Inclusion? Exclusion? Examining the inclusion policy
By Louiza Mark
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009
I believe that inclusion is a very delicate issue. Because there are so many different classifications involved in labeling children to require special needs, it does not seem fair to take a definitive stand on the issue either pro or anti. A child can merely have mood swings that require medication and be labeled “special needs.” does that mean that the child should not be mainstreamed? I think not.
In order to truly be objective and have an opinion on inclusion two factors have to be analyzed. They are:
1. Redefining and re-educating about special education so that it encompasses all spectrums of special needs and not limit itself to the “traditional” mentally retarded students. In the past we would seclude special education classrooms to the deep bowels of the building and literally shun all the children. Things have changed remarkably in the past 15 to 20 years.
Special education encompasses an entire array of disorders and challenges that should all be thoroughly examined and explained to all personnel involved with teaching the children who possess such needs. A child that has a mobility issue is part of the special education community. He/she will have an IEP and specific instructions that need to be followed in order to make his/her day more accessible. Therefore, it is imperative that all educators are educated in the current reality of special education and the wide spectrum of conditions that it comprises.
2. Accepting the obligation as educators to differentiate our instruction for all of our students. By having a special needs child in our classroom we would have to follow certain guidelines in order to ensure the smooth transition of the student into a mainstream classroom. The same should be done for all of our students. We are obligated to understand how each and every one of them learns and what they each need. By doing so we are able to cater to all of their needs and enable them to advance in their academic careers with vigor and satisfaction. Every classroom has a special needs student because all children have special needs. In their own way they need some specific type of attention, demeanor, approach, and acknowledgment. To categorize or to exempt just one as special needs does a tremendous disservice to rest of the student body.
With the exception of severely mentally disabled children, I believe that all students have a right to a mainstream education no matter what their condition. Because in the end, we all as human beings have some type of “quirk” that needs tending to by a professional, and that in and of itself should not deny us the right to a decent education and an attempt to a normal life without any parameters. I feel that inclusion has existed since the dawn of education and that it is not a recent phenomenon.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009
I believe that inclusion is a very delicate issue. Because there are so many different classifications involved in labeling children to require special needs, it does not seem fair to take a definitive stand on the issue either pro or anti. A child can merely have mood swings that require medication and be labeled “special needs.” does that mean that the child should not be mainstreamed? I think not.
In order to truly be objective and have an opinion on inclusion two factors have to be analyzed. They are:
1. Redefining and re-educating about special education so that it encompasses all spectrums of special needs and not limit itself to the “traditional” mentally retarded students. In the past we would seclude special education classrooms to the deep bowels of the building and literally shun all the children. Things have changed remarkably in the past 15 to 20 years.
Special education encompasses an entire array of disorders and challenges that should all be thoroughly examined and explained to all personnel involved with teaching the children who possess such needs. A child that has a mobility issue is part of the special education community. He/she will have an IEP and specific instructions that need to be followed in order to make his/her day more accessible. Therefore, it is imperative that all educators are educated in the current reality of special education and the wide spectrum of conditions that it comprises.
2. Accepting the obligation as educators to differentiate our instruction for all of our students. By having a special needs child in our classroom we would have to follow certain guidelines in order to ensure the smooth transition of the student into a mainstream classroom. The same should be done for all of our students. We are obligated to understand how each and every one of them learns and what they each need. By doing so we are able to cater to all of their needs and enable them to advance in their academic careers with vigor and satisfaction. Every classroom has a special needs student because all children have special needs. In their own way they need some specific type of attention, demeanor, approach, and acknowledgment. To categorize or to exempt just one as special needs does a tremendous disservice to rest of the student body.
With the exception of severely mentally disabled children, I believe that all students have a right to a mainstream education no matter what their condition. Because in the end, we all as human beings have some type of “quirk” that needs tending to by a professional, and that in and of itself should not deny us the right to a decent education and an attempt to a normal life without any parameters. I feel that inclusion has existed since the dawn of education and that it is not a recent phenomenon.
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