Inclusion for Special Education Students
An examination of the success elements of an inclusionary programYears ago, students with special needs were relegated to a classroom down the hall. They typically had special lunch periods away from the other students, and they were not offered music, art and other things that the student body incorporated into their day. In addition, their lessons were often extremely simple and there wasn't much concern about whether or not they got done. The landmark decision of Brown vs Board of Education in the 1960's changed all of that. While the suit was originally about an African American student who wanted to attend an all white school, the impact of that case forever changed the method of delivery for special education. That lawsuit sparked a series of mandates, debates and changes that would provide a free and appropriate education for every student attending an American public school. One of the most important changes to come from that movement has been the mandate that each student will be educated in the least restrictive environment. What this meant for special education students nationwide, was they were moved out of those classrooms down the hall and placed as often as possible in regular education classrooms
A study was recently conducted to ascertain the attitudes of regular education teachers when it comes to special education students and the use of inclusion for their education(Brissie, 1996). This neutrality on the part of the teachers was another prediction of success as it did not cause them to focus unduly on the special education students, thereby providing the most "normal" atmosphere possible for them while they were educated alongside regular education students(Brissie, 1996). "There are several things that teachers and organizers of inclusionary settings can do to maximize the benefits of inclusion while reducing the negative aspects that can occur if there is a failure to properly support the effort through accommodations(Guetzloe, 1999). Students who are severely affected by behavior disorders can still be provided an inclusionary setting with a paraprofessional to spend every moment of the day in the area of the student to help step in and redirect behaviors as needed throughout the day. It was a decision that changed the face of special education forever and four decades later it is still a fundamental principle of teaching students with special needs. ConclusionThe question of inclusion for the purpose of educating special education students is an important one as the delivery of education for special education students is constantly being examined and re-evaluated. "Fifteen surveys asked teachers whether they believed that students with disabilities, and/or students without disabilities, might benefit from mainstreaming/inclusion(Mastropieri, 1996). Probably the most important step in planning is the establishment of a number of committees and teams (some of which may already exist) to assist in the process(Guetzloe, 1999). "Predictors of SuccessIn determining what predictors indicate success with an inclusion program it is important to remember that the entire premise of special education today is that it is individualized to meet the needs of individual students, therefore a one-size-fits-all standard of measurement with regard to predictions of success for inclusion programs would be a moot point. "Fostering the sense of "ownership" that is vital to the success of an inclusive program requires the commitment and collaboration of all individuals and agencies that will work with students with disabilities and their families (Guetzloe, 1994b; 1994c) (Guetzloe, 1999). In order for mainstreaming/inclusion to be effective, it is generally agreed that the school personnel who will be most responsible for its success--general classroom teachers--be receptive to the principles and demands of mainstreaming/inclusion (Garvar-Pinhas & Schmelkin, 1989) (Mastropieri, 1996). If the curriculum has been designed with the unique social emotional and academic needs of that student at the forefront, then curriculum has a high rate of success prediction. The study used 500 regular classroom teachers as participants from the public school system and asked them to participate in filling out a survey form. The bad news is that many school districts across the continent simply do not provide the elements of inclusion described above. Providing InclusionThe most effective method of inclusion involves a combination of students being educated in a regular classroom with regular education peers, with support accommodations in place so that the playing field is leveled for the student.
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