Inclusive Classrooms are classrooms
that permit student’s with a special need’s to enter in under the instruction,
guidance and support of other professionals, special education teachers and the
parents of the students. All children can benefit from inclusion, including the
general education students as well as those with special disabilities and
needs.
Endorsement or support of Full Inclusion- National Association of State Boards Education (NASBE) was in 1992 when a report was released, about state revisions towards licensure of teachers to ensure they were prepared to teach students with disabilities as well as those without. The ASCD Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is another organization that supports inclusion. Children placed in inclusively are better done before the age of 11, for they are easier to instruct and learn better.
Inclusion has come a long way over the years with debate. We have come from “should we do it? Can we do it? Judith Heumann, (US Secretary of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.) No matter what decision is made in regards to the programs needed to meet an individual’s academic need, it is still determined by the IEP.
Laws and the Rights of the Disabled
1975, the Education for All handicapped Children Act was passed to ensure that children with disabilities
Endorsement or support of Full Inclusion- National Association of State Boards Education (NASBE) was in 1992 when a report was released, about state revisions towards licensure of teachers to ensure they were prepared to teach students with disabilities as well as those without. The ASCD Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is another organization that supports inclusion. Children placed in inclusively are better done before the age of 11, for they are easier to instruct and learn better.
Inclusion has come a long way over the years with debate. We have come from “should we do it? Can we do it? Judith Heumann, (US Secretary of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.) No matter what decision is made in regards to the programs needed to meet an individual’s academic need, it is still determined by the IEP.
Laws and the Rights of the Disabled
1975, the Education for All handicapped Children Act was passed to ensure that children with disabilities
were given the same opportunity as
the non-disabled to a public education. Revised in1990, 1997 and in 2004
becoming known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that mandates
not only the disabled being permitted an education but they should also be
allowed to do so in an environment with as little restrictions as possible with
consideration of their disability.
1.) Inclusion us a moral and ethical approach to educating the disabled. We must remember that children are children. The disabled children also benefit by being able to do the same things as other children to the best of their ability. “No exclusion, but, Inclusion”
2.) Inclusion helps in the development of socialization skills and in the development of friendships. 3) Provides a sense of belonging and models behavior, social and academic skills as well as teaches the children how to relate to other children with different abilities. 4) Inclusion helps improve learning and academic performance for ALL students
Teacher’s Requirement’s
Teachers need to have improved training for special – education and general education. This training is normally available through colleges geared towards teaching education. The classes teach on education and must reflect on what disability the teacher plans on teaching.
Social benefits of inclusion
Students are included as members of the general education classroom when in inclusion. When included
1.) Inclusion us a moral and ethical approach to educating the disabled. We must remember that children are children. The disabled children also benefit by being able to do the same things as other children to the best of their ability. “No exclusion, but, Inclusion”
2.) Inclusion helps in the development of socialization skills and in the development of friendships. 3) Provides a sense of belonging and models behavior, social and academic skills as well as teaches the children how to relate to other children with different abilities. 4) Inclusion helps improve learning and academic performance for ALL students
Teacher’s Requirement’s
Teachers need to have improved training for special – education and general education. This training is normally available through colleges geared towards teaching education. The classes teach on education and must reflect on what disability the teacher plans on teaching.
Social benefits of inclusion
Students are included as members of the general education classroom when in inclusion. When included
with other students of their own age
they do not actually focus on their disabilities anymore, instead they focus on
what they can achieve.
General Education Kids Benefit from Inclusion As well as the Disabled
Inclusion affects general education students as well as teachers. How? Sometimes when a teacher has a difficult time explaining something to the student who has a learning disability it is easier for another student of their age to communicate it as children do to each other. In the meantime, the general education student also learns from explaining to the other student as well because they tend to understand it better.
Autism Inclusion - It is more beneficial for children with autism to be placed in general education classrooms because it gives them a chance to learn in a naturally stimulating environment. This also makes it easier for the student to develop friendship and a better chance of developing social behavior that is acceptable through positive role models.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Students with communications and Learning Disabilities will display more than one characteristic of the disorder. They will have difficulty staying on task and completing a project, they will be fidgety with hands, and feet, they will be impatient and normally will have low academic grades. Children with this condition are usually under the care of a pediatrician or a pediatric
General Education Kids Benefit from Inclusion As well as the Disabled
Inclusion affects general education students as well as teachers. How? Sometimes when a teacher has a difficult time explaining something to the student who has a learning disability it is easier for another student of their age to communicate it as children do to each other. In the meantime, the general education student also learns from explaining to the other student as well because they tend to understand it better.
Autism Inclusion - It is more beneficial for children with autism to be placed in general education classrooms because it gives them a chance to learn in a naturally stimulating environment. This also makes it easier for the student to develop friendship and a better chance of developing social behavior that is acceptable through positive role models.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Students with communications and Learning Disabilities will display more than one characteristic of the disorder. They will have difficulty staying on task and completing a project, they will be fidgety with hands, and feet, they will be impatient and normally will have low academic grades. Children with this condition are usually under the care of a pediatrician or a pediatric
neurologist and on some form of
medication such as Ritalin, Cylert, Adderol or Dexadrine. This however is not
enough to control the disorder. The children need a behavioral program for
school as well as at home they must both be consistent to child’s behavior and
work in conjunction with each other.
It is up to the teacher to monitor the student and keep track of the effects of the medication. Teachers must remain open to communication with parents in regards to the student. It is the teacher’s observations that help the physician and the parent has to know if the medication and behavior program are working.
When working with children who have communication and learning disabilities it is imperative to remove all objects of distraction for the student from the classroom. You can even place tennis balls on the legs of chairs so as when chair is moved noise does not distract child. When distractions are evident, the student falls off track to task. It is also helpful to use lights colors, smells and other stimuli for learning.
Behavioral Disorders
Involving students without disabilities in weekly discussion groups to go over positive behaviors and negative ones as well, coming up with solution is acceptable to all involved.
Teaching with positive reinforcement for behavior issues there are different things that a teacher can do in their classroom.
A sticker Chart is acceptable to receive rewards and
It is up to the teacher to monitor the student and keep track of the effects of the medication. Teachers must remain open to communication with parents in regards to the student. It is the teacher’s observations that help the physician and the parent has to know if the medication and behavior program are working.
When working with children who have communication and learning disabilities it is imperative to remove all objects of distraction for the student from the classroom. You can even place tennis balls on the legs of chairs so as when chair is moved noise does not distract child. When distractions are evident, the student falls off track to task. It is also helpful to use lights colors, smells and other stimuli for learning.
Behavioral Disorders
Involving students without disabilities in weekly discussion groups to go over positive behaviors and negative ones as well, coming up with solution is acceptable to all involved.
Teaching with positive reinforcement for behavior issues there are different things that a teacher can do in their classroom.
A sticker Chart is acceptable to receive rewards and
there is another to try. Place a
ladder made out of poster board with clothespins (One with each child’s name on
it) by the bulletin board. When a child exhibits good behavior move their pin
up the ladder, when they exhibit bad behavior move the pin down the ladder Now
at the end of the day have the student put the amount of beads on a string
required for that level (ex. 5th step is 5 beads, 2nd step may be 2 beads) Now
they The student keeps the string of beads in their desk until the end of the
week, at which time they are redeemed for a reward.
Always reinforce and acknowledge good behavior by some sort of response. Praise for good behavior and discipline for bad behavior. Monitor children to recognize which behavior is instigated by which factor, and try to change or illuminate that element form the equation.
To keep a student on task that has difficulty in doing so, write out the rules and place where they can be seen at the front of the class. Another way to keep one on task is to make it known what is expected and teach them to write things down in step to follow task.
The Hearing and Sight Impaired
Students with blindness are harder task to follow. All curriculum must be written in Braille and must be available on audio tape. Lesson plans need to be designed to meet the needs of the seeing impaired. When there is just a minimal impairment, a teacher can type up lesson plans with a larger font
Always reinforce and acknowledge good behavior by some sort of response. Praise for good behavior and discipline for bad behavior. Monitor children to recognize which behavior is instigated by which factor, and try to change or illuminate that element form the equation.
To keep a student on task that has difficulty in doing so, write out the rules and place where they can be seen at the front of the class. Another way to keep one on task is to make it known what is expected and teach them to write things down in step to follow task.
The Hearing and Sight Impaired
Students with blindness are harder task to follow. All curriculum must be written in Braille and must be available on audio tape. Lesson plans need to be designed to meet the needs of the seeing impaired. When there is just a minimal impairment, a teacher can type up lesson plans with a larger font
and when already written can coy to
a larger image using a Xerox machine.
The blind child will normally be in a shell, afraid to come out due to embarrassment. The teacher needs to make the student feel comfortable and welcome to the class by looking for programs to identify obstacles to help the student overcome them by using a curriculum that will stimulate curiosity. These should include exercise, strength and balance and not just be deigned to deal with blindness but ways to work with the disability to benefit the student.
Hearing the only difference is that the lesson plans need to be visual and is also so if an assignment follows a movie, the teacher’s duty is to make available the movie in it’s entirety though written literature. When there is impairment, the teacher must give enough time and sometimes-extra time to compensate for the disability so that the student can complete the assignment.
Another form of disability is of reading and writing skills. When there is a deficit with reading or writing, the teacher must allow extra time to complete assignment's. In many cases it may be necessary to allow the student to go to another area of the class so that they may read out aloud to themselves in order to understand what they are reading. Another way of compensating to the disability is to have someone else read the test to them and has the answers verbally then transferred to paper to be graded.
The blind child will normally be in a shell, afraid to come out due to embarrassment. The teacher needs to make the student feel comfortable and welcome to the class by looking for programs to identify obstacles to help the student overcome them by using a curriculum that will stimulate curiosity. These should include exercise, strength and balance and not just be deigned to deal with blindness but ways to work with the disability to benefit the student.
Hearing the only difference is that the lesson plans need to be visual and is also so if an assignment follows a movie, the teacher’s duty is to make available the movie in it’s entirety though written literature. When there is impairment, the teacher must give enough time and sometimes-extra time to compensate for the disability so that the student can complete the assignment.
Another form of disability is of reading and writing skills. When there is a deficit with reading or writing, the teacher must allow extra time to complete assignment's. In many cases it may be necessary to allow the student to go to another area of the class so that they may read out aloud to themselves in order to understand what they are reading. Another way of compensating to the disability is to have someone else read the test to them and has the answers verbally then transferred to paper to be graded.
This works with many students who
cannot understand what they read unless they hear what is on paper and what is
being asked. Words on paper mean nothing when you cannot read. In addition, if
you cannot read you cannot write either.
CP (Students with Cerebral Palsy)
CP to other students needs to be addressed as knowing it is non-contagious disorder caused by damage to the motor control center of the brain. There is normal brain function just poor control of their muscles and there is no cure.
Benefits of including those with CP, is it allows the other children to learn that children with certain disabilities can still learn just as good as they can. Special devices are available for CP students, there are voice communication devices, and there are devices that help with motor skills. This disability is not an intellectual disability but that of a physical nature.
Down’s Syndrome- A chromosomal Disorder, which affects 800-1000 live births each year. (21down.org)
Many characteristics uniform to this disorder is slanted eyes, large tongue compared to the mouth, low muscle tone amongst others. However, even with these characteristics they do benefit from an inclusive environment. They gain language development by listen to others, they have acquire peer acceptance and they experience interaction in the real world, versus being secluded to a self-contained environment where the only children they are around
CP (Students with Cerebral Palsy)
CP to other students needs to be addressed as knowing it is non-contagious disorder caused by damage to the motor control center of the brain. There is normal brain function just poor control of their muscles and there is no cure.
Benefits of including those with CP, is it allows the other children to learn that children with certain disabilities can still learn just as good as they can. Special devices are available for CP students, there are voice communication devices, and there are devices that help with motor skills. This disability is not an intellectual disability but that of a physical nature.
Down’s Syndrome- A chromosomal Disorder, which affects 800-1000 live births each year. (21down.org)
Many characteristics uniform to this disorder is slanted eyes, large tongue compared to the mouth, low muscle tone amongst others. However, even with these characteristics they do benefit from an inclusive environment. They gain language development by listen to others, they have acquire peer acceptance and they experience interaction in the real world, versus being secluded to a self-contained environment where the only children they are around
are others of equal or more severe
disabilities.( US Dept. of Education)
Full Inclusionists do not see that children with disabilities have different needs than others. They do not see the fragility of the disabled children and the behavioral disorders that accompany the disability.
Debates of Inclusion
1.) Parents have the fear of losing special education services and that their child will lose the support needed.
2) How can policy makers, practitioners and parents work together to ensure he students achieve their goals
3) Inclusive classrooms require more than one teacher.
4) Teachers and students may need a specific type of technology to help the disabled, Where is the funding coming from?
5.) Some disabled children may benefit from inclusion while others may not. If the program does not work for the student then it is a waste to put them in there. Are the tests, accurate enough to determine who will actually benefit inclusion or is it contradictory?
The severe intellectually disabled will not benefit from inclusion if they cannot learn to communicate in an n acceptable way. Screaming, acting out and behavior uproars do not make for an acceptable inclusive environment. These students although placed by the use of the IEP have been prematurely placed without weighing the consequences. This hurts the student in the end because they start to rebel against the teacher.
Barriers to an effective
Full Inclusionists do not see that children with disabilities have different needs than others. They do not see the fragility of the disabled children and the behavioral disorders that accompany the disability.
Debates of Inclusion
1.) Parents have the fear of losing special education services and that their child will lose the support needed.
2) How can policy makers, practitioners and parents work together to ensure he students achieve their goals
3) Inclusive classrooms require more than one teacher.
4) Teachers and students may need a specific type of technology to help the disabled, Where is the funding coming from?
5.) Some disabled children may benefit from inclusion while others may not. If the program does not work for the student then it is a waste to put them in there. Are the tests, accurate enough to determine who will actually benefit inclusion or is it contradictory?
The severe intellectually disabled will not benefit from inclusion if they cannot learn to communicate in an n acceptable way. Screaming, acting out and behavior uproars do not make for an acceptable inclusive environment. These students although placed by the use of the IEP have been prematurely placed without weighing the consequences. This hurts the student in the end because they start to rebel against the teacher.
Barriers to an effective
Inclusive Classrooms
1.) Having low expectations of student with disability
2.) Fear of classroom activities being disruptive
3.) Lack of accountability to data collected.
How can you make an inclusion work?
There are provisions to be met such as:
1) All teachers should learn ASL American Sign Language, this should be the first and foremost language used and taught, then comes the secondary language of English.
2) There needs to be adequate support and available services for the teachers who are instructors in the inclusive class
3) Educational programs designed specifically to meet the needs of the students being taught
4) The class may have to be reduced in size to meet the demands of the students according to the severity of the disability
5) Collaboration between parents, teachers and administrators
6) Most of all there needs to be sufficient funding so as to able to develop new programs based on the needs of the students
Support of Inclusion
Start a support group for Inclusion participant (Education Committee) while creating a loaner library with information and other materials are available. The committee must meet on a regular basis with school counselors, superintendents, teachers and others involved with inclusion efforts. Should work in conjunction with the PTO, Parent, and Teacher Organization. (Vanderbilt)
To teach a class comprised of multiple disabilities,
1.) Having low expectations of student with disability
2.) Fear of classroom activities being disruptive
3.) Lack of accountability to data collected.
How can you make an inclusion work?
There are provisions to be met such as:
1) All teachers should learn ASL American Sign Language, this should be the first and foremost language used and taught, then comes the secondary language of English.
2) There needs to be adequate support and available services for the teachers who are instructors in the inclusive class
3) Educational programs designed specifically to meet the needs of the students being taught
4) The class may have to be reduced in size to meet the demands of the students according to the severity of the disability
5) Collaboration between parents, teachers and administrators
6) Most of all there needs to be sufficient funding so as to able to develop new programs based on the needs of the students
Support of Inclusion
Start a support group for Inclusion participant (Education Committee) while creating a loaner library with information and other materials are available. The committee must meet on a regular basis with school counselors, superintendents, teachers and others involved with inclusion efforts. Should work in conjunction with the PTO, Parent, and Teacher Organization. (Vanderbilt)
To teach a class comprised of multiple disabilities,
one needs to be adequately equipped
and knowledgeable of the disability to determine where the need lies.
The hearing impaired- should have things conformed to their needs as the sight impaired. Large print books and recorded items should be available in the classroom as well as the use of sign language.
In Conclusion:
Inclusive classrooms have many types of disabilities, which require a number of different teaching techniques. A classroom has to have all types of learning tools for all forms of disabilities and teachers should be fully aware of implications of disabilities as well. The most important tool that should be taught to teachers and also to all students is ASL( American Sign Language) There are many places to go for assistance in learning about disabilities and how to teach those with disabilities.
References:
Behaviors Contracts retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.specialed.about.com
The Inclusion Classroom retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.specialed.about.com
Benefits of Inclusive Education retrieved on July 26, 2010 from:
www.kidstogether.org
Down’s Syndrome retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.21down.org
Classroom Strategies for Inclusive Students with Communicative and Learning Disabilities retrieved on July 26, 2010 from:
www.livestrong.com
Hardman, Drew and Egan 2008 Human Exceptionality, School, Community and Family Ninth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Education
The hearing impaired- should have things conformed to their needs as the sight impaired. Large print books and recorded items should be available in the classroom as well as the use of sign language.
In Conclusion:
Inclusive classrooms have many types of disabilities, which require a number of different teaching techniques. A classroom has to have all types of learning tools for all forms of disabilities and teachers should be fully aware of implications of disabilities as well. The most important tool that should be taught to teachers and also to all students is ASL( American Sign Language) There are many places to go for assistance in learning about disabilities and how to teach those with disabilities.
References:
Behaviors Contracts retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.specialed.about.com
The Inclusion Classroom retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.specialed.about.com
Benefits of Inclusive Education retrieved on July 26, 2010 from:
www.kidstogether.org
Down’s Syndrome retrieved on July 13, 2010 from:
www.21down.org
Classroom Strategies for Inclusive Students with Communicative and Learning Disabilities retrieved on July 26, 2010 from:
www.livestrong.com
Hardman, Drew and Egan 2008 Human Exceptionality, School, Community and Family Ninth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Education
No comments:
Post a Comment