivergence (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, etc.)
- Polyvagal Theory and nervous system regulation
- Sensory integration and classroom adaptations
- Trauma-informed care and behavior as communication

It’s not optional. If you want inclusion, your team needs tools. It starts with you as the leader. Provide the training. Model the growth.

2. Observation Is Inclusion’s Best Friend

Montessori gave us the gift of observation. Use it. Teach it. Practice it.

Observe the child without judgment. Ask:
- What helps them feel safe?
- What seems to overwhelm them?
- What brings them joy?

Don’t rush to label or fix. Slow down and notice. Inclusion means we make room for the child to show us who they are, not who we expect them to be.

3. Design Flexible Environments

Your environment must work for a range of brains and bodies.

That means:
- Soft spaces for kids who need to retreat and regulate
- Clear visual schedules for children who need predictability
- Flexible seating, movement breaks, noise-canceling headphones
- Accessible materials for different motor or processing abilities

Inclusion is not putting a child in a “typical” classroom and hoping they adapt. It’s adapting the environment to meet them.

4. Build a Sensory-Informed Culture

We don’t separate sensory needs from academics. We integrate them.

We keep a “sensory diet” board in every classroom at Seeds of Life. Teachers know what helps each child regulate. Some need deep pressure. Some need to swing. Some need a quiet corner. And it changes! We adjust as we go.

And we talk about it. Openly. We normalize all types of needs, so children grow up knowing that all bodies and brains are different, and worthy.

5. Center Connection First, Always

If you don’t have connection, you don’t have learning.

Montessori talked about normalization, but true normalization comes from safety, feeling seen, understood, accepted. For many neurodivergent kids, connection with an adult is the bridge to trust, which is the bridge to growth.

We spend time getting to know each child. We don’t skip over relationship-building to get to academics. In fact, that is the academics.

6. Collaborate with Families—They Are the Experts

Inclusion isn’t just about the classroom. It’s about how we communicate with families. Families of neurodivergent children often carry trauma from previous school experiences.

We listen. We learn from them. We don’t assume we know better.

At the beginning of each year, we ask families to write a letter about their child, what works, what doesn’t, what lights them up. Those letters are gold. And we follow up. We stay in conversation. We become partners.

7. Embrace Individual Timelines

Inclusion means letting go of rigid academic expectations.

Some children won’t read at 5. Some won’t sit in circle. Some will need extra support for toileting, eating, or transitions. That’s not failure, it’s information.

We adjust the pace. We redefine success. We celebrate progress in all forms, not just what’s visible on a worksheet.

8. Make Coaching and Mentorship Part of Your School Culture

Teachers need support, too.

At Seeds of Life, we offer coaching, classroom observations, and individual feedback, not to criticize, but to grow together. We create spaces where teachers can say, “I’m struggling with this child, and I don’t know what to do,” without shame.

That’s where the magic happens. When adults feel supported, they can support the children.

🌿 A Montessori School Leader’s Role in Real Inclusion

Creating an inclusive school starts at the top. As Montessori leaders, we set the tone. We decide what kind of professional culture we want. We decide if our environments evolve, or stay stuck.

If we want to lead a truly inclusive Montessori community, we must prepare the adults, invest in training, and nurture the teachers who do the everyday work of inclusion.

Here are a few ways we can lead the way:

Normalize the Learning Curve

Don’t expect teachers to know it all. Inclusion is a journey. Offer space for questions, experimentation, and professional growth. We’re not looking for perfection, we’re growing together.

Protect Planning and Reflection Time

Teachers need time to think, collaborate, and problem-solve. Build this into your schedule. Inclusion requires intention, not reaction.

Be Present in Classrooms

Pop in. Observe. Offer encouragement. Let teachers know you’re part of the team, not just managing from afar. Sometimes just being a visible, supportive presence makes a difference.

Invest in Ongoing Training

Host regular PD sessions on behavior, sensory needs, trauma, and neurodiversity. Bring in experts. (Or reach out. I offer this kind of training and coaching for schools!)

Celebrate Progress—Not Perfection

Inclusion lives in the small moments.
Like the child who made eye contact with their teacher today, for the first time in months.
The teacher who tried a new visual schedule and noticed more independence during transitions.
The assistant who offered a sensory break right when it was needed, and a meltdown was avoided.

These moments matter. Highlight them. Talk about them. Celebrate them in meetings, emails, and conversations.

When we slow down to notice and name what’s working, we create a culture where teachers feel seen too, and when adults feel safe and valued, they can hold space for the children to feel that way too.

Inclusion the Montessori Way is not just possible, it’s necessary.
We can’t say “follow the child” and then only follow the ones who fit our timeline or expectations. Every child is worthy. Every child has something to teach us.

Let’s prepare ourselves. Let’s build teams that are supported and environments that are responsive. Let’s make our Montessori schools places where every child, and every teacher, feels like they belong.

Because when inclusion is real, the entire community transforms.