Educating students with and without disabilities together is strongly preferred under IDEA, and this is what we are referring to when we talk about inclusion in the following articles. The following articles are selected by Think Inclusive to give a better understanding of inclusive education.
There is No Place Called Inclusion
“Success stories from around the country provide testimony that students across the autism spectrum can learn in general education settings if students’ time is wisely used, sufficient support is provided, all are informed, and proven methods of instruction are adopted.”
“Our School Doesn’t Offer Inclusion” and Other Legal Blunders
”Families do not have to prove to the school that a student with disabilities can function in the general classroom….the school had to show why this student could not be educated in general education with aids and services.”
Creating Inclusive Schools for All Students
”This deeply held commitment to inclusion permeated all aspects of the school — after-school programs, reading interventions, the physical arrangement of classrooms and dramatic changes on the playground.”
Inclusive Education is a Plus for Children of all Abilities
”Research at the UW shows that children with and without disabilities do better in inclusive classrooms. The fear that some kids will be slowed down by kids with disabilities is just not true.”
The Least Dangerous Assumption: A Challenge to Create a New Paradigm
“the criterion of least dangerous assumption holds that in the absence of conclusive data, educational decisions ought to be based on assumptions which, if incorrect, will have the least dangerous effect on the likelihood that students will be able to function independently as adults.” Furthermore, she concluded, “we should assume that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy rather than to student deficits.”
My Kid With a Disability Deserves to Be in the Same Classroom as Your Kid, Because His Future Depends on It
”Our kids with disabilities have to grow up alongside their typically developing peers if we want them to be included in the workplace. Inclusion starts at school.”
Presuming Competence
”Out of this essay, the authors find a series of principles for inclusive schooling, the most central of which is presuming competence.”
Parents, Advocates: One mom’s story about advocating for her daughter
“Families who are economically disadvantaged or who don’t speak the language have a much more difficult time navigating the system. And while I would argue it shouldn’t be our burden to bear, I would argue more that it shouldn’t be our burden alone to bear. We all — teachers, administrators, legislators, policymakers, and families — have a moral obligation to every student, with and without disabilities, to provide equity and inclusion for all children.”
When Connor Came to Class: Building an Inclusive Classroom
”Today, there are those who strongly support inclusion programs—where students with disabilities are placed in traditional classrooms with their non-disabled peers—and those who advocate for the elimination of such programs. You can find parents, students, and teachers on both sides of this debate. For example, while some parents of students with disabilities push for inclusion, others feel their children’s needs are better met in a more protected setting, where more one-on-one instruction can be made available.”
Inclusion: The Right Thing for All Students
”Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”
