. . . a few words on inclusion
Inclusion
"Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow,
grow."
THE TALMUD
Making it Work
Some people don't believe inclusion is a viable option. More common arguments against inclusion are that students with disabilities do not improve cognitively (Chesley and Calaluce, 1997), and that students with disabilities will lose the range of services available to them (Irmsher, 1996). Other arguments are that typical kids will be neglected if kids with special needs are integrated into their classes, and that general education teachers don't have time, and don't want to teach children with disabilities (Irmsher, 1996). However, there is a slew of research showing that children without disabilities in inclusive settings achieve at levels equal, or superior to similar children in non-inclusive settings (Kliewer, 1998).
There is also the argument that inclusion is expensive. It is true that to make inclusion work, schools may need to spend more on staff development, hiring more paraprofessionals, and updating physical equipment. But, inclusive practices can lead to cost savings in transportation, hiring teachers with dual licenses, collaboration among teachers, and a decrease in special education assessments and referrals (Burnette, 1996).
As soon as the arguments against inclusion are proven false, the next challenge is implementing inclusion and making it work. "Research suggests that inclusion works, and works well, for all children when we make it work" (Kliewer, 1998). It is easy for someone such as myself to be on the outside looking in and say, "make it work." But, I realize how hard it is, when I observe a second grade class, and there are children running everywhere. (I guess that in second grade all children are a challenge.) I believe schools need to focus more on staff development and collaboration to make inclusion work. Research shows that inclusion is most effective when it is part of a larger restructuring effort that includes multiaged classrooms (Irmsher, 1996).
