What are the benefits of inclusion?

Question

inclusion is the bringing together in one classroom children with physical and mental dissabilities and regualr children. what are the benefits and are there any drawbacks? is this a practice you would support?

Answer 1

one word:

Socialization!!

I believe this is important to both the special needs child, and the non-special needs students in the class. Both need to learn to work with the other type, and what to expect form them when they are in "the real world".

Answer 2

Inclusion for students that can function well in the regular ed class are worthwhile. They get the same fast-paced instruction and exposure to information as the rest of the students. They can learn from other people through cooperative groupings. Having two teachers in the classroom can be a plus. (One regular ed and the other is special ed.) Accommodations and modifications can still be made.

Some students require resource classes which are taught by special educators. The information presented will probably be more skeletal in nature. Each student gets highly differentiated lessons according to specific needs.

You have to have a student in the least restrictive environment in order for that student to succeed. Some students need a small group with more structure that you find more often in a resource class. While other students may need to learn from those around him in the regular classroom with a special ed teacher on-hand.

Answer 3

The biggest advantages of inclusion are socialization (on both sides) and exposure to the general curriculum.

Disadvantages are (totally depending on the disability of the student):  (a) no comprehension of the curriculum (b) inappropriate behavior due to boredom (c) general education teachers who are not willing to have students with special needs in the class (d) not enough teachers willing or able to really collaborate to make it successful for all students.