What Does Inclusive Education Means? Essay

In a contemporary Australian school setting, inclusion is the ongoing collaboration of all members of the school community to effectively meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with additional needs (Blackmore, 2009; Lyons, 2014). All students regardless of their cultural background or ability level should experience an enriching education where they feel included and supported. Creating inclusive cultures, producing inclusive policies and evolving inclusive practices are the best ways to promote learning and participation in schools for all students (Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, 2012; Dempsey, 2014).

Inclusive education is about providing the best possible learning environment for students with disabilities. The purpose of the article was to determine the disposition, skills, and knowledge of both general and special education teachers as well as the school environment. The research suggests that teachers must have open-mindedness and be self-aware when they teach in an inclusive classroom. Many teachers provided answers that suggest that they understand the need and have the willingness but lack the skills and knowledge while some simply lack the needed disposition to work with children with disabilities. As a result, we can see that there is a need to further develop teacher’s professional skills as well as developing the emotional fortitude that is required to be effective at teaching in a inclusive classroom.

When setting up an inclusive learning environment we need to focus on individual differences. Francis and Gould (2013: p65) explain, that “it is important to recognise the differences in the learners we teach, as these influence how we interact with them.” Francis and Gould (2013) list few typical differences, like age, physical disability, mental health issues, ethnicity, etc.

Students with special needs need deserve the same education general education students are presented with. The philosophy of “ Disability Inclusion” concentrates on creating a safe, loving, and effective learning environment for students who suffer from physical, learning, and behavioral disabilities. When a student with disabilities is placed in the same environment as a non-disabled student, the results show wonderful improvement. When we are able to discover the strength of the student we are able to see just how much the student can improve in an inclusion classroom. Disability Inclusion not only sets a new beginning for an equal education of special education students, but it allows for more interaction with the child, and a more hands-on assessment.

In this video Dr. Patrick Schwarz a professor at National-Louis University in Chicago speaks about the benefits of inclusive education. He supports his speech by giving the references of many researches, for example, George and Julie Causton-Theoharis, Jennifer York, and Smokey Daniels Art Hyde, Steven Zemelman. These researchers found that with the inclusive education, special needs students have a better approach with their IEPs (Individual Education Plan), have progressed in academic areas, less behavior issues, and greater improvement in communication skills with their peers. The George and Julie research also found exceptional standardized test score for both students with disabilities and typical peers. Dr. Schwarz believes that the

Experiencing warm hospitality and working with Ms. Jackson allowed me to personalize the theories learned in class. Without direct exposure, reading the materials would not capture the essence of what the questionnaire on Day 1 asked about the level of knowledge we have regarding the course. While my understanding was minimal, there’s no doubt I can give a clear depiction of the past several months. I’m now able to say, inclusive education encompasses the following statement – every student with a disability deserves the right to belong and the right to feel embraced as individuals who are capable of learning and thriving in the same environments as peers without disabilities. Furthermore, inclusion does not only pertain to those with disabilities, but also involves groupings of people that do not fall within mainstream America. Therefore, societal barriers alienate types of people outlined in the first assignment regarding race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, cultural variations (religion/language/country of origin), and social class. All of these categories reflect people who are ethnically and culturally marginalized.

Ford, J. (2013). Educating students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 3(1). Retrieved from http://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1154&context=ejie

As a special education initiative, inclusion began as early as the 1980s. Now, more than two decades later, schools are changing as educators, parents, politicians, and communities try to prepare for the new challenges and promises of the twenty‐first century. The new educational conversation centers on how to design schools and student learning for a future that many educators find nearly impossible to even imagine. How students with disabilities and special education fit into this future is also an ongoing challenge of inclusion. While much progress has been made in responsive inclusive relationships, trends point to some troubling results especially for minority students, and students with some kinds of disabilities. The newest challenge

Inclusive teaching is a term that expresses a commitment to teaching children with physical, mental, and learning disabilities in the classroom they would attend otherwise (to the greatest extent possible). In inclusive schools, support services are brought to the students as opposed to them leaving class to receive the help they require. This paper is going to focus on the inclusion of students with mental disabilities who are usually separated in special education classrooms. For parents and educators alike, the topic of inclusive teaching is a hotly contested one. The arguments boil down into three categories: the effect on general education students, the effect on special education students, and the effect on teachers.

This paper discusses the prevalent issues, tensions and biases of the inclusive classroom in today’s educational setting. The major issues explored are: Cost, Benefits, Effectiveness and Controversy. In addition, two personal interviews are taken into account from parents with children within the educational system and their thoughts, hopes, dreams, and grievances and their day-to-day accounts of successes and challenges. What’s important to note is like many parents, the parents interviewed, have hopes for their children that transcends and surpasses any normality, after all they have to think

“There is a direct correlation between the strength of inclusive education in schools and the values held by its leaders” (Porter & AuCoin, 2012, p.146).

“The movement toward inclusive schooling is the latest wrinkle in an escalating debate focusing on the appropriate placement of students which special needs. PL94-142, the Education for all Handicapped Children Act (1975), was the foundation of inclusive education. Reauthorized in 1991 as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), this mandate required that disabled students be placed in an environment that constitutes a least restrictive environment.” (G.Daniel/ A.King, 67)

The fundamental principles of inclusive education is that all children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have (UNESCO, 1994) It further states that inclusive schools must recognize and respond the diverse needs of their students, accommodating both different styles and rates of learning and

Inclusion is the notion of children being educated regardless of any disabilities they may have. It allows students with disabilities to learn side by side with those who are not disabled. This is achieved by providing an array of experiences that all students are able to participate and be successful in a regular classroom. Inclusion has been a topic of debate for centuries. Some experts conclude that inclusion within classrooms is beneficial to all students. In contrast, others argue that inclusion within classrooms is problematic to achieve and could become detrimental to some students. Students with disabilities should be educated alongside their neighborhood peers unless the differences between the two are so great that even with extra support; the regular classroom is not able to meet the disabled student's various needs.

Previous studies have tried to establish what attitude teachers’ hold towards inclusive education. Some of these studies found that teachers are positive towards the general philosophy of inclusive education (Abbott, 2006; Avramidis, Bayliss & Burden, 2000; Avramidis & Norwich 2002;