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Inclusive Special Education: An Introduction

© Ellen Zuckerman

Inclusive education, also known as inclusion, has been a part of our school system in some form or another for many years. Since the passing of Public Law 94-142, the Education for Handicapped Children Act, in 1975 (updated as IDEA, or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, in 1990), classrooms and schools across the United States have brought children with disabilities into regular classrooms as part of their learning experience. There are many ways to provide an inclusive education, and not all of these methods may be beneficial to the student with disabilities or his peers. As a former special education teacher, a longtime volunteer with special populations groups, and an advocate of inclusive education, I would like to share what I know about inclusion--what I believe works, and what doesn't, in inclusive education.

The early name for the method of including children with disabilities or special needs in the "regular" classroom was mainstreaming. Today, by definition, mainstreaming focuses on a student's part-time attendance in regular education groups, while inclusion professes to do just what it says--include all children, regardless of skill level or needs, in age-appropriate classrooms as long as the guidelines of IDEA are followed--the placement must be an appropriate educational program, and it must be the "least restrictive environment."

There is a wide range of possible placements along the inclusive education spectrum. From segregated schools, to entirely inclusive placement with minimal "pullout," parents and educators have options to work with. Most children with diagnosed disabilities attend school somewhere along that spectrum. The only exception might be children qualified as extremely "medically fragile," who may be taught through home-based services due to their medical needs. Every child is an individual, and every educational programming solution will be different. Parents should be prepared to ask questions about their child's individualized education program (IEP), and the teacher should be prepared to answer those questions and provide ongoing resources and support for families.

When I was a student intern, as part of my credit hours I assisted special education programs at two local elementary schools and also a high school. The high school program was for severely/profoundly disabled students (students with high levels of physical and developmental disability) and was almost completely segregated from the rest of the school. Although the classroom was in the same building, students received all services outside of lunch and gym class, in that special education classroom. A "buddy" program allowed "typical" (nondisabled) students to spend their free periods as mentors and helpers in the special education room. Unfortunately, because of closeminded attitudes through the school, instead of being truly inclusive, this brought the regular students in as mini-teachers, rather than peers or friends for the disabled students.