Understanding Inclusion
Special education law requires that students be placed in the least restrictive environment
appropriate or practical. This has led to placement of many students with disabilities in regular
education classrooms. This process is called "inclusion" and results in unique challenges for
educators.
What do inclusion classrooms look like?
All students learn different things in different ways at different rates. Following are
classroom strategies based on the theory of differentiated instruction.
- Use small-group discussion, cooperative learning groups and learning teams.
- Involve students in decisions about their learning.
- Match skill mastery with each student’s goals and needs.
- Change instructional groups and methods frequently.
- Evaluate progress while involving students and provide intrinsic rewards.
- Arrange the classroom to facilitate student exploration and self-direction.
- Use activities such as role-playing, drawing, learning centers, computerized instruction,
problem-solving, story-writing, building models and peer learning.
Who can help?
Classrooms that reflect these strategies usually have another ingredient: a teacher who is part of
a team of educators. A large part of this team already exists for each special education student
with an admission, review and dismissal (ARD) committee, which usually consists of the general education
teacher, an administrator, a special education teacher and the student’s parents. Successful teams
collaborate to ensure productive learning by deciding what the student will learn from each
member of the team. To do this, the team must list the learning priorities of the particular
child.
What does inclusion mean to students?
While educators might think of inclusion as another approach to teaching, for students, inclusion
means participating in all facets of school life. It means learning side by side, interacting with
peers and developing friendships.
Helpful Tips:
- Refer to the person first and the disability second. Say “a person with a
disability,” rather than “a disabled person.” If you were describing yourself to someone you
wouldn’t say, “I’m a blue-eyed person,” you would say, “I have blue eyes.” Plus, remember that
if the disability isn’t integral to the conversation, there is no reason to mention it at all.
- Be careful not to refer to people without disabilities as “normal.” This implies that
people with disabilities are abnormal or inadequate in some way. Avoid thinking of someone with
a disability as sick or unhealthy; the person might be disabled but is not necessarily in poor
health.
- Never assume a person with a disability needs your assistance; wait until they either
ask for your help or accept your offer of help before you proceed. This may seem unnatural, as
people want to be thoughtful and empathetic; however, no one wants to receive charity, and your
assistance may reinforce the perception that they are incapable of performing the task on their
own. Of course, if a student with disabilities has an IEP, you should follow that IEP and
provide the assistance that it calls for, whether or not the student actually asks.
- Provide an ample amount of personal space just as you would with anyone else. If a
person uses a wheelchair, understand that the chair is an extension of that person’s space, and
it is considered intrusive to lean or hold onto it. While having a lengthy conversation with
someone in a wheelchair, position yourself at his eye level and speak directly to him, rather
than through a companion. Also, a wheelchair enables mobility; the user is not literally
“confined to the wheelchair,” or “wheelchair-bound,” so try to avoid these terms.
- Finally, be yourself. If you appear nervous or uncomfortable around people with
disabilities it will be apparent. Don’t worry if you use phrases that seem to relate to the
person’s disability. For example, telling a person with impaired vision that you will “see them
around” is not insensitive or disrespectful. The person with the disability probably pays less
attention to the disability than you do.
The term "inclusion" means different things to different people. The chart below, used by Fort
Bend ISD educators, sums inclusion up really well.
|
Inclusion
is: |
Inclusion
is not: |
|
1. |
All staff in a school being
responsible for all students. |
1. |
Providing services to small groups of children in isolation. |
|
2. |
Students learning side by side even though they have
different educational goals. |
2. |
All students having to learn the same thing, at the same time, in the same way. |
|
3. |
Done on an individual basis. |
3. |
Placing all students with disabilities into
classrooms all day long all at once. |
|
4. |
Providing as many special
education services as possible within the structure of the general education classroom. |
4. |
Providing a special education aide for every student. |
|
5. |
Offering programs that benefit both children with disabilities and children without disabilities. |
5. |
A lesser education for some students. |
|
6. |
Providing resources and support for students and teachers. |
6. |
Dumping students with disabilities into
classrooms without support. |
|
7. |
A place in general education for all children. |
7. |
A concept that applies only to special education students. |
Every person strives to fit in with their peers and be respected and valued by those with whom
they come into contact. As adults we have the opportunity to help children formulate a positive
image of both themselves and those around them. It is our responsibility to be conscious of our
interaction with students to provide the solid foundation necessary for their success.
___________________________
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individual legal advice or the provision of legal services. Accessing this information does not create an
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attorney. Eligible ATPE members should contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department using our
online system, MLSIS.
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