Discussion The research has repeatedly shown that inclusion models are most beneficial to students with disabilities, including students with severe disabilities. The districts in which the students in the teacher education students have been placed in have a problem with incorporating inclusive education for their students. Students are isolated within self-contained classrooms, and consequently, they are missing out on vital academic, social, and functional skills. Often, students with severe disabilities are considered uneducable due to a variety of factors. Whether it is fear, prejudice, or a distaste for the number of services and accommodations that they need, it can be difficult to convince teacher or administration to switch to an …show more content…
Teacher education programs should prepare teachers to address the needs of a diverse student population, including students disabilities. By teaching student teachers these methods, they will better learn to adapt instruction to all students and will improve their teaching skills and add to their inventory of strategies (Downing &MacFarland, 2010; Houtveen & Van de Grift, 2001; Mastropieri &Scruggs, 1997). Changing the service delivery model of special education can change the structure of special education. There are several models that have the special education teacher as a consultant or coteacher to a general education teacher rather than having a self-contained class. Rather than removing students from the classroom, the teacher comes to the student (Idol, 2006) and does not remove the student from their peers with whom students should be educated (Houtveen & Van de Grift, 2001). If inclusion is not possible, other methods are possible. Pull-out instruction removes the student from the class for short period to focus on specific skills, and for students who cannot spend the majority of their day in a general education classroom, support staff can accompany them to general education classes for part of the day (Idol, …show more content…
Mindsets of staff, teachers, and parents must be willing to try inclusive models. Administrative support is largely helpful when transitioning to these models (Idol, 2006). Cooperation between teachers, schools, and districts can make this process easier because it streamlines the process and standardizes practices across multiple settings (Houtveen & Van de Grift, 2001). Early interventions, whether targeted skills practice or behavioral interventions, also help educators make early advances with students which lessens the burden on special education in later years (Houtveen & Van de Grift, 2001). Finally, creating a universal design can help all student succeed and will help intervene early for students with unidentified learning disabilities (Idol, 2006). The results of inclusive education can seem somewhat vague; however, there are definite positive effects. Students with severe disabilities gain skills from their typically developing peers. These skills they learn can lead to higher achievement and lower rates of unemployment for those with disabilities (Thousand & Villa, 2000). A study by West, Wehman, and Wehman (2005) demonstrated that individuals with disabilities who participated in a Best Buddies program typically benefitted from “higher wages, benefits, long-term retention, and employer and consumer satisfaction” (p.
There are many individuals who contribute to the education of the student with special needs. Their roles and responsibilities are varied, and each play an important part in the education of the student with disabilities. In the early years of special education, individuals with disabilities were not educated in the traditional classroom. Many of the students were left at home to be taught by their parents, or, sent away to institutions if the families were unable to care for them. In addition, some were education in private schools at the cost of the families. It was not until the 1970’s that special education became acceptable in the public schools. The passing of legislation made it possible for all students to have a right to a free and public education, regardless of their disabilities. The individual with disabilities education act (IDEA) opened the door to education for all students and therefore a change in special education.
Inclusion, in the educational system, is the integration of learners with disabilities into general education classes (Voltz et al., 2001). This concept may sound simple, however the reality is much harder to achieve. Inclusion primarily focuses on how to put students with special needs into a general education class, instead of focusing on how to change the general and special education system to better support all students. This is a necessary shift in the way educators, administrators, parents, and communities view the structure of inclusion, which is necessary for its underlying purpose to be realized.
Inclusion is a controversial subject which has been debated for decades. Susan Crowell in her article, Inclusion in the Classroom: Has it Gone Too Far?, explains that “inclusion is the idea that all children, including those with disabilities, should and can learn in a regular classroom.” In theory, the idea of all students being included and educated together is a philosophy which sounds morally correct, especially when considering that the disabled were not always treated with compassion. Often the disabled were institutionalized and banished from society, even in recent history. Ma...
Including these children in general education ultimately leads to their progress. Not too long ago, these people were segregated and labeled as incompetent. It was not until special education reform came about and showed the countless capabilities these exceptional learners have to offer. Teachers play a vital role in these entities’ lives. It is up to them to facilitate their learning as well as modify their measurable goals. Before inclusion, these people could not reach their potential, and not much could be said about how they learn or grasp concepts. Through inclusion, professionals can ascertain students level of performance and utilize strategies that work best for the child. Inclusion allows educators to take note on what type of learners these exceptional individuals are. Schoolteachers can reveal if the youth is a visual, auditory, tactical, or even a kinesthetic learner. Unquestionably, inclusion has brought about an age of progression for instructors and students’ in special education.
Inclusion in the classroom is a topic that I did not fully understand when I first became a special education teacher. Studying inclusion and all the aspect that it encompasses has enlighten me to the complexities of inclusion in the classroom. Inclusion has expanded to every facet of school activities outside the classroom. I am going on my fifth year of being a special education teacher and continuously find the need for additional education and training among the staff and administration. I feel having a comprehensive understanding has made me a better educator and advocate for children with disabilities.
One obstacle that I believe many special needs students and families will face is understanding and dealing with the disability itself. Speaking from experience, this process can take time to understand and accept. This is where a special education teacher plays a significant role, assisting the student and family with information and support for understanding the student’s disability, facilitating education programs, and most importantly hope and progress for a bright future. Another obstacles that students with disabilities may face, is social interaction and acceptance. It is vital that all special education teachers and programs, try to incorporate strong social connections with their regular education peers and other community members and
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
According to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, inclusion is the action of including students with disabilities in a regular public classroom (2010). Children with disabilities are now being included in the general education classrooms along with their peers who do not have disabilities; they are offered additional support and any other help that may be needed for them to succeed in a general education classroom. Having inclusion in schools makes every child feel welcomed and apart of something bigger. This practice not only helps the child with disabilities but inclusion helps the children without disabilities. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the history, the pros and cons of inclusion and the next steps.
The majority of students with disabilities should be in an inclusive setting. These students are generally placed based on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Furthermore, the majority of these students are able to keep up academically with their peers, even
Many people seem to look past how learning-disabled students would feel to be placed in a mainstream classroom which includes students without disabilities rather than go to class in a segregated/special education classroom with only other students who also have learning disabilities. There are many researches constantly going on studying the effects of inclusion in classrooms to see if learning-disabled students achieve better in mainstream classes. Students with learning disabilities feel better about themselves when they are included in classes with their peers who don’t have learning disabilities.
Inclusion of all students in classrooms has been an ongoing issue for the past twenty-five years (Noll, 2013). The controversy is should special education students be placed in an inclusion setting or should they be placed in a special education classroom? If the answer is yes to all special education students being placed in inclusion, then how should the inclusion model look? Every students is to receive a free an appropriate education. According to the Individual Education Act (IDEA), all students should be placed in the Least Restrictive Learning Environment (Noll, 2013).
The idea of inclusion within a classroom tends to breed controversy from many people. Currently there is no clear consensus on a definition of inclusion (Heward, 2006). There are many different views on how students with disabilities should be handled. Those views ranged from students being fully included, partially included, or not included at all in mainstream schooling. Different descriptions of inclusion tend to reflect the person's own opinions towards it. People who feel students should not be included in the classroom focus on the negative characteristics of inclusion, such as the challenges of developing plans for students as well as the hard work it requires to incorporate those plans. However, studies show that full inclusion has many benefits to the students, for both students with disabilities as well as students without them. Inclusion has shown to improve the student's social skills, encourage communication, inspire laws and regulations, and improve the overall schooling experience (Gargiulo, 2012). Although it will take longer then some would like or have the patience for, full inclusion can be done in the classroom, with its benefits outweighing the hard work that it requires.
Parents always want the best for their children, and most importantly, they want the best education and the best environment. Deciding which school to place their child to get an education can at times be a hard decision. Education in general is a form of learning where the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are carried from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or even research. There are many types of education that schools offer to use in the classroom and inclusive education is one of them. Inclusive education in the classroom is incorporating students with disabilities in all, or some of the day, in a classroom with students without disabilities. Inclusion of students that have learning disabilities into regular general education classes has become a priority in many school districts. Many reasons supports providing opportunities for students with learning disabilities; to learn and interact with their peers that do not have disabilities, learn age- appropriate social skills, they’re more independent and acquire developmentally advanced skills, and develop friendships. The general education classrooms affect the achievement of the students as well as the social behavior. Placing disabled students in these classrooms affects many aspects of not only their lives, but the teachers and other students as well.
Inclusion, what does it really mean? Why is it used in the classroom today? How is it used? In this paper, I will discuss my understanding of inclusion, what it might look like in my classroom, and give a few of the positives and negatives that I consider important to know. An important fact to note is that inclusion is rooted in the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (IDEA) where the student with disabilities are to be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Although this Act does not specifically address inclusion, it falls under LRE. To start off let us look at my understanding of inclusion.
The philosophy of inclusive education has “brought about teams of general education and special education teachers working collaboratively or cooperatively to combine their professional knowledge, perspectives, and skills” (Ripley, 1997). Many approaches have been developed and researched over the years to determine best practices for inclusive education in public schools, which include mainstreaming and specialized schools. The challenge for educators and school systems is deciding which approach and strategies meets the individual needs all students in classrooms.