Administration does not enforce general education teacher to include severe needs students in their classrooms for social interaction. General education teachers do not modify curriculum for severe needs students and require special education teachers to create work for those students before they are "allowed" to enter during teaching time.
This is a very relevant and complex challenge.
I work as the educational lead at an inclusive all-day school in Germany. We support students across the entire neurodiversity spectrum within a public school setting. The barriers you describe are familiar: lack of structural support, rigid general education curricula, and hesitation among mainstream teachers to adjust their instruction.
One helpful shift has been our whole-school approach based on shared responsibility. Inclusion isn’t a “special education task” – it’s a team effort. We’ve had success with:
- Collaborative planning between general and special education staff (even if only biweekly)
- Creating safe and meaningful participation spaces (e.g., calm work zones, project-based learning, parallel activities with social bridges)
- Focusing on co-regulation, not compliance – especially in emotionally intense situations
For students with complex support needs, being present is already meaningful. Even silent participation in group routines fosters belonging.
Long-term, we've found that documenting small successes and involving mainstream staff in non-academic formats (e.g., theatre projects, cooperative games) leads to mindset change.
Inclusion starts with attitude – the rest follows with structure, creativity, and patience.