The Inclusion of Special Needs Children

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Defining inclusion is not an easy task. Weighing the merits of inclusion is an even more complicated dilemma. From the readings and my own personal experiences, I believe inclusion is the appropriate integration of individuals with special needs into classrooms, as long as the individual does not put themselves, or anyone else, in danger or cause excessive disruptions. There are numerous strengths and weakness with inclusion. Tompkins and Delaney argue that the United States was built on the principles of freedom and equal opportunity. Students who are “special" more often than not have lower expectations and self-esteem than those in regular classrooms (Tompkins and Delaney). It is often said that students are placed in special education classes in order to learn basic skills; however, upon exiting the school system many kids in contained classrooms have not even accomplished the basic skills of appropriate behavior or become socialized (Kunc). They are not ready to be a part of mainstream society (Kunc). Tompkins and Delaney, along with Sapon-Shevin, state that inclusive c...

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