Although no consensus exists about the definition of inclusion, it can usually be agreed upon that inclusion is a movement to merge regular and special education so that all students can be educated together in a general education classroom. Because of the lack of consensus, inclusion is a hotly debated topic in education today. Mainstreaming and Inclusion are used interchangably for many people. This is where the confusion may lie. For the purpose of this paper I will be using the term inclusion. I interpret this to mean: "meeting the needs of the student with disabilities through regular education classes, with the assistance of special education." (Dover, section 1) Included in the definition of inclusion, it is important to note that there are a continuum of placement options for the child. I found the main difference between mainstreaming and inclusion to be the approach taken towards each one. Mainstreaming asks the question: "WHERE can this child be successful?" Whereas, inclusion asks: Where does this child or regular classroom teacher need support?"
The Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA), was signed into law in
1975. IDEA requires that schools educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible, and it also ensures to the maximum extent possible, children with disabilities be educated with those who are nondisabled. This implies that the least restrictive environment is the general education classroom.
Historically, we have separated exceptional children from the rest of society. This act has served to reinforce society's view that to be exceptinal is to be bad. The truth is, separate is not equal.
In this paper I intend to address what complications surround the practice of inclusion, and also to give examples of how inclusion has been beneficial to students.
WHY NOT INCLUSION?
Even for those that support inclusion philosophically, there are questions and concerns about issues when inclusion is put into practice.
Some schools interpret inclusion to mean that all students shall receive special education services in the regular classroom, without individual consideration that such placement would meet the needs of that particular student with disabilities. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president, Albert Shanker, warned members against placement of all disabled students in...
... middle of paper ...
...vel academically, but has a behavior disorder, the regular classroom may be perfectly suited for this child. My feelings are different regarding a child that is severely mentally retarded. I think more time with a specialist, outside of the classroom, may be more productive for the student and the general ed. teacher. I think that there is a lot of responsibility placed on the general education teacher, and they do not have the training like specialists. Special ed. teachers are trained especially for these children, they should be able to work with them. At the same time general education teachers make modifications for typical kids by trying different techniques and strategies, so as to help the child understand. So why not be willing to make modifications for children with special needs? In school we are taught-ALL CHILDREN LEARN
DIFFERENTLY! This is why I think I fit into the category that supports inclusion philosophically, but has trouble putting it into practice. I read in a book that if we can think of all children as being special and having special needs, then special will no longer apply to only disabled children. We need to change the language to support role change.
Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace is a book about the trials and tribulations of everyday life for a group of children who live in the poorest congressional district of the United States, the South Bronx. Their lives may seem extraordinary to us, but to them, they are just as normal as everyone else. What is normal? For the children of the South Bronx, living with the pollution, the sickness, the drugs, and the violence is the only way of life many of them have ever known.
year old, is a boy who most can relate to. The book explores most aspects of
Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995..
10)”The Child with Special Needs"by Stanley I. Greenspan and Serena Wieder. Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1998.
how children live in a world of their own. Adults try to get into this
The biggest type thing that I picked up on in this book was neglect to the children. The definition of child
This helps widen the idea of just how many ways children and teens can be affected by advertisements not just by making them more accessible but making them a part of what this society is. By making their products a part of the child’s life they are allowing the product to become a norm in the life of a child.
Norton, D. E., & Norton. S. (2011). Through The Eyes Of a Child. An Introduction To Children’s Literature. Boston, MA, 02116: Eight-Edition Pearson Education
The nonfiction book I read was titled Beautiful Child and was written by Torey Hayden. Beautiful Child follows the life of a special education teacher who is new to a school is met with a challenging class consisting of five children, all with very different needs. The class consists of a child who has tourette’s syndrome (Jesse), a child who we later find out has dyslexia (Billy), two twins who have fetal alcohol syndrome (Shane and Zane), and a young girl who is selectively mute (Venus.) Although through the story we see each child grow and progress, Venus is the main character and we see her open up to Torey through books and most important She-Ra comics. As Venus’ story unfolds, so do the horrendous details of her family that include a past of drug abuse and prostitution. The quietness of Venus that left many confused, begins to make
McLaughlin, Joseph. “Researcher Shows Negative Effects of Advertising on Children.” Inside Fordham. Fordham University, 17 May 2010. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.
Diversity is a notion, when applied to the majority of circumstances, can create a positive conclusion. The trick to producing a positive outcome is often how the different aspects are brought together. Consider a classic dinner combination peas and carrots, the two colors look appealing and the two flavors comes together as one making a superb side dish. Now consider oil and water, these two substance are not often considered a good combination. Although, this is not always the case; olive oil and vinegar (which is water based) when mixed, come together into a delectable salad dressing. Diversity and inclusion should also apply to humans by bringing people together who are different it can creates a whole that is enhanced by the uniqueness of each individual.
What are some the implications media is having on the youth of today? Are parents competing with sophisticated physiologically designed media to keep their children healthy and safe? How and why does advertisement influence the social, physical, cognitive, and moral development of young children? The major influence in the social construct of moral and cognitive development of an individual is the family. Due to the influences on the youth of today, parents need to be more aware, and combat the effects of advertising on children.
Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
People may not agree on whether advertising has a negative or positive effect on teens, but they do agree that teens are targeted in the advertisement world. Teens see so much advertising that some do not even notice it because there is so much of it. Because of how easy it is to reach teens and the amount of money in the teen marketplace, advertisers will continue to focus on them. Advertisers try to discover early on teen’s likes and wants. They hope to influence the teens while the teens feel that they influence the marketplace and ultimately have the freedom of choice and buying power.
Children between four and eight don’t recognize that ads are paid commercials intended to convince them into buying something. Children see about 6,000 advertis...