What are your thoughts On Mainstreaming?

Question

In a few years, my state wants to mainstream a majority of all special education students. That means, special needs students will be placed in regular education classrooms.

This is suppose to great equal educational oppurtunities for special education students.

What are your feelings on this?

Personally, I'm against it. I feel it will hurt both regular education students, as well as special needs kids.

Answer 1

I think it is good for higher functioning special ed kids as long as they have support in the classroom through way of another teacher or aide.  Some low functioning children need to be in a smaller classroom.

Answer 2

Mainstreaming needs to be done on a case by case basis- for some students, especially those with needs that can be accommodated in a regular classroom, it is a great opportunity for growth. In these cases though, the teacher must be very adept at running a class with students of different ability leves and must make sure that the IEP needs of the student are being met.

Partial mainstreaming is also an option for students with disabilities that primarily affect one area- perhaps students with a learning disability that affects a few subjects can be in a special ed class for those subjects and with a regular class for other subjects.

It is important for "regular" children to have children with special needs in their classes, at least part time, whenever possible. Fostering diversity, acceptance, and recognizing special ABILITIES of students who are disabled is invaluable.

That said, mainstreaming should never be done when it is not in the best interest of the student concerned.

Answer 3

Your state should already be mainstreaming most of it's kids. It should have been doing that for the past twenty years. As Jdeekdee stated, it's all about money. Most kids with special needs do fine in classrooms with the assistance of paraprofessionals, or even just modification of the work going on. Schools don't want to provide that. They want to take the cookie cutter little kids, who provide no problems and slip them into their already designed program. It's faster and easier and less work.

Judging by the statements here, many people do not understand WHO has special educational services. IT could be any child in your school. It's not just those who are severely handicapped. It could be a child with aspergers who would do fine but the school doesn't want to do an FBA and provide support. It could be a deaf child who just needs more visual supports. So many districts use this as an excuse to marginalize all people with disabilities.

Most people benefit from an appropriate setting. Disabled children are capable of learning, and separate is NOT equal, whether you are talking about race or disability. Regular ed students, as well as their teachers, get the opportunity to learn that disabled people are actually people and not just an embarrassment.

Answer 4

If done properly it is wonderful..... But the key is doing it properly..

Answer 5

ils sont stupido to even suggest it! I'm in high school right now and to imagine kids from special ed in my classes is a horrible thought to me. They won't get the attention they need and I won't be getting the challenging education I want.

Answer 6

Schools that are putting ALL special ed kids in regular classrooms are violating federal special education law IDEA.

When a child first qualifies for special ed,  they are to be put in a regular classroom WITH the help that is specified on the childs IEP plan.

If the child doesn't progress, THEN  the child is to go to a different setting.

Not ALL children can progress in a reg ed classroom and NEED to be in a special ed room, other school,etc.

But it's all about the MONEY. Schools don't care about helping the kids, they just care about the money.

And, it doesn't matter what anyone THINKS about it, schools are suppose to follow this law and they don't.

The reason they don't is because they know they can get away with it. There is no enforcement to make schools follow FEDERAL laws to help our SPECIAL kids, so they will continue.

Answer 7

they say that mainstreaming is the goal of special education..why do you think it would hurt the students?

Answer 8

It depends on what type of  special help they need. I don't think all special needs kids should be mainstreamed because some are lower functioning than others and they may make it harder for the other kids to learn, and special needs kids may struggle if they don't get enough special attention. However, higher functioning special needs kids should be mainstreamed because they may have to deal with nonspecial needs people the rest of their lives.

Answer 9

It depends on each individual student. It boils down to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).  For many students, the local general ed school/classroom may be the most restrictive environment, while a self-contained classroom or center based program may be the LRE.  

Much of the problem deals with the overuse and glorification of the terms "mainstreaming" and "inclusion."  While at their core, they are fantastic ideas, they are often bandied about without any idea what they actually entail.  Mainstreaming is very appropriate for many students, however, these policies should not be mandated at the governmental level (including federal, state,  local, or school boards.)  The determination of the LRE should be determined solely by the IEP team, as mandated by IDEIA 2004, and not some frivolous, arbitrary policy.