Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities

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Inclusive School Communities One of the most significant and controversial trends in education today is the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities into general education classrooms. Inclusion refers to the practice of educating all students regardless of disability in the same classroom as students without disabilities. Though the term is relatively new, the underlying principle is not, and reflects the belief that students with disabilities should be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE), or as close to the mainstream of general education as possible. The LRE principle is one of the key components of federal special education law. Advocates of inclusion believe that in most cases, if not all, the LRE for …show more content…

Among others, arguments against the inclusion of students with severe disabilities include the following. 1. Students with severe disabilities have significant educational needs that cannot be met in the general education classroom but need to be provided in “special education” classrooms (Hallahan and Kaufffman, 2003). The education of students with severe disabilities in the general education classroom disregards the individual needs of the student. 2. The inclusion of students with severe disabilities may be detrimental to the education of students without disabilities. That is, that the time and other needs of students with severe disabilities may mean that there is less time for the education of students without disabilities, or even those with less severe disabilities (Delisle, 1994). 3. There is no research that supports improved learning or increased socialization skills for students with significant disabilities resulting from inclusion (O'Neil, …show more content…

Reduced Fear of Human Differences Staub and her associates (Peck et al, 1982) found that students without disabilities reported a reduced fear of human differences as a result of regular interaction with students with disabilities and that this was accompanied by increased comfort and awareness. One student states, If I had one thing to say to everybody, I would say, ‘Don’t be scared of students with disabilities-get to know them even if it takes a long time because it is really worth it’ (p. 38) Staub also states that parents of elementary aged students reported that not only did their children become less fearful of people who looked or behaved differently but that they themselves felt more comfortable with differences because of their children’s experiences. 2. Increased Social Cognition Staub also cites an ethnographic study by Murray-Seegert (1989) that high school students not only reported increased tolerance of others as a result of interaction with those with severe disabilities, but also had more positive feelings about self after spending time helping classmates with severe disabilities. 3. Improvement in

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