Roles of Inclusion in Special Needs Education

Introduction to Inclusive Education

In an inclusive educational setting, all types of students — including those with special needs and those who are disabled — are educated in the same classroom rather than being segregated. For an inclusive classroom to work properly, a special education instructor should collaborate with a general education instructor to ensure that the needs of students with disabilities are fully met (Wapling, 2016). The work of the special education teacher is determined by the needs of those students and by how much the two teachers must complement each other's efforts. This paper examines the roles of inclusion for special needs students and students with disabilities in education.

In the last decade, the idea of an inclusion classroom has gradually replaced the concept of separate special needs education. Inclusion is fundamentally about non-exclusion (Bines, 2012). It is about ensuring that an education system embraces all children without consideration for their linguistic, social-emotional, intellectual, or physical differences — accommodating everyone. An inclusive classroom should therefore include children from all backgrounds, children who are differently abled, and children who are intellectually challenged (Bines, 2012).

Lesson Planning and Specialized Instruction

The ideal inclusive classroom is one in which both the general education teacher and the special education instructor are involved together in lesson planning. They draft lesson plans designed to meet the needs of all learners. While both teachers participate in planning, the special education instructor focuses on ensuring that the needs of differently abled children are met. In other cases, the general teacher writes the lesson plan, and their special education counterpart adapts it to meet the needs of students with special needs.

A classroom with two teachers inevitably requires a different approach to evaluating competency. Teaching is a competency-based profession in which a teacher-trainee must gain the required skills, values, and knowledge to successfully complete an education program. How much direct teaching a special education instructor provides in an inclusion classroom depends on a variety of factors. For instance, in some inclusion classes, the general teacher and the special education teacher may take turns leading instruction (Singal, 2008), alternating daily or every few days. When not instructing the entire class, the special education teacher may provide one-on-one help and assistance to students with special needs or to any other students who require it. The special education instructor is not required to be present in the classroom every day.

Classroom Management in Inclusive Settings

Although a special education instructor is primarily in an inclusion class to focus on learners with special needs, the instructor also shares responsibility for helping manage the classroom. The same respect accorded to the general teacher must also be given to the special education teacher. In an ideal inclusive classroom, the special education instructor can help establish classroom routines and rules and create a climate that enables all learners — including those with special needs — to learn effectively. The special education instructor must also monitor student behavior and provide appropriate discipline when necessary.

According to Haddad (2009), general education teachers have an important role to play in guaranteeing the success of inclusive education. Regardless of how strong the educational infrastructure is or how well-crafted the educational policies are, inclusive education will not succeed without the meaningful participation of general education teachers. Only when general education teachers actively provide quality instruction to students with special needs will mainstreaming of inclusive education be achieved.

General education teachers must provide high-quality instruction, full support, and one-on-one assistance to students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. According to Choi (2010), teachers must also be provided with the support they need from special education instructors, school principals, and parents in order to overcome challenges and improve the academic achievement of all students in their classrooms. Since the general education teacher spends the most time with students who have special needs, it is up to that teacher to find creative and innovative ways to meet the emotional, social, and educational needs of every child. The teacher must also be committed to the success of the program and become as resourceful as possible to ensure all children are well supported.

A supportive classroom environment has a considerable positive effect on the learning outcomes of students with special needs. According to Choi (2010), general education teachers should be competent enough to make appropriate psychosocial changes to their classroom environments, ensuring those environments serve as enablers rather than barriers to effective instruction of differently abled learners. In addition to creating supportive learning environments, teachers must also be willing to make changes to the physical classroom infrastructure — including desks, temperature, lighting, and teaching aids — so that the classroom setting is as inclusive and welcoming as possible (Haddad, 2009).

It is also very important that students with special needs are positioned appropriately within the classroom. Depending on the individual child's needs, the teacher should place the student where they can be easily monitored and supported. This is more straightforward at the primary or elementary school level. At the high school level, however, it must be handled more tactfully, as most students with special needs who reach that level often do not want to be singled out (Choi, 2010). Nonetheless, it remains the teacher's duty to exercise authority and to adapt both the physical and psychosocial environments to ensure the effective learning of all students (Choi, 2010).

Conclusion

Inclusive education can be a game changer in our educational system. It gives disabled learners and students with special needs the opportunity to receive the same quality of education — and the same breadth of experience — as their peers. Nevertheless, general education teachers may at first need the support of special educators to run their inclusive classrooms effectively. Over time, they will also need retraining to acquire the skills and dispositions needed to successfully adapt both the physical and psychosocial environments of their classrooms, transforming them into enablers rather than barriers to quality education for students with special needs.

General education teachers must also prepare for the challenges that come with embracing differently abled students and commit to continuously finding creative solutions. Support structures, collaborative planning, and a willingness to change are all essential. The CDC's resources on disability inclusion highlight the broader societal importance of making environments accessible and welcoming to all — a principle equally applicable in educational settings. Mainstreaming inclusive classrooms is achievable, but only when teachers, administrators, and families work together with sustained commitment.

References

Bines, H. (2012). The long road to inclusive education for disabled children. Implementing Inclusive Education, 1(1), 309–322.

Choi, E. (2010). A case study of an early childhood inclusive program: Teacher professional development and collaboration.

Haddad, C. (2009). Teaching children with disabilities in inclusive settings. UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. ISBN 978-92-9223-244-3.

Singal, N. (2008). Working towards inclusion: Reflections from the classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(6), 1516–1529.

Wapling, L. (2016). Inclusive education and children with disabilities: Quality education for all in low- and middle-income countries. A systematic literature review commissioned by CBM.