When 7-year-old Aedan counts his numbers out by tens, he holds a wand with a star at the end, tapping the correct numbers on a whiteboard. One of his teachers at PS 3 in the West Village, Heidi Kreusch, guides him and makes sure he doesn’t lose focus.

“Excellent! Do we get a high five? Do I get a hug?” Kreusch asks when Aedan is finished. Aedan slaps her palm with his, hugs her tight and scurries over to the sand table to scoop sand with the other students.

Aedan has Down syndrome and limited language skills, but he is thriving thanks to the teamwork between his teachers and his mother, Jordana Mendelson.

“It really is a team effort,” says Mendelson.

Mendelson is sensitive about not getting in the way of Aedan’s educators. “You want people with expertise to work freely and try new things,” she says.

Aedan’s Individualized Education Program calls for him to split time between Kreusch’s general education kindergarten class and Sabrina Charles’ self-contained special education class. For Mendelson, the split placement means her son is getting the best of both possible worlds.

The small setting of the self-contained class, with a teacher and a full-time paraprofessional working with 12 students, gives him the small-group attention he needs. The general education class of 24 students gives him a chance to socialize with other children and learn from them, too.

Aedan’s experience at PS 3 serves as a model of what is possible for some students with disabilities — if the stars are aligned. The ingredients include a parent eager to help her child reach his full potential and a staff prepared to adapt their methods to the child’s needs.

“It’s been great working with Jordana,” Kreusch says. “She’s on top of it. She’ll review new materials to see if they are suitable or adaptable for Aedan, and she’ll make sure it’s printed and laminated for his use.”

The Department of Education launched an overhaul of special education in 2012 with the goal of giving students like Aedan the chance to attend their home-zoned schools. City education officials said greater inclusion would improve the academic performance and graduation rates of students with disabilities, though critics say that many home-zoned schools have been unable to provide the specialized instruction, support and services that these children need.

About 195,000 special education students are enrolled in city public schools, representing 18.8 percent of enrollment according to city data from 2014.

Kreusch has become the point person and partner for Mendelson as they figure out how best to help Aedan learn, but the team includes his special education teacher, paraprofessionals, a speech teacher and physical and occupational therapists. The entire team meets with Mendelson once a month, but she’s in constant contact with Kreusch.

Another advantage for Aedan was Kreusch’s background in special education. “That’s why it works,” says Kreusch. “I can modify material in two seconds.” For the reading lesson, for example, she’ll use fewer words and repeat them.

Both of his teachers are sensitive to changes in Aedan’s mood or behavior as they help him handle stress and challenges.

“Every 10 to 15 minutes we give him a break, and we give him a routine to ease the transition between classes,” says Charles. “That can mean a chance to scroll through an iPad, or a storytelling session.”

There’s a lot of laughter between Mendelson and Kreusch when they sit down to talk about Aedan. There was a time when he couldn’t hold a pencil or draw a straight line. And last year his behavior was difficult. But this year Aedan has made strides in following classroom routines.

“He picks up a lot by exposure to other students,” says Mendelson, who is a professor at NYU.

Kreusch agrees. “He has the ability to follow prompts, and he picks up routines around him. It’s a huge step forward,” she says.

For Mendelson, there was no question that her son belongs in the local school, where he enrolled in 2012. “That’s what we wanted for him,” she says. “Getting him here and keeping him here is not easy, but it’s worth the effort.”

Mendelson insists that his teachers don’t let up. “It’s about persistence and raising the bar,” Mendelson says. “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, not today.’ That doesn’t help him.”

“There are no excuses,” Kreusch adds. “He knows he has to step up to be part of the class. I’ll modify a worksheet for him, but he has to do it.”

Mendelson is sympathetic toward parents who resist inclusion.

“Parents are scared about their children not getting their fair share,” she says. “But you don’t know someone’s potential until you try. With Aedan, we have a growing picture of what he can handle.”