Inclusion, Which Calls for Integration of Students

¶ … inclusion, which calls for integration of students with disabilities to the regular classroom/education system in the United States. Specifically, it will provide arguments in favor of using full inclusion in the classroom. What's so special about special education? The children and what they can learn from educational experiences with their peers, that's what's special. Including special education students in the classroom benefits everyone, from the teachers, to the students, to the parents.

FULL INCLUSION

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) first discussed the issue of full inclusion of students with disabilities in 1975. The act guaranteed "free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment" for all children with disabilities. In 1991, the act was amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, the act did not mandate full inclusion, and the courts have ruled on several different conceptions of the Act and its meaning. Schools are not required to provide full inclusion to students, and many do not, for a variety of reasons, including funding, lack of teacher training, and even misinterpretation of the term.

Arguments against full inclusion in the classroom are often difficult to dispute, and yet, numerous school districts around the nation have met the challenges of full inclusion, and have developed successful and viable programs for their students. Clearly, the issue of full inclusion is not a simple one. Schools must prepare to include all students in the classroom experience. Teachers must be fully trained, and there must be special support staff available. To meet these needs, there must be funding available from the government to subsidize the training and hiring of trained staff, along with additional training for the current staff.

Countless educators, parents, and school officials all feel full inclusion has a variety of benefits, especially if the children are educated in their "home schools," i.e., they do not have to be transported to another school in the district that is removed from their own neighborhood. One study showed:

educating all students with severe intellectual disabilities in their home schools, had at least four benefits. These benefits include (a) preparation to function in a pluralistic society, (b) naturalistic educational settings that would provide contextually meaningful opportunities for skill acquisition, - proximity to families for optimal access to the school community, and (d) the opportunity for the development of social relationships that can transcend the boundaries of the school day (Kozleski and Jackson 153).

The argument that disabled students do not assimilate to the classroom environment or make friends with their peers has been refuted by a study in Denver, CO that followed a severely disabled student through third, fourth, and fifth grades named Taylor. At the end of each school year, the authors of the study interviewed each of her schoolmates, asking a variety of non-Taylor specific questions about interacting with their peers.

The study revealed Taylor's peers accepted her, and she enjoyed a good relationship with the entire class. "When viewed collectively, these data describe an individual who experienced a consistently positive set of relationships with her peers" (Kozleski and Jackson 164). In fact, one student remarked, "Taylor has pulled our class together. This class is better because they work together more and share opinions and so they know how to work together. It's a better year because we share'" (Kozleski and Jackson 162). There was some additional effort made at the beginning of the school year to make students aware of Taylor and her special needs, however, the teachers concentrated on classroom learning and skill building, and did not overly stress Taylor or her presence in the class.

Aiding full inclusion in the classroom is the development of specialized assertive devices for disabled students. Many of these devices were developed specifically for use in the classroom environment. There are devices for reading Braille, typing while the student dictates into the machine, and speaking computers that translate text into spoken words. There are also software programs that "help people with learning disabilities read and write more efficiently and productively" (Steele-Carlin). The devices help disabled students assimilate into the classroom, and keep up with their classmates in written and oral assignments. Parents may provide some devices, while others may be provided by the school district. As more of these devices become available, it should be markedly easier for disabled students to learn and participate in the classroom.

Teachers of course play an integral role in the success of the disabled student in the classroom. Many feel they are not suitably prepared for instructing the disabled, and feel full inclusion has been "pushed" on them (Crockett and Kauffman 143). Studies have show, not unexpectedly, that teachers with some kind of background or knowledge in special education issues are more effective with disabled students in the classroom, and teachers often pursue this background as part of their continuing education requirements. The most effective teachers also use a wide variety of techniques in the classroom.

Effective teachers in general and special classes have been found to use a variety of elements of instruction, including teacher-directed instruction with individual feedback; student opportunities for active academic responses; high rates of contingent reinforcement; adaptive teaching strategies to accommodate individual differences; a high rate of interaction among students, teachers, and peers; instruction at a brisk pace and in small steps; progressive goals to 100% mastery; structured lessons; strategy instruction; and computer-assisted instruction (Crockett and Kauffman 144).

The family unit is also extremely important in the successful integration of disabled students in the general classroom. "Taylor's story suggests that families must take a leadership role in generalizing the relationships developed in class to the neighborhood" (Kozleski 196). Taylor's mother initiated after school playtime at her house for Taylor and some of her friends. Many of the students said in interviews that they enjoyed visiting Taylor's house, and would rather go there than most others for after school play. After a while, Taylor's mother stopped inviting the students, and they came to the house of their own accord. Taylor's parents also were extremely involved in asking for feedback from the teachers and the principal of the school. They were involved in their daughter's education, and the entire staff acknowledged it was an important part of Taylor's educational growth and success.

Parent and community involvement are essential ingredients -- perhaps the most crucial components -- of building stronger schools," Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley told reporters at a news conference at which new PTA standards for parental involvement were released (Crockett and Kauffman 172).