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Its important to understand what inclusion is to determine your opinion about it.

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Here is an article about some concerns or arguments about inclusion in the classroom!

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Concerns About and Arguments Against Inclusion and/or Full Inclusion - Issues ...about Change, Inclusion: The Pros and Cons, Volume 4, Number 3

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SEDL merged with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on January 1, 2015. This archived website contains the work of SEDL legacy projects and rich resources from the past 50 years.

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Here is an opinion blog on some disadvantages on inclusion

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On the other side of inclusion many feel that having inclusive classrooms will hurt the children rather than improve their education. Many believe that having special education children in the classroom will impede the learning of the regular education children.

I consider myself on the fence between the two sides of this issue. I feel that there are many positive aspects of inclusion, but I also feel that inclusion may cause some problems. I feel it would be hard to have a child who is permanently in a wheel chair and has a disability that enables them to talk, to be in a classroom with regular education students. I feel that in these cases of severely handicapped children that inclusion would only hurt them.

In full inclusion a child no matter what their disability can be able to be in a classroom with regular education students. I feel that this should not be. I feel that if a child needs special attention even outside the classroom than this type of setting is not the right place to educate these special children. This is a huge problem with the idea of inclusion is were is the line drawn. How does someone say this child with a disability can be educated with regular education students and this child with a different disability is not allowed?

While I was on-line finding facts on pros and cons I came across a website that gives personal stories on inclusion. Not only was this website good for personal stories but it also talked about the pros and cons of inclusion. I have already talked about the pros on inclusion so listed below are the list of the con's on inclusion. I found this information on a website titled, Inclusion Ideas for Early Childhood Educators.

Other children in the class may be unsure of how to engage the child with special needs, so they tend to leave him alone

There is just not enough time to do all the paperwork involved

There is not enough time to give the special needs child the one on one time that they may need. Their needs would be better served in small classroom

It is practically impossible to coordinate all the services, inclusion specialist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and speech therapist. As a result the child misses put on needed services that they would receive in a small classroom.

Students with disabilities must have the curriculum adapted to meet their needs which causes them to move along at a slower pace slowing down the other children in the class..

Too many special education students are being placed in one classroom because of the short staff.

These are some reasons of why inclusion may not be such a good idea in our school systems. I agree with some of them but I also disagree with some of them. I feel that no matter what classroom a child is in they should receive the services that they need. So whether they are in a classroom with just special education or in a regular classroom their services should be available.

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On the other side of inclusion many feel that having inclusive classrooms will hurt the children rather than improve their education. Many b...

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Here are some examples of where inclusion has worked!

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BY Tim Villegas

What Does Inclusion Look Like?

One of the questions that I get asked the most being an advocate for inclusive education is, "What does it look like?"

Honestly, I think that is the hard part. Inclusion (with a BIG I) is going to look different depending on each school and student. That is why I think it is helpful to see it as a framework as opposed to a one-size-fits all system. But that does not solve the problem that you don't really know what it looks like until you see it. In any case... here are 10 videos that I think are good examples on how particular schools put inclusion into practice. I know that once I saw these, it was impossible for me to go back to my old way of thinking. It is my hope that they will have the same effect on you.

"Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) is a national K-8 center providing academic and behavioral support to promote the learning and academic achievement of all students, including those with the most extensive needs.

SWIFT advances equity and excellence for ALL through the promotion of five core domain areas to support grade level academic and social learning:

Administrative Leadership, Family and Community Partnership, Inclusive Education Framework, Inclusive Policy Structure and Practice and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

One of six nationally recognized SWIFT Knowledge Development Sites, the Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, MA, is featured in this film and highlights some of the SWIFT domains and accompanying features."

"A closer look at the transformation of Somersworth High School, site of Who Cares About Kelsey?, through School Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The film highlights student leadership and data-driven decision making."

At The IDEAL School, children of varying abilities all learn the same topics, but each student does so at their own level with an individual lesson plan tailored to their needs. Specialized services like speech and physical therapy are provided during elective periods so that no student misses out on academics or feels different.

The school, which was started by a group of parents, is built around the idea that inclusion is merely a form of diversity. School leaders and parents say that the extremely inclusive model of education breeds an environment of total acceptance where each child values the strengths of their peers."

"Most importantly, we recognized that the path to full inclusion is a process; it doesn't happen all at once. For schools just getting started I'd recommend taking the following steps:

1. Help all teachers acquire special education licensure.

2. Read or watch a film about inclusion, and create lots of opportunities to discuss them.

3. Reserve lots of time to talk about doubts, fears and questions as a staff.

4. Be explicit with children and families about why inclusion is a community value.

5. Create time/space for discussion about inclusion with students and families.

Who Decides the Limit on a Person's Learning?

"I understand where critics of full inclusion are coming from," Ayla concluded. "It's very easy for inclusion to go horribly wrong, resulting in an environment where the learning shuts down for everyone. One question I would ask, though, is who decides the limit on a person's learning? Full inclusion does not mean students are without supports. With the right supports, who knows what children will learn from one another? It doesn't seem right to me to eliminate peer models for learning and behavior. It also doesn't seem right for children to not have an opportunity to develop relationships and understanding or compassion for people who struggle in different ways. Inclusion done properly is responsive to student needs. There isn't one model for it."

"We began with a parent's vision of an inclusive community for families with and without disabilities. The hope was to use technology, particularly computers, to include individuals with special needs and their typically developing peers into one classroom environment." See more here.

"I don't know which side of the fence you are on in regard to inclusive education. And for all intents and purposes...it does not matter. This post could just as easily have been called, No...Really...I'm Not Crazy...Inclusive Education Works! Usually when I talk to people who are not familiar with the idea of having students with disabilities (including significant disabilities) in the general education setting they say they are having a hard time "wrapping their head around it" or want to see "what it actually looks like". So...just for those of you who need to see it to believe it, I have picked out five videos that will most definitely change your mind about whether inclusive education is really a good thing or not (or at least they should)"

I think everyone has a story of how inclusion has gone wrong. It is harder to find really good examples of inclusive education. Do you have any to add to this list? Please share them with us in the comments section below!

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10 Examples Of Inclusion: For Those Who Need To See It To Believe It - Friendship Circle - Special Needs Blog

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What Does Inclusion Look Like? One of the questions that I get asked the most being an advocate for inclusive education is, "What does it look like?" Honestly, I think that is the hard part. Inclusion (with a BIG I) is going to look different depending on each school and student.

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Inclusion can benefit children in other areas as well as in the classroom.

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We would like to welcome our first guest blogger to The Social Express...
Marcela De Vivo
How Inclusion Can Benefit Special Needs Children Socially
Inclusion is a hot issue in education as of 2013 and it has been for years. While many don't fully understand the idea of inclusion, it's a topic that most parents of children with special needs are familiar with.

Inclusion is a simple principle that states children with special needs should take part in regular classes and activities - just like children their age without special needs. Some proponents of inclusion believe it should be based on ability - others believe all children with special needs should experience standard classroom education.

Inclusion involves more than just education for many parents and children with special needs, however. Regular classroom settings and participation in activities may be beneficial for helping children with special needs develop better social skills as well.

Proponents of inclusion believe the classroom offers a blank slate for special needs kids.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Children Learn By Example
Whether they learn certain behaviors from their family and parents, peers and schoolmates or teachers and authority figures, children learn how they're supposed to behave based on examples that are set forth for them. For many children with special needs in special classes, the example set for them there on a daily basis is simply other children with special needs, therefore, they become accustomed to that restricted environment.

While special needs children can benefit from spending time with other special needs children, problems can arise when they spend all of their time with children with similar behavioral issues. Inclusion improves learning for both classified and unclassified students. After all, many children learn by example and they may begin to imitate behaviors that aren't beneficial for them.

By being in a classroom with children that don't have behavioral issues, some individuals with special needs may be able to develop better social skills through example. When children who have learning problems are included, students without disabilities tend to perform better academically. For example, a teacher is more inclined to break instruction into finer parts or repeat directions if he or she has a student in the room who is deaf, blind or has a developmental disability.
Inclusion Helps Children Adjust
The issue of inclusion is passionately debated, but most advocates believe that attending regular classes and spending time in standard classroom settings, even if they don't do it full-time, can help children with special needs better adapt to the rest of the world - a world that is predominantly made up of others that do not have the same needs.

Many advocates of full inclusion believe that special needs children who attend regular classes will be better equipped to handle the world in their teen and adult years due to their exposure to children without special needs. For many children with developmental disorders who may be working to overcome them, that means easier friendships and work situations later in life, and less overall shock when it comes to adapting to the world later on.
It Goes Both Ways
Children with special needs may be able to develop better social skills by attending regular classes and spending time with other children that do not have special needs, but the issue goes both ways. One thing that many advocates of inclusion tend to forget is that children who do not have special needs can also develop better social skills and empathy by being in classrooms with special needs children.

Both partial inclusion, sometimes referred to as mainstreaming, and full inclusion are becoming more and more common in schools throughout the United States, and even in foreign countries around the world.

While there are parents and educators on both sides of the fence, it's difficult to ignore some of the statistics that state inclusion is beneficial for the educational and social development of special needs children.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Los Angeles who covers various industries, including health, marketing, special needs law and more. As a mother of a child with special needs, she helps to educate other parents with special needs children about inclusion and special needs law.

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How Inclusion Can Benefit Special Needs Children Socially - The Social Express

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We would like to welcome our first guest blogger to The Social Express... Marcela De Vivo How Inclusion Can Benefit Special Needs Children Socially Inclusion is a hot issue in education as of 2013 and it has been for years. While many don't fully understand the idea of...