Examining the Evidence for Inclusion: Research and Practice

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Examining the Evidence for Inclusion Research
and Practice

• Douglas Fisher
• January 27, 2006
• Alliance National Conference

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Part IInclusive Education What We Know about
Its Effects
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Efficacy of Segregated Settings

• Resource rooms provide primarily whole group
  reading instruction with little differentiated
  materials
• Few differences in instructional methods across
  self-contained classes for students with various
  disabilities
• More instructional time and 11 in general
  classrooms
• IEP-specified peer interactions were not
  implemented in segregated settings
• Placement labeling lowered teachers
  perceptions of students efficacy
• Less learning over time for students with similar
  diagnoses in segregated settings
• Better life outcomes for students with inclusive
  services

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Social Aspects of Inclusion
Achieve Social Outcomes
Foster Social Relationships
Provide Strategies for Fostering Class Membership
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Fostering Class Membership Belonging

• Why foster class membership?
• Students with disabilities are at an increased
  risk of social rejection if they are
• Socially withdrawn
• Display aggressive and/or conflictive qualities,
  and
• Lack an effective communication system
• Number of social interactions received from
  students without disabilities may decline over
  time

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Social Outcomes for Students With Disabilities

• Have more contact with students without
  disabilities across a wider range of settings and
  activities
• Receive and provide higher levels of social
  support
• Enjoy larger friendship networks
• Develop longer-term relationships with peers
  without disabilities

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Social Outcomes (continued)

• Achieve higher scores on measures of social
  competence
• Exhibit more displays of happiness behaviors
• Report increases in childrens participation in
  extra-curricular activities and decreases in
  inappropriate social behaviors

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Social Outcomes for Students without Disabilities

• Increased acceptance and tolerance of others
• More developed sense of responsibility and
  positive self-concept
• Realistic expectations and perceptions of
  students with disabilities

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Strategies for Fostering Class Membership

• Provide access to peers without disabilities
  during social times
• Provide meaningful ways to participate
• Use cooperative instructional strategies
• Provide student age-appropriate materials during
  class activities
• Know when to Back Off

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Communication/Literacy for Children with
Disabilities
Provide Strategies to Enhance Communication
Achieve Communication Outcomes
Develop Literacy Skills
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Communication Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities

• More opportunities to engage in meaningful
  communication occur in inclusive settings
• More opportunities for communication occur
  naturally throughout the day in inclusive
  settings

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Communication Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities

• Demonstrate growth in articulation, language use,
  and vocabulary
• Participate actively in conversations

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Communication Outcomes for Students without
Disabilities

• Increased reciprocity of interactions, so
  children without disabilities received support,
  as well as gave support
• Improved ability to interpret communicative
  intent of students with disabilities (i.e.,
  providing natural supports)

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Strategies for Enhancing Communication

• Recognize that opportunities for communicative
  exchanges exist
• Build communicative opportunities into the
  activities throughout the day
• Foster responsive communication partners

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Literacy Skills for Students with Disabilities

• allows individuals with severe disabilities to
  improve maintain interpersonal interactions,
  convey needs and wants, exchange information, and
  express their feelings and ideas.

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Academic Aspects for Students with Disabilities
Service Delivery
Academic Achievement

Academic Performance
Learning Opportunities
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Service Delivery in Inclusive Settings

• Higher quality IEP high overall quality,
  emphasis on basic skills (academic, social, and
  communication) along with functional skills
• Increased task-related interactions with others
• Increased use of various learning formats
  peer-tutoring, cooperative learning

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Service Delivery in Inclusive Settings

• Higher expectations for student performance
• Increased teaching support teacher collaboration
• Improved match of instructional contexts to
  students educational needs
• Comparable time allocated and used for
  instruction between inclusive and segregated
  settings

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Learning Opportunities in Inclusive Settings

• Learning opportunities are increased by
• Using accommodation and modifications of
  curriculum, instruction, activities, classroom
  routines, and settings
• Providing appropriate peer or adult support
  (proximity of instructional assistant)
• Teaching self-monitoring for classroom survival
  skills or study skills

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Academic Performance in Inclusive Settings

• Students with disabilities in inclusive settings
  displayed
• Higher level of engaged behavior in inclusive
  settings than in segregated settings
• Slightly less actively engaged behavior than
  students without disabilities
• Similar or better scores in developmental
  assessments than students in segregated settings
• Increased responding to academic tasks, prompts,
  and directions

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Academic Achievement in Inclusive Settings

• Parents perceived their childrens dramatic
  growth in communication after the placement in
  inclusive settings
• Better acquisition of academic skills and
  behavior
• Better maintenance and generalization of academic
  skills and behavior across time and settings

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Academic Outcomes for Students without
Disabilities

• Positive gains in basic skills for students
  without disabilities
• High school math study showed achievement scores
  increased by 20 points and the number of students
  earning an A rose by 40

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Academic Outcomes for Students without
Disabilities

• Students increased math fluency and
  self-monitoring
• Equal or better norm-referenced test scores

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Development of Motor Skills for Students with
Disabilities

• IEP goals are met in inclusive environments
• Acquisition through infused instruction from
  peers paraprofessionals
• Improved motor skills