How has education evolved from exclusion to inclusion, from judgment to acceptance, and from disability to difference? This is the question that frames Barbara Boroson's article in the theme issue, "Differences, Not Disabilities." Boroson begins by taking a historical view of how schools have treated those who were perceived to be different in terms of race, gender, and ability. The author traces the exclusion--and later inclusion--of black students, women, and students with disabilities. In this context, Boroson grounds her argument for why and how today's schools can become more inclusive of students with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum.