The Movement to Inclusionby Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger 26 Jun 2007 05:20 PM When I was in elementary school we all knew that the students taken out of the class each day were special education students. We knew that the students were going to receive extra help from the special teachers. We knew that those students were falling behind in class and did not do the "normal" work that we did. This was the assumption among the majority of the class. The children taken from my class were not necessarily physically or mentally handicapped. Some did not even have a learning disability. Some of the children simply struggled academically. However, all children "labeled" as special education were removed from the class regardless of severity. Today special education programs are ran differently. Fewer and fewer students are being taken out of the regular classroom setting to receive extra help. More schools are putting special education teachers into the regular classroom rather than taking the students out. In fact, many children can benefit from having an extra teacher in the room, not just the special education students. While special education students receive the help that they need, special education teachers can also help other students. The movement of inclusion in general education classrooms has swept across many of America's public schools. With some schools, the move has come too quickly. Simply placing a special education teacher in the classroom does not call for effect inclusion. Before a school begins an inclusion program, the teachers should be trained and well informed on how to work together to provide the best education for the students. I have seen many cases where the extra teacher was simply "extra", an observer. This is not the intention of inclusion. Inclusion teachers and special education teachers should be allowed a common plan period where discussion can take place. Together, they need to evaluate the children and plan their next step. However due to scheduling this plan period rarely occurs. I believe that the introduction of inclusion into education is positive. However, like most new movements, it should be well planned and thought out before put into action. Mainstreaming: The Special Needs Child Goes to School How Common Are Attachment Disorders with Adopted Children? Learn more about Lyn Newton  Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing. Relevanteducation tags User Comments lstrack (5) 09 Jun 2008 06:06 AMDear Lyn, I enjoyed reading your blog entitled â€Å"The Movement to Inclusion.†I think inclusion is very important in today’s classrooms, and one that should not be taken lightly. As a third grade teacher in a public school, I’ve had years when the special education students have been pulled out of my room for instruction and years when they’ve been inclusion students. The questions I have a hard time answering areâ€"â€Å"Should special education students always be included within the general education classroom, with staff making the necessary accommodations to meet their needs? Or, are there times, when special education students would be best served outside of the classroom? I think as educators, we need to consider the severity of each child’s learning disability and what impact their learning will have in and out of the classroom. My administrator recently came to me about my incoming class for next year. She asked me what my thoughts were on having the special education students be inclusion for Reading (they were pull-out the previous year and made little progress) with the general education class, and then be pulled from Science and other subjects later in the day for more intensive one-on-one treatment. I’m not sure how I feel about this. If they are as low as she says, I can’t see how being in the general education classroom with the help of an aide would benefit them. I already have two other special education students who are inclusion for Reading during this same time. I’m also concerned that they would be pulled from core subjects such as Science and Social Studies. These happen to be subjects that many of my special education students are really successful at because of the amount of hands-on activities. I’m just not sure how I feel about this. What are your thoughts on this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, L. Strack Discuss this article
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