An Era of Inclusion

I’m a firm believer that all teachers have the necessary skills to teach students with special needs but it takes training and specialized support to be successful. Inclusion has given me new insight on the challenges that general education teachers may feel in regards to classroom inclusion. Being a special education teacher throughout my entire teaching career, I am used to the normal challenges that may arise in educating students with disabilities. Although, I find it more rewarding to teach children with special needs I have to understand that not all teachers may feel the same way.  In an effort to overcome the challenges that I face in my school, I am dedicated to offering support to the general education teachers whose classrooms are changing to now include some of the students that I teach.

It amazes me how so many general education teachers are resistant to the inclusion process. The issue is and will always be behavior and how disruptive those children are to the learning environment. The special education department teachers “push in” with the children to provide assistance to the general education teachers in the classroom but it is still a challenge to get the general education teachers to work with these students and be supportive. I believe that as a teacher, an educator should be supportive of all types of students, whether they have disabilities or not, and should maintain a positive attitude towards teaching in the classroom.

The article I reviewed is titled “Special education in an era of inclusion: The end of special education or a new beginning?” The author discusses the change of a once separate system of education being integrated into one education system to service all students.  There is a growing recognition that traditional models of special needs education, based on forms of provision that are ‘different from’ or ‘additional to’ that which is provided for others of similar age, are unjust because they lead to segregation and perpetuate discrimination (Florian, 2010). The myriad problems of special education are well documented and include such wide ranging issues as identification and classification, differential treatment based on social class, over-representation of ethnic minorities, institutional bias and the structure of schooling (Florian, 2010).  I find much of this to be true; over the years I have noticed that there are many students that are mis-classified as being students with disabilities but the extent of the problem may be more of a behavioral issue rather than a true disability.  I have also noticed that the abundance of special education classrooms is mostly comprised of ethnic minorities.

I found that the possible dilemma with classroom inclusion is that by doing away with the separate system for students with special needs, it may cause more harm than good. There is good historical evidence that without special treatment (e.g. anti-discrimination legislation, provision of specialist support), students with disabilities, are denied equal opportunity for full and meaningful inclusion in the activities that typify everyday life, because impairment, by definition, is something that limits functioning, unless it is mediated in some way (Florian, 2010). Thus we are faced with the dilemma of difference where special intervention is both a remedy for and a perpetuation of the stigma of difference (Florian, 201). Since the 1990s many countries, have been working toward improving access to mainstream education for students with disabilities and others identified as having with special educational needs but progress has been slow and uneven.

I co-teach with several general education teachers; I am present in the classrooms that include my students to be a source of support and knowledge if issues arise. I make an effort to meet with the general education teachers on a weekly basis to discuss their thoughts or issues with the students and I will continue to do so to show my support and understanding throughout the inclusion process.

Strategies used by teachers of students with special educational needs are not different to the strategies used by classroom teachers (and vice versa), although the application may be different. Therefore, the argument that classroom teachers do not have the necessary skills to teach students who have been identified as having special educational needs, a frequently cited reason for excluding students with special educational needs from mainstream classrooms can, and should be challenged (Florian, 2010). 

Florian, L. (2010). Special education in an era of inclusion: The end of special education  or a new beginning?. Psychology of Education Review, 34(2), 22-29. Retrieved April 3, 2011 from EBSCOhost.

Mainstreaming

There are many elements that come into play when mainstreaming special education students into regular education settings.  Teachers will need to educate themselves so they can learn different strategies to teach two diverse groups, exceptional students and "regular" students, in the same classroom. The inclusive classroom is different in that the individualized styles of learning and needs of the students fall outside the normal parameter. Sometimes it is not only the teacher that is resistant but the exceptional students as well are resistant to the change in educational setting because they are used to being separated from the mainstream of school life. This is where teamwork will become important between the school, the students, and the teachers.  The inclusive classroom is a different dynamic so everyone will have to adjust but the transition will be easier with cooperation from everyone.

I read an article on a particular student named Jonas, a previous special education high school student, and his experience in a college setting. Jonas is presently a special education assistant or para-professional in a urban high school and he is taking the undergraduate course, Critical Issues in School, to complete his degree. The article is written from the professor's perspective and he writes about his experience in teaching Jonas and some of the issues that he felt Jonas dealt with in the class.  In the article, the professor describes the first day of class and how Jonas asked him if there would be a paper required for the course in which the professor responded that was how the previous course was taught and that he would solicit the thoughts of the class and he noticed how Jonas' demeanor changed with his answer.  He also notes in the article the classroom's reaction to Jonas' demeanor (slow to articulate his words, delay in making his meaning understanding) and how there is a clearly defined moment where the classroom establishes that Jonas is "different".  The professor realizes in that instance that this is a moment for himself and the classroom to accept and engage Jonas and somehow help him navigate his way throughout the course and the classroom.  It is a juggling act for teachers in inclusive classrooms to handle the needs of so many different students but it is well worth the reward.



Fleischer, L.E. (2005). Exceptional Youth Cultures: A Framework for Instructional Strategies of Inclusion Classrooms.  Taboo, 9, 97-104.  Retrieved April 3, 2011 from Google Books Database.

Introduction

I have been servicing special education students for thirteen years in a Title I school. In those years, I have taught ED, LD, MR and autistic children mostly within a self contained setting.  However, most schools systems have moved towards a more collaborative style approach. This means that the special education students are being mainstreamed into the regular Ed setting to receive their services. In order for this to take place, the childs IEP must be doccumented in the LRE section stating that the child will be co-taught in the regular Ed classes with the support of the special education teacher.

This actually has become a major issue within the schools among the general education teachers. In my opinion, for many of the special education students its a blessing to have them in a more collaborative setting. This would be beneficial because they would be better prepared for the real world following graduation. The problem that has grown over the past three years deals with regular education teachers frowning on, as well as being non-supportive of collaboration in regards to mainstreaming special needs children into the general Ed classes. They state that its a disruption to the learning environment. They also state that too much assistance and attention would be spent with that one child, which will cause a disservice to those who are trying to learn.The last I heard, the IEP was a legal document which everyone involved must follow. Therefore, if the IEP states that the child will be serviced in all regular education classes with the support of the special ed teacher, that's the final say!