Ms Punia

Will you elaborate a little more?

The question should really be are we able to meet the needs of students with disabilities in fully inclusive environments. By definition, special education means that students receive "specially designed instruction based on an individualized education program (IEP)." In a forthcoming chapter, Daniel Hallahan and I discuss the challenges with individualizing instruction for students in the general education classroom. It will depend greatly on the needs of the student. The level of intensity and the specific instruction that is needed may determine whether a particular child may make progress in the general education classroom. Is the teacher prepared to meet the child's needs; is the special education teacher able to individualize instruction in the general education setting; is there enough time to provide for adequate intensity? This is a difficult question to answer, because it is really based on individual children rather than a "one-size-fits-all" placement decision.

I agree that motivation in students may be an important component in the success of inclusion. In addition, teachers' perceptions about students with disabilities also affects the effectiveness on teaching in inclusive environments. Successful inclusion is a complex topic. Here are a few articles that may be useful in considering inclusion and the placement of students receiving services for special education. I think as special educators, we need to continue to push that regardless of place...instruction should be intense, explicit, and individualized. Where this can happen is where instruction should take place.

Avramidis & Norwich, 2010

DOI:10.1080/08856250210129056

Burke & Sutherland, 2004

Zigmond, 2003

doi: 10.1177/00224669030370030901

thanks Pullen for a nice suggestion

If a classroom environment is well designed, the needs of all learners should be able to be accommodated without the need for adaptation, except in extreme circumstances. You can't lump all children with disabilities together in this way, do you mean children with physical disability, sensory integration difficulties, learning disability?

In the original question, "Is inclusion practically possible?" it isn't really determined whether inclusion meant FULL inclusion, or if individuals with disabilities can be included in general (e.g., part of the day?). This still takes us back to the intent of the law and the Least Restrictive Environment. The LRE is the place that is "MOST ENABLING". Where is the least restrictive setting where an individual with a disability can have his or her individual needs met?

Is inclusion practically possible? Of course some children with disabilities may be included full time in the general education classroom. Others will need an alternative placement, even if for part of the day. We still need a continuum of alternative placements to ensure that all children with disabilities receive the instruction that they deserve.

Everyone doesn't need to receive the same thing in the same place. As Naomi Zigmond said in a recent presentation,"different isn't bad if it is better."

The general education classroom teacher may set up a well-designed environment with excellent management and instruction. Some children, hopefully a small percentage, will still need instruction in other settings.

We've been looking at exactly this issue focusing on teacher beliefs about children with disabilities, and what influences these beliefs,

Woolfson, L., Grant, E., & Campbell, L. (2007). A comparison of special, general and support teachers’ controllability and stability attributions for children’s difficulties in learning. Educational Psychology, 27(2), 293-304. 0144-3410.

Brady, K., & Woolfson, L. (2008) What factors influence teacher attributions about children’s difficulties in learning? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 527-544. 0007-0998.

Woolfson, L., & Brady, K. (2009). An investigation of factors impacting on mainstream teachers' beliefs about teaching students with learning difficulties. Educational Psychology, 29(2), 221-238. 0144-3410.

MacFarlane, K., & Woolfson, L. (2013). Teacher attitudes and behavior toward the inclusion of children with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties in mainstream schools: An application of the theory of planned behaviour. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 46-52. 0742051X

thanks Lisa

The question of whether inclusion is possible to children with disability is problematic as it presupposes that there is something wrong with learners with " disabilities". According me education to learners with disabilities is often not a problem but the beliefs, atitudes and conceptions about a difference often influences the teacher's approach to pedagogy and consequently his epistemological stance which influences whether inclusion is possible or not. According to me with the right atitude and conviction, inclusion is possible to everyone provided the teacher regards everyone in class as not " disabled" but "abled differently".

Thanks Makoelle

thanks Lorraine

Lorraine's post prompts a couple of thoughts:

All disabilities are socially constructed--those who are deaf, for example, would do just as well as those who aren't deaf, in other words wouldn't be handicapped, if being able to speak intelligibly were a behavior that wasn't valued by society. And people with reading disabilities wouldn't have a disability if succeeding in the classroom and life weren't linked to being able to read.

Recognizing a student's deficits, i.e., viewing him or her from a deficit perspective, is necessary in order to teach him/her skills necessary to succeed in school and life. Also, I don't see how a deficit-based perspective is incompatible with a person-centered perspective. For example, I assume most people with reading disabilities would like to be able to read better, which reflects a person-centered perspective. And the best way to be able to do that is for a teacher to correct the student's deficits with intensive, systematic instruction focused on eliminating or alleviating deficits.

This is an interesting question and depends in part on our definition of inclusion. As an educator I believe that inclusion in learning is a critical factor. We can place a child in school but there is no guarantee that they will learn - this of course is not simply a special educational needs issue. We have created schools that have established expectations and systems that may in fact obstruct inclusion. For example our approaches to assessment or the fact that all children are pushed into the same lesson content. You are quite right in saying that many teachers feel inadequately prepared to address the needs of children who exhibit any kind of difference. It is often this teacher apprehension that leads to negative attitudes and low expectation

However, I do believe that the vast majority of teachers are more than willing to promote inclusive practices once they are provided with support and professional development. I am currently working in India with teachers who are enthusiastic and determined to change attitudes and systems. At the beginning of their study for a masters degree they are apprehensive and question whether children with special educational needs or those from the poorer communities can possibly succeed in mainstream schools. After sharing experiences, receiving some training and being encouraged to engage in open and honest debate they gain confidence and make a real difference in schools. These colleagues prove that inclusion can be a reality, but as you rightly imply, they need support if they are to succeed.

Thanks Richard sir. However, I am still curious in ways and strategies needed for inclusion. I believe road ahead is very challenging and work done so far is sporadic and unsatisfactory.

I am convinced that an important way ahead lies in our ability to shirt the proble from the child to the systems in which we work. I am currently working in India with teachers in Bangalore who are very professional and committed to the children they teach. However, when we initially start working together they want mainly to talk about individual teachers (e.g. a child with ADHD) or about conditions such as autism and dyslexia. Once we shidt the focus to the classroom and discuss the creation of inclusive learning environments, inclusive approaches to assessment and planning and inclusive means of involving families and the community, it becomes possible to recognise that changing classrooms and schools is easier than changing children.

I am sure that many will continue to work with deficit models and that this is not because of their lack of commitment to inclusion. But if we want to be truly inclusive we have to start challenging the systems that we have created.

Inclusive education means that all students have access to education, and that students are not denied access based on disability, race, or socio-economic status (SES).  Success of inclusion depends on expectations.  If the expectation is that all students are learning in the general education setting with their peers, then yes, there has been much progress.  If the expectation is that student performance increases according to test scores, then that can also be identified as success, provided the test measures coincide with researchers' definitions.  Much success has been seen at the elementary school level.  However, once students with disabilities graduate from compulsory school, there is a whole new set of issues.  

I think that Gail makes some interesting points here. She rightly states that there has been much progress in many countries in respect of children being accepted in general education settings. Expectations and attitudes are indeed critical factors here.However, there is sometimes a mismatch between the placement of children in school and the sppropriateness of the education they receive. I have seen situations in which the placememnt of a child in a mainstream classroom is heralded as a great success, however, whilst the child is located within the classroom, unless there are high expectations that they will learn, it is easy to see the placement as the most important factor. Student performance is certainly an essential indicator of the success of inclusion, but maybe we need to be clearer about how we define performance and what is appropriate for each learner. Simply fitting children to existing testing and examination arrangements may restrict our understanding of what effective inclusive education looks like.

With regards to Gail's comments about the post compulsory school years, this is likely to be a major challenge for the immediate future, particularly in countries with rapidly changing economies and working environments. Schools alone cannot offer the solution to inclusive challenges.

 Inclusion is not just a question of academic success. It's a whole worl of belongings. I suggest this little abstract

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293816629_2015-Developmental_Medicine_Child_Neurology-sub?ev=prf_pub

Data 2015-Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology-sub