Children With Special Needs, Research Paper Example

Children with special needs: to what extent does education implement inclusion in classrooms?

Throughout time, people have fought for their rights and equality. It was through social deviation that these rights were gained, whether it be the right to vote for women, or the equality African Americans in our country fought for. No matter what the cause is, there is one thing for sure: people want to have the same chances as everyone else and no one wants to be left out. In our educational system, we see a form of inequality when it comes to those children who are in need of special education. This is a topic which has not been talked about extensively, and awareness must be raised. An Austrian teacher in 1806 once advocated for the inclusion of special-education children with visual impairment in the classroom together with their classmates (Koestler, 1976; Farrell, 1956).  By 1900, Chicago parents had requested bringing education home which prompted the introduction of classes for blind people in regular schools.   By the year 1920, there were up to 6 urban areas that had classes for blind people. Carroll (1961) revealed that no one method is best for disabled children, and the mere act of putting disabled children together with regular children does not imply complete integration (Bina, 1993). Experience and research have shown that the mere use of inclusive environments does not guarantee interaction or make disabled children as active as their peers. Some of the disabled children, for example, those with visual impairment may not benefit as much as they should from mainstreaming. Mainstreaming, which is the idea of including children with special needs in regular education classroom settings with typical students is not seen in most curriculums in the United States despite the awareness for inclusion as well as the call for equality.

There are two major modes of inclusion that can take place in classrooms (Keogh, 2007). These include the push in model and the full inclusion model. With the Push in model, the teacher enters the classroom and provides tutoring and instructions that will support the children, the teacher comes with his own materials and provides instructions and materials to the children to support their learning. The teacher helps the children considerably during the classroom sessions (Keogh, 2007). For example, the teacher can read to the children at certain points and help them with mathematical equations and any other academic challenges the child faces during the sessions. The push-in teacher may also help the general teacher in the differentiation of instructions to suit children with different needs.

Differentiation is a critical technique usually employed in inclusive settings to assist children with special needs and help them improve their performance within classrooms (Keogh, 2007). It is a method that involves providing a wide range of activities for children of varying skills and abilities which allow them to learn in the way that is most suitable to them.  The participation of the special-education child may be full or partial, depending on the manner in which they are most able to learn (Keogh, 2007). In order to achieve the most benefits from inclusion, it is extremely important for special education tutors and general education teachers to cooperate fully and work hand-in hand so that the benefits of the inclusion can be obtained early enough and have a positive impact on the education of as many special-education children as possible.

The full inclusion model, on the other hand, involves the introduction of a special education teacher within the classroom as a full partner (Keogh, 2007). The resources, materials and learning tools needed to support the special-education learners are available and installed in the classrooms to facilitate their effective use. Training facilities and support programs should however be designed so that teachers can learn the benefits of inclusion, see them in action and be able to apply the inclusive techniques to their individual classrooms.

Inclusion does not cover only children with special education needs. It is a universal right of every human being, irrespective of their gender, sex, race, disability, medical needs and any other condition that affects their ability to be completely integrated into society (Keogh, 2007).  It focuses on giving people equal access to education and other opportunities that are available for them to make use of in their communities.  It stands clearly against discrimination and can help children and adults alike improve their confidence and lifestyle by enforcing an early and optimal integration into the educational system as well as the community (Devon County Council).

Educational inclusion, a common term in education is described by the Devon County Council as the right that children and their families have to access educational facilities and experience education along with children of the same age, regardless of any disabilities that may be inherent in their physical composition and lifestyles.  Prior approaches have been tagged as integration. Integration was the method used to manage educational centers but it was more focused on enrolling a child in the classroom based on their ability to adapt (Keogh, 2007). This has however been replaced with the ideals of inclusion which encourages educational institutions to adapt the classrooms for the convenience of special education students. Through differentiation, inclusion is able to meet the needs of special-education children who will gain access to different techniques and approaches to learning (Devon County Council).

Research has revealed that the adoption of inclusive means of training children results in improved educational standards and better results in children.  Examples of children that would typically make up an inclusive setting include minority and ethnic groups, non-native English speakers, talented children, children from stressful families, children with physical and mental disabilities and any other category of children that suffer from disabilities (Devon County Council).

There are many definitions of inclusion and this section begins with UNESCO’s (2008) definition: Inclusion is the reform of all centers of learning and academic environments to cater to the needs of all children. All marginalized groups such as the poor, immigrants, AIDS patients, children in remote areas and others also need to be included in education, since it’s a right for everyone to have access to good quality education (UNESCO, 2007)

According to 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to live free of discrimination, participating completely in cultural and social life (UNICEF, 2008). Pupils with special education needs are those that have one of the following:

1. Difficulty with most or all of their school work
2. Problems reading, writing and understanding information
3. Difficulties in self-expression and understanding
4. Difficulty in making friends and having sustained relationships with others
5. Difficulty in exhibiting appropriate social behavior
6. Sensory and physical disabilities;

Works Cited

Bina, M. (1993). Do myths associated with schools for students who are blind negatively affect placement decisions? Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 87, 213-215.

Carroll, T. (1961). Blindness: What it is, what it does, and how to live with it. Boston: Little Brown and Company

Devon County Council. (N.d). What is Inclusion? Retrieved September 20, 2010, from Devon County Council: http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/childrenfamilies/cwan/discplus/early_years_inclusion/what_is_inclusion.htm

Farrell, G. (1956). The story of blindness. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Keogh, B. (2007). Celebrating pl 94-142: the education of all handicapped children act of 1975. Issues in Teacher Education, 16(2), Retrieved from http://caddogap.com/periodicals.shtml doi: ISSN-1536-3031

Koestler, F. (1976). The unseen minority. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

UNICEF. (2008). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved September 21, 2010, from UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/crc/

UNESCO 2007. EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008. Education for All by 2015 – Will we make it? Paris, UNESCO.

UNESCO. 2008. Every learner counts: 10 questions on inclusive quality education.             www.unesco.org/education/inclusive