Is Teaching Strategies GOLD inclusive of children with disabilities?
Yes. The universal design of Teaching Strategies GOLD enables it to be used with all children, including those with disabilities. GOLD shows typical progressions for each objective through the use of visually appealing, color-coded age bands that are tied to children’s ages; because development is uneven and overlapping, the color-coded bands allow teachers to account for natural variations in children’s development and learning. GOLD also contains “in-between” steps in each progression to allow for emerging skills or to indicate if a child needs support to accomplish a skill or behavior, making it easier to accurately assess all children, including those with disabilities or special needs. In some circumstances, however, such as a child with a severe disability, other more specific diagnostic and prescriptive tools may be needed.
