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Positives and negatives of inclusion in special education
Challenges of inclusive education
Challenges of inclusive education
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Combining students attending traditional education classes and students with exceptionalities is commonly termed as mainstreaming or integration. Inclusion is “the act or practice of including students with disabilities in regular school classes” as defined in Webster's dictionary (Webster, 2003). Ro Vargo was fortunate enough to have parents who closely monitored the learning environment and advocated for their daughter. They followed her education each step of the way. She continued to build on positive responses and outcomes during her educational experiences of inclusion to build her resiliency and reduce the impact of risk.
History has shown that when pushing for more changes in curriculum models to include inclusion, the benefits are apparent for all students in the classroom. However, inclusion is not a one size fits all solution. Some students cannot work in the same classroom as other students, as there are too many distractions created by their peers. Other students may excel in an inclusive setting. Learning and working in the same classroom with peers helps them learn valuable academic and social skills. Each child has to be evaluated on an individual basis to decide optimal placement of inclusion variation (??? ).
Inclusion can create an atmosphere for optimal adaptation in many cases. In comparing and contrasting information gathered from “From my Friend, Ro Vargo” (Villa & Thousand, 2005) and Disorders of Childhood Development and Psychopathology (Parritz & Troy, 2004) the examples show that “the best of what is possible” (Parritz & Troy, 2004, p. 3) is an ideal outcome for exceptional students through the process of academic integration.
The essential needs of every child begin with six basic needs: the need for ...
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...ed from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inclusion. McLeskey, J., & Waldron, N. L. (2011). Educational Programs for Elementary Students with
Learning Disabilities: Can They Be Both Effective and Inclusive? Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 26(1), 48-57. From the ebscohost.com database.
Ostmeyer, K., & Scarpa, A. (2012). Examining School-Based Social Skills Program Needs and
Barriers for Students with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Participatory Action Research. Psychology in the Schools, 49(10), 932-941. From the ebscohost.com database.
Parritz, R. H., & Troy, M. (2014). Disorders of childhood: development and psychopathology
(2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Villa, R. A., & Thousand, J. S. (2005). Creating an inclusive school (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Shapiro, Art. "Special Education Inclusion, Making it Work." 2005. Education World. 27 March 2011 .
Educators can have strong feelings on the subject because having special needs students in a regular classroom can have a large impact on the classroom community. Those who believe in inclusive classrooms realize that, to be successful, it requires allot of classroom management and differentiated instruction, but feel the benefits are worth the work involved. Those who do not believe in inclusion feel that it leads to “l...
Peterson, J. Michael and Hittie, Marie Michael. Inclusive Teaching : Creating Effective Schools for All Learners. Pearson Publishing. (2003)
In order for inclusion to be implemented properly it is important that teachers, parents, and administrators to know the definition of inclusion. An inclusion program means that the student spends all or most of their school time in the general education classroom rather than a self-contained classroom. However, the students will still receive the support and interventions they would have received in a self-contained classroom. There are different types of inclusive classrooms where different types of teaching occur. There is co-teaching where there is both a general education teacher and a special education teacher that co teach. Both will work with students that have an individualized education plan (IEP) and the student will receive more support. In addition, an inclusive classroom can have a general education teacher but has the special education teacher as a resource or aid, which qualifies as a collaborative model of inclusion.
Retrieved Feb 6, 2010 from http://www.newsforparents.org/experts_. Inclusion_pros_cons.html Villa, Richard A., Thousand, Jacqueline S. (1995). Creating an inclusive school environment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Card, Toby.
Inclusion requires much planning, and an enourmous amount of collaboration throughout the year. This collaboration is not only between teachers and building staff, but also inclusive of parents, family members and communities.
In this essay I will reflect upon the inclusive learning environment, i intend on reflecting this by researching, reading, extending my own knowledge and a recent exemplar visit. The main issues i have chosen to cover throughout this essay are inclusion, children’s learning and the environment. Issues i will also cover are Special Educational Needs (SEN), Every Child Matters (EMC), Diversity and legislations. I intend on doing this by arguing, analyzing and discussing the inclusive learning environment. Inclusive learning environments can be varied from the school environment to the home environment. Both having a significant impact to a child’s learning. The environment within schools needs to be stimulating, creative and enjoyable for all children to learn in. Effective classroom organization, interaction between both staff and children are essential to the inclusive learning environment.
Inclusion is not a new idea, but has been rapidly gaining momentum within many disciplines internationally. Inclusive education is a term often associated with special education, and children with additional needs. However, inclusive education is about ensuring that educational settings allow for meaningful participation by all learners. Each child has their own unique identity, ways of doing things, strengths and weaknesses. Ministry of Education [MoE] (1998) states that teachers “should recognise that as all students are individuals, their learning may call for different approaches, different resourcing, and different goals” (p. 39, emphasis added).
Inclusion 'mainstreams' physically, mentally, and multiply disabled children into regular classrooms. In the fifties and sixties, disabled children were not allowed in regular classrooms. In 1975 Congress passed the Education of all Handicapped Students Act, now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA mandates that all children, regardless of disability, had the right to free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Different states have different variations of the law. Some allow special needs students to be in a regular education classroom all day and for every subject, and others allow special education students to be in a regular education classroom for some subjects and in a separate classroom for the rest. There are many different views on inclusive education. In this paper I will address some of the positive and negative views on inclusion and ways to prepare educators for inclusive education.
My future classroom will be an environment that is welcoming and engaging with activities that will enhance and encourage each child’s development and learning. Inclusion is difficult, even for adults. Yet without the implementation of inclusion, students are deprived of the opportunity to interact with a variety of people and learn acceptance and respect. It means to make everyone feel loved and accepted just the way they are. Having an inclusion environment will help children grow up to be better adults and citizens of tomorrow.
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.
Inclusion in classrooms is defined as combining students with disabilities and students without disabilities together in an educational environment. It provides all students with a better sense of belonging. They will enable friendships and evolve feelings of being a member of a diverse community (Bronson, 1999). Inclusion benefits students without disabilities by developing a sense of helping others and respecting other diverse people. By this, the students will build up an appreciation that everyone has unique yet wonderful abilities and personalities (Bronson, 1999). This will enhance their communication skills later in life. Inclusive classrooms provide students with disabilities a better education on the same level as their peers. Since all students would be in the same educational environment, they would follow the same curriculum and not separate ones based on their disability. The main element to a successful inclusive classroom, is the teachers effort to plan the curriculum to fit all students needs. Teachers must make sure that they are making the material challenging enough for students without special needs and understandable to students with special needs. Inclusive classrooms are beneficial to students with and without special needs.
Inclusion is a basic human right for all students and differences are what make us unique. These differences should be embraced, not shunned. A student with extra educational needs may very well be capable of great things, but only if we, the educators, allow them the chance to be. Inclusion is the way forward
To be truly inclusive teachers, we need to first know the student and identify the real reasons for any individual to be classified as having a learning disability.
Special education has undergone immense changes through the years. Research and studies on the debate of whether or not inclusion is appropriate for special education students is just beginning to cultivate. The question has always been, what is best for these students? Schools and teachers are becoming leaders in the exploration of new paths, in search of new teaching styles and techniques. Mainstreaming or inclusion at the middle school and high school level, which is educating students with special needs in regular classes with their non-disabled peers, has proven to be beneficial for the special education students cognitive and social developmental needs. It can not only benefit the handicapped student but all students in the classroom.