Inclusion of Special Education Students in Classroom: an Overview

Introduction

In this essay, I will discuss and review information on inclusion of special education students and the issues that individuals with disabilities encounter as they progress into adulthood. According to Salend, 2005, 'inclusion is a philosophy that brings diverse students, families, educators, and community members together to create schools and other social institutions based on acceptance, belonging and community.' By having inclusion in the classroom, it ensures that the students receive the same benefits as regular education students and that they can benefit from a meaningful education and the same curriculum as the other students.

Inclusion of special education students 

For a student to receive inclusion services he or she has to first be screened and if they are diagnosed with a disability then they can receive an individualized education plan (IEP). An IEP is defined as a written plan defining the program that is designed to meet the unique needs of a child. According to the United States Department of Education, each public-school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public school districts develop an individualized plan for every child who qualifies as having a disability identified by IDEA as a qualifying condition for special education. The process of receiving an IEP can be very lengthy at times and includes the collaboration of the parents, teachers, school staff and the special education department. According to the United States Department of Education, 2000, the IEP process consists of a child being identified as possibly needing special education services. This is done through Child Find or a referral or request for evaluation from a school professional or parent. The request can be verbal or in writing and the school district has to have a parent's consent before the child can be evaluated for an IEP. Next, the child is evaluated. During the evaluation, the child has to be assessed in all the areas related to his or her suspected disability. The results will be used to determine if the child is eligible for special education services. The parents have the right to disagree with the evaluation and take their child for an independent evaluation. After evaluating the child is found eligible or ineligible for services. If a child has a disability as defined by IDEA, he or she is then eligible for special education services. The IEP team has thirty calendar days after the child is found eligible to write the IEP for the child. Next, the IEP meeting is scheduled. The school system is responsible for scheduling and conducting the IEP meeting. The IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written. The IEP team meets with the parents and in some instances, the child is a part of the team to write the IEP. The parent has to give consent before a child begins to receive special education services. If the parent does not agree with the IEP they can discuss their concerns with the IEP team to work out an agreement. The child's eligibility is decided. The parents along with the IEP team look at the evaluation results and decide if the child has a disability as defined by IDEA.

The services are provided to the child. The parents will receive a copy of the IEP along with the child's teachers and any other service providers to the child. The school also makes sure that the IEP is being carried out as written. The child's progress is measured and reported to the parents. The child's parents are informed of the child's progress and his or her progress is measured. The IEP is reviewed. The IEP is reviewed once a year or if a parent of the school feels that it needs to be reviewed. Parents have the right to make suggestions for change if they feel they are needed. The child is reevaluated. Every three years the child has to be reevaluated in order to determine if the child continues to have a disability as defined by IDEA. This is the process that has been established by the United States Department of Education.

In today's classrooms, there are a variety of children and often you cannot notice the differences among the children just by looking at them. In the past, children with disabilities were educated in a special education classroom until laws were passed to better define the services that children with disabilities could receive. This is due to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 IDEA) formerly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. According to Hanson et. al (2013), 'IDEA provides the framework for educational policies and services for children with disabilities and their families.' There are six principles that incorporate the framework of IDEA:

1. Free and appropriate public education
2. Appropriate education
3. Development of an individualized education program (IEP)
4. Education provided in the least restrictive environment (L.R.E.)
5. Parent participation in decision making
6. Procedural safeguards to protect the rights of parents and their child with a disability.

When a child with a disability is placed in inclusion, the teacher assists the child with learning skills and information that his or her classmates in the regular education classroom are learning. For many children, a regular education classroom is the least restrictive environment (L.R.E.) for them to learn in. An L.R.E. is a place where a child with a disability learns best and they are not limited to the resources they need. There are 10 different levels that can be an L.R.E. for a child with a disability:

• General education classroom placement with few or no supportive services.
• General education classroom placement with collaborative teacher assistance.
• General education classroom placement with specialist assistance.
• General education classroom placement with resource room placement.
• Special education classroom with part-time in a general education classroom.
• A full-time special education classroom.
• Homebound instruction.
• Hospital or institution.

There are many benefits of IDEA that helps families with disabilities, such as, has established a unified service delivery system to all students with a disability to address their needs, it gives the family and school system a chance to set goals for the child with a disability throughout his or her education and has also incorporated a full range of service delivery by agencies and professional disciplines that will deliver education services to the students. There are also some challenges from the establishment of the IDEA, such as, coordination, collaboration and assisting families with their priorities and needs.

When a child is placed in inclusion it is important for teachers and staff to ensure that the transition is successful. In order to do this, there are several steps that teachers and staff can do, such as, having the children interact with each other to promote, good social relationships, learning and recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of all the children in the classroom, administrative staff ensuring that teachers are appropriately trained to work with children with disabilities, parents, and teachers have an open line of communication and are willing to work together for the child to be successful, making sure that the child with a disability is accepted and included in all classroom activities, and the child with a disability are given the chance to take full advantage of all the things the school and the classroom have to offer.

Summary

The information discussed in this paper is very beneficial to me. It shows me how important communication during this time between the parents, schools and service providers is. According to Hanson & Lynch, 2013, there are four stages of partnerships:

1. getting acquainted
2. exploration
3. ollaboration 
4. closure.

In phase one, getting acquainted with this is the initial phase where the foundations of trust and rapport are established. In this phase, family members and professionals exchange information and for some families, it may take longer to feel comfortable with the service provider. In phase two, exploration, the family and the service provider may discuss resources, services and initial goals for treatment or services are established. In this phase, service provides need to listen very carefully to their families' needs and wants. Trust in this phase is very important between families and the service provider. In phase three, collaboration, the service provider and the family will establish agreed-upon interventions, goals, and procedures and these goals, procedures, and interventions are continuously monitored to meet the needs of the family. Also, in this phase, the service provider continues to listen and be attentive to the family members. In phase four, closure, the service provider and family end their working relationship. Sometimes doing this can be very difficult due to the relationship that has been formed. In this phase, the family and the service provider will review the experiences between the two and future goals. If the parents, service providers and schools would use the phase discussed, I believe that it could make their relationship better due to all parties involved working towards one common goal which is ensuring that the child with the disability receives the best possible services he or she could receive.

References

1. Salend, S. J. (2005). Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Effective and Reflective Practices. Pearson.
2. Turnbull, A., Turnbull, H. R., Shank, M., & Smith, S. J. (2004). Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today's Schools. Prentice Hall.
3. Martin, N. A., & Huber, M. (2016). Inclusion: Making Room for Grace. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
4. Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. D. (2018). Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers. Pearson.
5. Hanson, M. J., & Lynch, E. W. (2013). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. Young Exceptional Children, 16(1), 3-13.
6. Giangreco, M. F., & Doyle, M. B. (2002). Quick fixes and powerful miracles: Labels, inclusion, and special education. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(3), 228-238.
7. Hardiman, R., McDonnell, J., & Welch, M. (2016). Classroom integration of special education students: A pedagogical analysis. The Journal of Special Education, 9(3), 277-291.
8. United States Department of Education. (n.d.). Individualized Education Program (IEP). [Online] Available at: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.320
9. Salend, S. J. (2001). Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Effective and Reflective Practices for All Students. ERIC.