Inclusion Not Always the Answer

985 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What changes need to be made with inclusion in the classroom

In 2004 the federal government reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or (IDEA), which was originally established in 1975. Under the legislation, all students, including those with mental, physical and emotional disabilities, are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (“Education Commission of the States”, 2013). Since the implementation of the act many issues have arisen concerning special education programs in America’s public schools. One of the most important issues in special education is segregation. Segregation is the separation of individuals or groups of children (Reynolds, 1962). Many people argue that it is best for students with disabilities, special needs, and/or disadvantages to be taught in separate environments than “regular” or “gifted” students, while some say that the separation is holding these children back. There are a variety of programs that comprise special education and they vary `based on the needs of individual children, and the type of school itself. There are four main types of special education classrooms, and each has its supporters and critics, but all that matters is what makes the most sense for each child, because every child is different. There are inclusion classes, resource rooms, self-contained classes, and out of district placements. Many teachers and parents of special ed. students debate over the effectiveness of these different types of classrooms, especially between inclusive and self-contained classrooms. Upon first glance an inclusion classroom may seem to be the same as a regular education classroom, but there are some significant differences. Normally a regular education teacher and a special education teacher who work together teach the inclus... ... middle of paper ... ...ion. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.ecs.org/html/issue.asp?issueid=112 Glade, J. (2012, December 12). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Resource. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Resource. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://wwwbenifitsofresource.blogspot.com Reynolds, M. C. (n.d.). A Framework for Considering Some Issues in Special Education. mn.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://mn.gov/web/prod/static/mnddc/live/past/pdf/60s/62/62-FCS-MCR.pdf The Benefits of an Inclusion Classroom. (2008, November 4). School Psychologist Files. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.schoolpsychologistfiles.com/2008/11/the-benefits-of-an-inclusion-classroom.html What is Asperger's Syndrome? Symptoms, tests, Causes, Treatments. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome

Show More
Related

  • Inclusion in the Public School Classroom

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.

    Read More

  • Taking Sides: Inclusion

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Stout (2001) the concept of inclusion can be differentiated into mainstreaming, inclusion and full inclusion each describing the amount of time special education students become part of a normal education classes. “Inclusion is a term which expresses the commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent possible, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend” (definitions section, para. 2). This commitment is based on the belief that special needs students would profit from the regular classroom environment (Noll, 2014, p. 225). According to Stout (2001) research based evidence supports this belief as “Recent meta-analyses confirm a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcome of special needs students” (Research section, para. 3). There are many who also believe that inclusion is good for the overall class as it can teach empathy, and “teaches us to think about we rather than I” (Sapon-Shevin, 2008, p227). There are others however, who feel that “Contrary to some egalitarians, a good society honors those who through intelligent good will, artistic talent, athletic prowess, or plain honest hard work make our lives better” (Carpenter, 2008, p.235) and therefore believe that it is ok to think of “I” and not we.

    Read More

  • Minorities in Special Education

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    The education system is arguably the most beneficial system in the world; however, it also contains many controversial practices. Proper funding, discrimination, and curriculum are just some of the problems in today’s education system. Everyone has a different opinion about what is best for our children and it is impossible to please everyone. As long as the educational system is in tact, then there will be confusion and debate within the system and its’ administrators. The only thing that can be done is attempting to make it so that everyone will benefit equally, but this is much more difficult than one would assume. I will focus on the aspect of discrimination on minorities within special education and more specifically the following questions: Does the special education system discriminate against minorities? If so, how? What can be done, if anything, to correct or improve this system?

    Read More

  • Evolution of Early Childhood Special Education

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Various advocates have made changes towards Special Education over the past hundred years. These changes have made substantial improvements in Special Education, but could also be seen as challenges. As a preschool teacher in an inclusive classroom, I have personally seen the improvements and setbacks these changes have made for my students with disabilities and their families. In this essay, I will be discussing specifically the changes made in Early Childhood Special Education. There are three changes that I will discuss; changes made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Least Restrictive Environments (LRE) in an early childhood setting, and Early Intervention Programs (EIP).

    Read More

  • Essay On Special Education Inclusion

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Inclusion In Education Essay

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

    2994 Words  | 6 Pages

    Schools in today’s society are rapidly changing and growing striving to implement the best practices in their schools. Nonetheless, before a school can implement a program in their school, they need reliable evidence that the new program will work. A new program that schools are aiming to implement is inclusion in the classroom because of the benefits inclusion could bring. The implementation of inclusion is strongly connected by people’s attitudes whether they are positive or negative. However, while inclusion is being widely implemented, there is comparatively little data on its effectiveness. It may be that inclusion benefits some areas such as reading and social skills, more than it does others.

    Read More

  • Special Education: Examining the Pros and Cons of Inclusion in Education

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • inclusion

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    When researching the topic of inclusion, one will more than likely find an equal amount of in favor and opposing arguments. To come to a clear consensus, it is important to review each side of the argument. There are a great deal of educators, researchers, and psychologists who argue that inclusion is not in the best interest of the child, and should not be practiced in today’s school systems.

    Read More

  • Paraprofessional Special Education

    694 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and also known as IDEA, students with visual and hearing impairments are entitled to have access to a general curriculum as well as continuous assessments of their progress (Klein, 2012). IDEA dictates that such students should be educated together with their fellow non-disabled peers with appropriate support and services and that the school they learn in should take full responsibility for their objective directed learning. In addition, such schools should assure parents of the disabled children of procedural and substantive rights in terms of informing them the special services provided and the settings in which they are provided in (Klein, 2012). The range of special education services

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Improving Special Education

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the past years, there is no topic that is more controversial between parents, teachers and administrators than inclusion. A school system's main objective throughout the year is to help their students succeed. School administrators strive to see their students succeed in school, and also continue to become better human beings. One way a school system can ensure their students will become better students in and outside a classroom is through the new system of inclusion. Inclusion in the classroom should be implemented throughout all the school systems because of the benefits it gives for both students with disabilities and students without disabilities.

    Read More

  • Inclusive Instructional Practices

    2823 Words  | 6 Pages

    Stainback, S., & Stainback, W. (1996). Inclusion: A guide for educators. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

    Read More

  • Inclusion Of A Special Education Classroom

    1880 Words  | 4 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Inclusion in the Classroom

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • People with Disabilities Need Inclusion

    2230 Words  | 5 Pages

    Inclusion does not only benefit the student, but the parents, teachers, school and the community. It is about understanding additional needs rather than ignoring them and allowing the student every chance that students without difficulties/disabilities have available to them

    Read More

More about Inclusion Not Always the Answer

Open Document