Inclusive Education: A Must-Have

General Education teachers,

There have been great strides in the more comprehensive acceptance of our students that have disabilities. In fact, in 2010, President Obama signed a bill to remove and replace the term “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded” with “individual with an intellectual disability” in all of the federal health, education, and labor policies. That set a precedence for there to be a higher level of respect, greater attempts to understand, and more complete inclusion of people with disabilities. While it’s important to recognize progress, there is still a lot to be done as far as acceptance goes.

People with disabilities (especially school-age) were majorly benefited by the civil rights social movement. When the "separate but equal" clause was deemed unconstitutional in the court case Brown v. Board of Education, segregation of all types in schools was made illegal. Prior, people with disabilities were marginalized, schools denied education left and right, and they were often put in institutions that didn't give them the supports that were needed. But because of advocates for change in the civil rights movement at large, as well as those fighting in the disability rights movement, secured the fact that people with disabilities need to be taken into account in this world. From there, several laws regarding people/students with disabilities have been passed, creating a better world for everyone.

Students given special education services are federally mandated to be placed in their least restrictive environment (LRE). There is a gradient of placements that range from general education (least restrictive, full-inclusion) to a self-contained classroom to even a special school or home/hospice bound (most restrictive, no inclusion)--all based on their frequency of interactions with students in general education. While it’s not always cut and dry what the perfect placement ought to be, it’s best to put students in contact with their non-disabled peers as often as possible. This is a major key to their rights to an appropriate education. A way that special educators can ensure that our students are getting the education they deserve is by implementing inclusion. Inclusion (distinct from mainstreaming) is a way that students can access the general curriculum and be amongst their peers while still getting the supports and accommodations they need to succeed.

Introducing students with disabilities into parts of the proceedings in your general education classroom may seem daunting, potentially distracting, or maybe even uncomfortable. However, through the help of co-teachers, aids, peer tutors, apt assistive technology, adjusted curriculum, etc. it should be a seamless and worthwhile transition for all students and educators. A classmate of mine, Emma Crisp, wrote, “Ableism is so ingrained into everyday life that it’s almost completely invisible if it doesn’t affect you. . . even when your disability isn’t inherently debilitating, every roadblock abled people don’t think about because it doesn’t affect them is another setback, and another sign that you’re a second-class citizen.” Keeping students with disabilities from learning and growing in an inclusive setting inhibits their potential, stunts some social skills from developing, and reinforces the fallacy that they’re second-class.

Our students receiving special education services get to learn by example when they’re exposed to peers in general education. Several studies have shown the powerful positive effects that inclusive education has in the classroom. Maladaptive behaviors decrease, academic success increases, general increases in educational engagement, etc. And, despite popular belief, the presence of students with disabilities doesn’t compromise the academic or social outcomes of students in general education. Across the board, inclusion is a great tool to aid both students with or without disabilities by providing them, at the very least, meaningful experiences.

A persisting theme in society since the Renaissance is humanism. Humans have incredible potential, humans are enlightened and have reason, we can create, are inherently good,

and can accomplish unimaginable things. Since the dawn of time, our species has been proving this to be true! At the risk of sounding theatrical, I don’t think that anyone in this day and age would exclude people with disabilities from the category of “humans.” Therefore, they have incredible potential too. They have so much that they can bring to the table too. They can accomplish unimaginable things too. We could all be a part of every one of our students’ success.