http://www.ncmsa.net/ressum14.htm
Is Full Inclusion Desirable?
We have learned a lot about LRE (least restrictive environment) and it's importance in education student with disabilities. However, is most the schools we go to the students are confined in their own classroom just for students with severe disabilities? Is this the best environment for them? What are the implications of including student in a regular education classroom? Article 1 and Article 2 talk about some of the implications that full inclusion can have on teachers, and students with or without disabilities. As a future teacher would you prefer to teach your students in your own classroom or send them to mainstream classrooms? I know we all want the best for our future students, but we also have to think about all the individuals impacted by the decision of inclusion.
I have a hard time with general questions like this because I feel like they do not fully take into consideration the fact that every single student is different and is in a unique situation. I firmly believe that these decisions need to be made on a case by case basis because it really depends on how each person reacts in different situations and how severe their disability is, etc. In general though, I think that wherever possible it is a good idea to work out a way for the students to have a chance at joining mainstream classrooms. Not only does this help the other students through exposure to students with disabilities, but it also helps the specific student because he or she is able to work on social skills with others and maybe have more examples on how to behave in public that can be helpful. Again, this is all depending on how severe the student's disability is but it can be beneficial to have them with the mainstream classrooms during parts of the school day.
ReplyDeleteI think inclusion is very beneficial to both the student with the disability, as well as to those without. Putting children with disabilities in a regular education classroom helps them develop social skills that they may not develop being in a special education classroom all day. Also, it is beneficial to those without disabilities because it allows them to get to know the children with disabilities and see some of their strengths. I did a paper for one of my classes on inclusion and some of the research I found was that having students with disabilities in general education classroom does not disrupt the education teaching time for other students in the classroom. Overall, I think inclusion is a great process, however, if you have an individual with severe disabilities, where you know inclusion is not the best option- that they should stay in the special education classroom all day- then they should not be placed in an included classroom. Inclusion is great, and I am definitely for it. There are so many benefits to many individuals; however, it depends student to student.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a very valid point that the issue of inclusion affects both the students with disabilities as well as those without, as well as the teachers, both general and special educators. This really is something that, as the article stated, school policy or not, really needs to be decided on an individual basis. There really is no way to make a "general decision." The other idea stated in one of the articles was that which ever decision is made, the majority of students should benefit. I have worked with both types of classes, and I have seen the pros and cons with each. If there was a way to look at certain times of the day/subjects being taught that would be more beneficial for the students, that is one solution to full or no inclusion. It really is a matter of what would be beneficial for all the students involved.
ReplyDeleteStudents with severe disabilities aren't going to typically learn what they need to in a general classroom. If, for example, a student isn't able to dress himself without help, then sitting in a history class learning about ancient Rome isn't going to do anything for him, because its not something he will ever use. But it depends on each individual student, as does pretty much everything in special education. Every student's IEP has the extent that he or she will participate in the general curriculum, and for the most part, I doubt that taking general classes would really help them all that much. Each student has different needs so whatever is best should be done.
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ReplyDeleteI have to say that I believe in inclusion, but not entirely. I believe that our students need to be educated in a restrictive environment as well as an inclusive one. When included in a general Ed classroom they are not able to have the one-on-one attention that most of our student’s require. In addition, I also think that the General Ed teacher does not necessarily have the skills we do for teaching our students. As Article I pointed out students need to be evaluated before they are placed into an inclusive environment. It may not be the best choice for them even if it is the morally right choice. I have worked in several situations in which our students were placed in General Ed classrooms and it was beneficial for some, but not all. Often we had to go and get certain students and bring them back to class. I do think that the best method was to send a peer tutor with them if available. Several of our students (junior high) attended choir, foods, ceramics, computers, etc… but were escorted by a peer tutor of the same grade who would remain with them until the class was over. Overall, I think that inclusion should be the goal for all of our students, but not entire inclusion. Entire inclusion I do not believe is in the best interest of the student. However, I do believe that occasional and structured inclusion benefits both students with and without disabilities.
ReplyDeleteWhile i firmly believe that those with disabilities should be treated as equals I believe, along with many others that the inclusion of those with disabilities into a general education classroom should be considered individually and case-by-case. Each child and their situation is unique to them and for some being included in a regular general ed class is the best option and the LRE, but for some the general ed class my not be beneficial at all. I think it is important to include those with disabilities into the general ed class for multiple reasons. It challenges the students and doesn't limit them in a way that being excluded could. It also is beneficial for the non-disabled students as well. I feel that if the child's situation allows and if it is the best option for that student and the other students involved than they should be included into the general education classroom. One thing the teacher could consider is having an aid or tutor work with them in the general ed classroom as needed. I think inclusion is important and should be implemented if it is the best option for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI like the thought of inclusion to a certain point. I think that it is important to have kids with disabilities in a classroom with other kids but not all of the special needs students classes in a general classroom they do need to have their own class for students with disabilities. In my high school we had peer tutors who would go with special needs students to a general classroom for one class period and then they would come back to the special need classroom and work their IEP goals and like their math. Everyday the special needs students looked forward to going and being with the other students in the school and the other students in the school loved having them in their classes as well. It helped out a lot. I do think inclusion is beneficial and is needed for at least one class period, weather it be art or music or PE. but you do need to have a separate classroom on the side so the student can learn and get there full education on their own individual level. And each situation is different for each student so it is up to the teach to evaluate the situation.
ReplyDeleteI think segregation is such an ugly word. I think sometimes LRE is definitely having separate classrooms, it does not necessarily mean that the students are segregated. Sometimes students need to be in a separate classroom because they will receive better instruction in smaller groups, and have a smaller student to teacher ratio. However I think that Inclusion is also very important for both the student with special needs and the general population of students. I know from my experience growing up that inclusion programs were always so much fun and everybody in the school loved spending time with the special education students and they loved spending time with us and I think they learnt a lot with with us too. I know I did a music inclusion program when I was 14 and this was what inspired me to go into special education. However many students with severe special needs get overwhlemed being around many people. So I think it depends on the student and in most cases there should be some sort of balance.
ReplyDeleteI believe that inclusion can be a very powerful tool in educating both students with and without disabilities. However, I think the severity of the disability will determine whether inclusion is the best course of action. I have been in several classrooms where students with disabilities are not incorporated in the classes but they participate in an activity at the same time as another class. For example, a class of students with disabilities played badminton with the general PE class but they were at a separate court from other students. At my high school, I think the school should have done better at including the students with disabilities. They were separated in every way except when invited to eat lunch or play with the other students. There is a balance to inclusion and it really depends on the severity of the disability.
ReplyDeleteInclusion, used in the right way is a wonderful idea for students with disabilities; however, it is not for everyone. Unfortunately, some disabilities are so severe that the students can not be included in the general education classes. A child with a mild disability is going to benefit greatly from being in an environment where he or she can interact with peers, this type of interaction can even be beneficial in the long run to the progression of the student and overcoming the disability. On the other side, attempting to include a student with a severe of profound disability is going to negatively impact the classroom environment for the general ed students. Really, a decision like this one needs to be made with all things taken into consideration.
ReplyDeleteI think that Inclusion sounds like such a great idea but I do not think that it is the easiest idea to implement. There are so many different levels of disability and there are some people that could do great in an inclusive classroom. It would benefit them and their classmates. However, I believe that if inclusion were implemented across the board it could harm some students with disabilities. Some students are not ready to be put in an inclusive classroom and they fall further behind. It would be great if everyone could be put in one classroom and feel included and progress but I do not think that it is possible. I also think that it would be hard on the teachers. They would have to spend a greater amount of time devoted to the one student with disabilities. Thus it would have a negative effect on the whole classroom. Like I stated before, I like the idea of Inclusion I just do not believe that it is really applicable across the board for students with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very tough subject because you want what is best for all of the students, disabled or not. You do not want to slow down the classroom because one student isn't keeping up with the normal pace and you don't want to speed up the class for a student who is moving above the normal rate. It is the teacher's responsibility to find a happy medium for the class. I don't think you can say all classes should have full inclusion or all classes should be seperate. It is unique to each situation because each child is different. It is very important to consider each child's needs and to make the classroom setting a place where each student can succeed to the fullest. I believe inclusion, when carried out appropriately, can benefit everyone in the classroom. The students with disabiilites can feel more included in the school and develop life skills. Students without disabilities can learn patience and learn to accept everyone in an inclusive classroom. It can be beneficial if all students needs are being met.
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world, every student would be fully immersed in a general education setting. In the real world, however, some students cannot experience this full inclusion. Even though we would like all students with disabilities to be involved as much as possible, it may not be the wisest choice to make. Many students have severe disabilities that require much attention. If we, as educators, become too focused on including our students, we may forfeit the specialized instruction that many of these students need. Having students with severe needs may also affect the rest of the students in the general education class. Because their disability can demand a lot of attention, the other students and their teacher may be too focused on caring for them and less focused on learning the material. Inclusion is something that should always be sought after, but should not be put before the academic progress of each student.
ReplyDeleteSo, basically I just typed a REALLY long response that got deleted. Here is the gist of it.
ReplyDeleteWe have been learning about this subject a lot the past 2 semesters. This is a hard decision that the teachers and parents must make. There are affordances and constraints to each option, whether the student is placed in a GE classroom or placed in a SpEd inclusive classroom.
Affordances: If placed in a GE classroom, the student has the opportunity to gain skills such as keeping up at a more regular pace and social interaction. If placed in a SpEd classroom the student is able to work at a pace that is more conducive to their learning style and limits embarrassment of seeming slow/less smart than the rest.
Constraints: If placed in a GE classroom, the student may fail at keeping up with the rest of the students. If placed in a SpEd classroom, the student may be limited in social interaction and other areas of school development.
Basically, I believe that this decision has to be made on a case by case basis. There is not blanket "Always put the student in ____ setting" because different students will succeed at different things. C:
Decisions about a student's level of inclusion should always be personal and unique to each individual student. Some students' disabilities may be so severe that they would not benefit from inclusion or even partial inclusion. For others, however, inclusion may be the factor that enables them to live a more involved and self-sustaining life. I strongly believe that if inclusion is even the smallest bit possible, it should be done. I have seen the lengths my mother has taken to include my youngest sister as much as possible, and it has paid off immensely. My sister is in a self-contained classroom for all academic classes, but then goes to a regular education class for chorus, dance, and swim. These classes in which she is included with her nondisabled peers give her the friendships, interaction, and confidence that she needs to better communicate and understand the world around her. I believe that her high level of functioning is directly correlated with the high level of involvement she has had in and outside of school.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that students with disabilities should be included in less restricted class rooms I also believe there are times when it is best that they be placed in a classroom that is specifically for students with severe disabilities. At the school I volunteer at the students with severe disabilities are able to mainstream for the elective classes such as art and music but for the class such as life skills and math they are taught in a class room specically for students with severe disabilities. I feel like this is a good approach because in these small classrooms they are able to get one on one assistance and recieve the individualized education that they need since each of them work better in different ways. I also feel that allowing these students to mainstream during elective class is great because it allows them to socialize and not if like they are not included or involved with there fellow peer in school.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this entire issue can only be debated or figured out on a student-by-student basis. Any generalization is too vague to include the tiny parts of the student/classroom/school scenarios that a teacher is faced with every single day.
ReplyDeleteIt all boils down to the student and what them and their parents need. No student's education is perfect and it's up to the entire IEP team to figure out how to create the best learning environment for a particular student. Sometimes inclusion is great, but it can come upon the student just so their parent can say "My disabled child is taking AP English!" - other times it's a great thing, with the parents saying "My disabled child is being welcomed into the school choir class! I know this is going to be a great opportunity for them!"
As far as the student goes, they can create a disruptive classroom if some parts of their disability infringe upon the learning environment of the other non-disabled students. The special education classroom can be that safe haven for those students.
This question is one that has to be considered, with specific students in mind. Each student is different and an LRE for them maybe a full special education classroom. Inclusion I feel is something that we should strive for because it is very important to treat these students like everyone else, however for some students full inclusion is just not what they need. In CPSE 403, we saw an movie about a little boy who was fully included in a classroom and it was not appropriate for him or the other students or even the GE teacher, however with extra help, they made it work. Now that is not the case with every student problems wont just go away, I think that this decision on full inclusion is one that should be thought deeply on, that way the student will be in the best place for them and those around them. It all comes down to the child, you cannot come up with a general statement for all.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard question to answer because it is so case by case depending on the individual student. Overall I think that inclusion definitely needs to happen for each disabled student and to the point where it stops being beneficial for both groups of students. Inclusion needs to occur because these disabled students need to work with non disabled students because that is how it will be for the majority of their lives and these non-disabled students need to learn to work with others that are different. At the same time, if inclusion happens so much that the disabled student isn't learning as much as they would in a private classroom then it needs to be minimized.
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