ERIC Number: ED378762
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1994-Oct
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Making Schools More Inclusive: Teaching Children with Disabilities in Regular Classrooms.
Willis, Scott
ASCD Curriculum Update, Oct 1994
This newsletter theme issue focuses on issues in including students with disabilities in regular education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act calls for students to be placed in the least restrictive environment, which is presumed by some educators to be the regular classroom. The drawbacks of separate programs are not felt to be offset by clear benefits. Grouping children with like disabilities can be counterproductive; for example, grouping children with communication disabilities together results in poor role modeling for language. Education reformers emphasize that learning environments should be changed to allow these children to succeed. Some educators feel that inclusion bolsters disabled students' academic progress and offers socialization benefits, while nondisabled children learn to understand and accept children with disabilities. Other experts argue that special education provides help that is significantly different from general education. In addition, "full inclusion" means different things to different people; some educators want a continuum of placements, while others want a continuum of supports. Some educators are concerned about disabled children's need for specialized attention and life skills instruction. Regular teachers may not receive enough support to cope with diverse students. Suggestions for becoming more inclusive are offered to schools. Also included is a section, "Inclusion and the Disruptive Child." (JDD)
Descriptors: Disabilities, Educational Change, Educational Methods, Elementary Secondary Education, Inclusive Schools, Normalization (Disabilities), Social Integration, Special Education, Student Needs
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1250 N. Pitt St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1453 (Stock No. 1-94171, $1 each, prepaid, plus self-addressed stamped envelope; quantity discount available).
Publication Type: Collected Works - Serials; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Broken type on pages 1 and 2.