Inclusion And Philosophy Of Early Childhood Special Education

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Inclusion and Philosophy of Early Childhood Special Education
Every child has the right to receive an education in a welcoming and inclusive environment where they are given the opportunity to grow emotionally, physically, socially, and intellectually regardless of their differences. I believe education is the foundation a child needs to grow and learn, and inclusion is a key ingredient in the makeup of the learning environment. Without the implementation of inclusion, students are deprived of the opportunity to learn acceptance, respect, and growth from their interaction with a variety of people with differing skills and perspectives.
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.
The role of the teacher and...

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...s together like a buddy system will give them the chance to learn from each other. It allows the typically developing child to learn how to be sensitive to the child with disabilities’ needs and make him/her feel welcomed. The child with disabilities will also be able to observe and learn self-help skills from typical developing child.
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.

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