Special Education and Inclusion Essay -- essays papers

Special Education and Inclusion Many people seem to look past how learning-disabled students would feel to be placed in a mainstream classroom which includes students without disabilities rather than go to class in a segregated/special education classroom with only other students who also have learning disabilities. There are many researches constantly going on studying the effects of inclusion in classrooms to see if learning-disabled students achieve better in mainstream classes. Students with learning disabilities feel better about themselves when they are included in classes with their peers who don’t have learning disabilities. Some terms regarding inclusion education should be clarified so that a person who is not knowledgeable about special education will have a better understanding. Inclusion and mainstreaming in class rooms can be switched around to mean the same thing. Essentially, these terms mean the process of putting students with special learning needs into â€Å"regular† classes with non-disabled peers. Resource classes, which used in a typical educational setting for learning disabled students, are classes that are for special needs students only. Just like inclusion and mainstreaming, learning disabled and special needs can be used interchangeably. Students with disabilities have educational rights under a special law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which mandates that students with disabilities have a free and appropriate education (Curry School of Education, n/d). The law requires that special needs students should also be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE) suitable for their needs(Curry School of Education, n/d). The LRE for some students is often the g... ...ed/resource classrooms and express their opinions on this matter. L., Peter and John (1994). Learning Disabilities. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu States different legal requirements such as the IDEA and LRE laws, and percentages of learning-disabled students in mainstream classrooms. Meyer, Luanna (2001, March). International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. Vol.48, Issue 1. Studied different disabilities and inclusion classes. Wolfe, P., & Hall, T. (2003, March) Teaching Exceptional Children Vol. 35, Issue 4. Suggestions to teachers/parents that provides appropriate education for all children. (2001, November 5). Educational Issues Series. Retrieved April 25, 2003, from http://www.weac.org Definitions and laws for inclusion in education are mentioned here along with different court cases.