Is Inclusion the Answer? 

The term inclusion means to place students with disabilities of both high and low incidence in a general education classroom with their peers that have no disabilities. There are different types of inclusion models such as partial inclusion, regular inclusion, and full inclusion.  For the topic of my blog, I will discuss the pros and cons of full inclusion.  The premise of full inclusion is basically that all students can and do learn in the same learning environment in one classroom.  Many supporters of inclusion believe that we can learn from each other as well as learn to respect each other and our diversities. 

Some people believe inclusion works because children are provided with positive role models.  Inclusion allows us to accept diversity of people.  With inclusion, students with disabilities are prepared to learn about how to live and try to become self sufficient.  Students with disabilities, learning in a full inclusion class, are more prepared to face challenges they may later meet in life.  It is believed that students with disabilities gain socially when learning with their peers.  Friends are made and cooperation between people takes place.

On the other hand, some people do not believe inclusion works.  Often children with disabilities are placed in classrooms of untrained professionals.  There are often times when the school system does not support the general education teacher with the assistance of another teacher in the classroom.  A major complaint is that many feel the general education teacher does not have time to teach all the other students in the class as she/he is catering to the student with special needs.  With inclusion the general education teacher and special education teacher need common planning times that are pre-established.  There should be, but often not, less students in the classroom.  There also needs to be collaboration about the curriculum between both professionals.  Often this is not the case. 

I feel for inclusion to truly work there needs to be support personnel in place.  There also needs to be good, professional development training for both the special education and the general education teacher.  With a good support system and proper training inclusion can and does work.  Ferguson states, “All students should simply be included, by right, in the opportunities and responsibilities of public schooling.”

http://www.weac.org/Issues_Advocacy/Resource_Pages_On_Issues_one/Special_Education/special_education_inclusion.aspx