Inclusion for students with disabilities has been a hot
topic for years now. From a regular
educators point a view that having students with disability sets up a wide
range of ability levels within their classrooms. According to the course reading on Inclusion:
The Pros and Cons they mentioned that by having the students with disabilities
within their classroom leaves the classroom teacher with a lack of resources,
training and other supports necessary to reach all students. Stated directing from the reading, “The
disabled children are not getting appropriate, specialist attend and care and
the regular student’s education is disrupter constantly.” This all goes back to current inclusion
issues on how schools are lacking in implementing inclusion the most appropriate
manner. From the special education
perspective, the modules reading also express how parents and special educators
have concerns for inclusion, but also seek out researched based
information. Although their concern is
that once all the special education students get dispersed into the regular
education classrooms that the resources, and services will become diluted. As an intervention specialist for four years
I have seen this first hand. As the
charter school district I was in for the past three years did not want to pay
for another Intervention Specialist for the K-8 building, due to funds, students’
services were reduced. Just as mentioned
in the course readings that some schools are pushing for inclusion for funding
when in reality it is not beneficial.
This happened in the district I was in.
Students were then not provided the services and resources they needed
appropriately because I was aspersed out among nine grades with no support
help. I can see how administration wants
to watch their spending, but in the department of special education is the
wrong place to do so in my opinion. I
can completely see how as also having an early childhood degree, regular
education teachers would feel stressed due to lack of training and resources. In my portion of undergraduate work for my
general education degree there were very little courses I believe maybe two in
the area of special education, which was not enough to prepare a professional
to teach and include these kids in regular instruction. My perspective of inclusion with students
with special needs specifically talking about students with learning disabilities
I believe that students benefit from being within their non-disabled peers is
very much a positive thing. As mentioned
in the course reading, that when students are being pulled out of the regular classroom,
students get confused and don’t know where they belong. Students with disabilities being in the regular
classroom, makes all students aware of different learning needs, and that
everyone fits in. When students especially
in the middle school grades see students being pulled out or in a separate classroom,
they automatically think differently of those students in that room. That idea that students put on the children
with disabilities is hurtful, because they are all a creature from god.
I totally agree that the schools are lacking the full implementation of inclusion. As I stated prior, I moved from OH this summer to TN. I am working at a high school as a part time literacy coach. I worked as a full time coach in high school in OH. In OH the school began "full inclusion". Where the students had classes with teacher that "team taught". I use that term very loosely because what I observed was the general education teacher often knew the content and taught while the special education teacher "assisted". Lesson planning was not done together, flexible groups were not utilized, small group instruction, ect. No training was provided, no surveying of prior knowledge of the staff on inclusion and what co-teaching looks like. In TN they have the same concept and seem to have throw the idea together in much of the same way. I think that the schools do it because it is what they are supposed to do but to save time and money they really have not invested in doing in properly.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. It all boils down to money. I understand that administrators are juggling finances and that everyone has their own agenda, however special education should not be effected. These kids are born with an up hill battle and they need us to figure it out! Inclusion is a great idea in a perfect world. Knowing that the world is neither fair or perfect, we as educators must make inclusion work. It won't be cheap but the cuts need to come in other areas.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing the we can justify educating, criminals for "reform" but can not put the money needed in educating our children. The system is defective, maybe if we educated the children, we would not need to reform so many. Teachers only work 5-6 hours a day, weekends, evening and summers off, that is how society sees our teachers...how about bringing one parent in a few times a year and see how important it is to educate. Special Education teachers are a double negative, oh and they (society) thinks your over paid? I had one good teacher, that was all it took to turn me around, I was blessed. Inclusion for all children, needs to start in early childhood hopefully with two, three, four or more really good teachers-PRICELESS!!!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with your thoughts. I have a 1-8 license and taught 2 years in a multiple disabilities classroom with only 1 or 2 special education classes in my back pocket. The trainings I was provided were adequate and I did some of my own research, but most was learned on the job. I can definitely relate to not knowing and being thrust into a situation where one would have to service a multitude of students. Proper training at the college level would greatly benefit teachers to openly accept students with disabilities into the classroom.
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