The other day, my good friend Joyce Allard at Special Olympics Iowa called me to say there was going to be a special event happening tomorrow in Jasper County.

Kelsie Engelken, who teaches Family & Consumer Sciences — that’s Home Economics for those of us who graduated from high school prior to the turn of the 21st century — to grades 7-12 in the Baxter Community School District, recently began teaching a unit on caring for children with special needs in her Child Development class.

The students in her class learned about developmental and intellectual disabilities. Part of the discussion focused on the importance of ensuring those who are developmentally or intellectually disabled are given the opportunity to be included in their schools and communities.