Mainstreaming and Inclusion of Exceptional Children? In an ever-changing world, the context of education continues to grow. The demand for higher, more diverse education often leaves teachers battling to acquire skills for improved classroom performance. It is crucial to recognize that the need for higher education is implied for all students, including those with special needs. “ The term mainstreaming was first used in the 1970’s and describes classrooms where students with disabilities and students who do not have disabilities are together (Mainstreaming in Classrooms, 2002. p. 1)”. Within special education the question of mainstreaming often arises as a solution for superior learning. Mainstream and inclusion programs have proven beneficial to all students, teachers and communities as a whole. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reformed in 1997 and calls for free and appropriate education for special needs students. The IDEA emphasizes a least restrictive environment, in which children with special needs are educated to the highest of their ability (). For many special needs children the highest level of appropriate education lies within mainstreaming. Participation in mainstream programs depends heavily upon the academic ability and social skills of each individual child. The Individual Education Plan is used to monitor the ability, progress and future goals of each student. “ Not only must the IEP contain a statement of how the child’s disability will affect participation in the general curriculum, but it must explain why any student will not be participating in the general classroom...“ (Moore, Gilbreath, Maiuri, 1998, P.3). There are many levels of special education, including ma... ... middle of paper ... ...sabilities in General Education Classrooms: A Summary of the Research. Retrieved October 30, 2002, from Http://interact.uoregon.edu/wrrc/AKInclusion.html Rush, M., Timmons, D., Holtsman, M., Medlock, L.(2002, April 15). Inclusion...Yours, Mine, Ours. Retrived October 31, 2002, from http://rushservices.com/Inclusion/hompage.htm Mainstreaming in Classrooms.(2002, May). Retrieved October 30, 2002, from http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=307&cat_id=20184&article_set=22988 McNamara, B., McNamara, F.(1995). Mainstreaming. Retrieved November 2, 2002, from http://www.parentsoup.com/edcentral/vocabulary/bsa070.html Should Special Needs Children be “Mainstreamed” or Sent to Seperate Classes? Retrieved October 31,2002, from http://www.parentsoup.com/offline/special/articles/0,8248,191748_170012,00.html
The Gaskin Settlement Agreement is an agreement between a group of families and advocacy organizations who filed a class action lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) on behalf of a group of children with disabilities in 1994. This agreement does not change a student’s placement, program, or IEP in any manner. Only the IEP team has the authority to make modifications that will impact a student’s IEP. The main goal of this settlement is to make sure that IEP teams will determine if the goals in a student’s IEP may be implemented in a general education setting with supplementary aids and services prior to considering an environment that is more restrictive in nature. The elements of this case were designed to help increase the capacity of school districts to provide related services, SDI that is appropriate, supplementary aids and services, and supports to students who have disabilities that are placed in general education classrooms. The PDE lists many important elements of the Settlement Agreement to be aware of...
That is, the IEP must document the student’s historical accomplishments and how their disability impacts their progress of the general curriculum. There should be annual goals, both academic and functional, that focus on what the student can reasonably accomplish. There should also be benchmarks that measure progress and communication processes that inform parents and other parties of the student’s progress. The IEP must identify which special education services will be used, such as supplementary aids and communication devices. The IEP must estimate how much of every school day will be spent separate from nondisabled
I chose to do my paper on students with Individualized Education Program’s for this fact alone. The majority of these students do not look any different from the other students. They want to be a part of the general education classroom setting. They may have mainstreaming and inclusion with IEP’s which makes the lives for these students more thriving. The main goal I have discovered in my reading of Individualized Education Program is placing the student at the center. The student is the main priority and their IEP focuses on meeting their educational needs. In reading, Inclusion and Mainstreaming I learned in the past, physically and mentally disabled children were often stricken form society and placed in separate institutions. This ended on November 29, 1975 when the Education for all Handicapped Children Act was signed. The Act required the government to provide ample funding for all handicapped children from ages 3-...
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.
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...
“The 1% of US students with labels of severe disabilities including mental retardation have been historically excluded from ‘inclusive’ education” (Bentley, 2008, p. 543). Laws such as PL 94-142 and “No Child Left Behind” (as cited in Bentley), say that ‘public school students with all types of disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment—‘to the maximum extent possible…with children who do not have disabilities’ the majority of these students with special education labels, such as, mental retardation and multiple disabilities are still isolated in special education classrooms (Bentley, 2008, p. 545). Wehmeyer (as cited in Bentley), points out that mere access does not promote authentic participation (Bentley, 2008, p. 546). Burkowski et al (as cited in Webster and Cater), “Friendship has been defined as a bond between two individuals that is stable across time and involves mutual affection, mutual preference and having fun together” (Webster and Carter, 2007, p. 201). It is up to parents, teachers and other paraprofessionals to seek ways to facilitate and encourage the types of positive interactions that will foster these types of friendships. If done successfully all students will benefit and there will be true inclusion.
Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology (2008). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.sage-ereference.com/educationalpsychology/Article_n139.html
For a special education student to be successful and reach their true potential, it takes a collaborative effort between both the special education and general education teacher. Both teachers need to have an understanding of each student’s disability and unique academic needs. Both teachers play vital roles in participating as part of the IEP team, providing professional input, and best practices to develop the student’s IEP, which will provide all stakeholders in the child’s education the accommodations and modifications for the special needs child to be successful in the
Understood.org provides great information on The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that protects children with disabilities and ensures that they receive free and appropriate public education (n. pag.). With the services under IDEA, parents are involved and have a voice in their child’s education. If schools find that a student has special needs after being evaluated, parents and the school work together to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is “a legal document that spells out a child’s educational goals, disabilities and the services and support that the school will provide” (n. pag.). With the growing awareness of disabilities in our society today, there are many resources out there for parents to access that can help them through difficult
PL 94-142 states that all disabled students are guaranteed a FAPE (free and public education). With this comes the formulation of an IEP (individualized education plan). This grants students a goal guided objective list for their education. The ...
Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires states to provide free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for every child regardless of disability. This federal law was the first to clearly define the rights of disabled children to receive special education services if their disability affects their educational performance. A parent of a special education student also has basic rights under IDEA including the right to have their child evaluated by the school district and to be included when the school district meets about the child or makes decisions about his or her education. If a child is identified as in need of special education services, the school district must devise a written individual education program (IEP) for the child, which includes related services. An IEP is a statement of a student’s special education and related services including speech services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling and assistive technology and transportation. In addition, this legally binding, individualized plan outlines reasonable educational goals for the student and is reviewed and updated yearly.
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 true purpose of school is to prepare children for their future in becoming lifelong learners and global citizens. For children with special needs, special education services prepare and provide support for them in dealing with the challenges they face daily. Laws such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has enforced schools to provide education to all children and reinforces the purpose of the school, which is to provide children the Least Restrictive Environment to help them develop to their optimal potential. There are myriad of concerns regarding inclusion’s effect on typical developing students, yet a research done by Bui, Quirk, Almazan, and Valenti shows that “[p]resence of students with disabilities results in greater number of typical students making reading and math progress compared to non-inclusive general education classes” (p. 3). Therefore, inclusion not only benefits children with disabilities, but it also benefits typical developing student’s academic skills and allows them to learn acceptance and respect for students with disabilities.
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.
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.