Inclusive Education

1
Inclusive Education

• ISTC 201
• Using Information Effectively in Education
• Dr. J-D Knode
• Rianna Eubinag, Andrew Fortier, Claire
  Rietmann-Grout, Christina Casella

2
Introduction

• Inclusive education is a teaching approach that
  adapts to all learning needs in a classroom.
• Based on principles
• Every child has a right to an education
• Promote differences and diversity
• A Holistic View
• Strengths and Weaknesses of the student are
  embraced
• Differences are viewed at natural
• All students are respected and given an equal
  chance to learn

3
An Ongoing Process

• Teachers must be fully committed
• Classrooms must promote physical, intellectual,
  and social development
• Promoting acceptance
• Social Development
• Social skills are the hardest to develop for
  disabled learners
• Inclusive classrooms help build friendships and
  relationships
• Building an awareness of other learning styles
• Making Inclusive Education Possible
• Organized process for implementation
• Developing a standard system
• Fully trained teachers
• More funding
• Research

4
Relevant Definitions

• Mainstreaming
• refers to the selective placement of special
  education students in one or more "regular"
  classrooms. A student must "earn" his or her
  opportunity to be placed in regular classes by
  demonstrating an ability to "keep up" with the
  work assigned by the regular classroom teacher.
  This concept is closely linked to traditional
  forms of special education service delivery.
• Inclusion
• expresses commitment to educate each child in
  the school and classroom he/she would attend. It
  involves bringing the support services to the
  child. and requires only that the child will
  benefit from being in the class. Proponents favor
  newer forms of education service delivery.
• Full Inclusion
• all students, regardless of handicapping
  condition or severity, will be in a regular
  classroom full time. All services must be taken
  to the child.
• For most students, a child begins in the regular
  classroom and are moved to a different program
  once they establish a need for more appropriate
  services.
• This is in accordance to not having them met in
  the regular setting.

5
Current Legal Standing

• In 1975, Individuals with Disabilities Education
  Act (IDEA) was passed. It stated that
• "Each State must establish procedures to assure
  that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children
  with disabilities ... are educated with children
  who are not disabled, and that special education,
  separate schooling, or other removal of children
  with disa bilities from the regular educational
  environment occurs only when the nature or
  severity of the disability is such that education
  in regular classes with the use of supplementary
  aids and services cannot be achieved
  satisfactorily." 20 U.S.C. 1412(5)(B).

6
Current Legal Standing
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
was amended in 1997.

• One major change was Individualized Education
  Programs.
• Must include how the child will be involved in
  the curriculum.
• Must be accessible to each teacher and service
  provider, who must be informed of their
  responsibilities
• In development, these factors must be
  consideredassistive technology needs,
  communication needs, and other special factors
  defined by the amendments
• At least one regular education teacher of the
  child must be on the IEP team
• ADD and ADHD have been added to the list of
  conditions that could make a child eligible for
  disablilty.
• Students progressing from grade to grade may also
  be eligible for special education.

7
Relevant Court Cases

• Sacramento City Unified School District vs.
  Holland
• (9th Circuit Court, 1994)
• The circuit court upheld the decision of the
  lower court in favor of the Holland family.
• The Hollands challenged the districts decision
  on placing their daughter in both a special
  education and regular classroom because they
  wanted her to be placed in a regular classroom
  full-time.
• The court considered a 1989 case in Texas,
  (Daniel R.), which found that regular education
  placement is appropriate if a disabled child can
  receive a satisfactory education, even if it is
  not the best academic setting for the child.
  Non-academic benefits must also be considered.
• In upholding the lower court decision, the 9th
  Circuit Court established a four-part balancing
  test to determine whether a school district is
  complying with IDEA.
• The educational benefits of placing the child in
  a full-time regular education program
• The non-academic benefits of such a placement
• The effect the child would have on the teacher
  and other students in the regular classroom
• The costs associated with this placement.
• The court applied these factors and ruled in
  favor of including the child in the regular
  classroom atmosphere full time.

8
Inclusion Technology

• Assistive Technology
• a device, piece of equipment, system or piece of
  software that assists users, such as Voice
  Recognition Systems, Voice Synthesis, Braille
  Embossing, tape recorders
• Voice Recognition Software
• enable individuals with dyslexia, visual
  impairment, and other difficulties to dictate a
  document to the computer, instead of using a
  keyboard.
• Ergonomic Keyboards
• shaped and designed with two-way tilts, wrist
  rests, and split angle key layouts designed
  specifically to reduce strain, movements, and
  tension, reducing the effort for typing.
• Trackerballs
• alternative means of accessing mouse controls,
  useful for students who have fine motor control
  difficulties, or who find it hard to control a
  regular mouse.
• Ergonomic Furniture
• tables and chairs that are height adjustable to
  adhere to the specific posture of individual
  students, to enable them to operate a computer
  more freely

9
Pros for Inclusive Education

• Students
• Sense of Belonging to peers
• Stimulation is both diverse and collective
• Beneficial academic atmosphere
• Teacher
• Opportunity to make a difference in helping all
  types of students.
• Develop sensitivity to the limits and learning
  techniques of disabled students
• Awareness of the importance of individualized
  instruction
• Society
• The civil right of all American individuals.
• Opportunity for all citizens, equality and
  freedoms.
• Family and parents
• Inclusion is the chance for equal education.
• There is a connection of all individuals,
  socially and mentally.
• Labeling a student as special

10
Cons for Inclusive Education

• Special Education teachers have appropriate
  higher expectations for their students.
• Students have a more individual focus because of
  the more specialized and concentrated classroom
  setups.
• The general teaching practices have not changed
  to manage students with special needs.
• There is a lack of corresponding instruction to
  teach both mainstream and disabled students.
• There is a large range of abilities and focus.
  This may not give the full advantages a regular
  classroom.
• To accommodate the special needs students,
  teachers could dilute the teaching plans to
  include all students to incorporate all levels of
  learning.