Inclusion represents a shift in practice of education that requires the restructuring of schools to eliminate the separation of regular and special education and to create a new system to accommodate the needs of the students (Edmunds, 2000). In education, inclusion consist of placing disable or learning impaired students in general education classrooms and integrating their learning experiences with students in the general education classroom. Inclusion refers to the process whereby students with disabilities receive their education with necessary special education support, primarily in general education classes alongside students who do not have special education designation (Fox & Ysseldyke, 1997). Inclusion is made up of four main components 1) all students received their education in their home school; 2) placement is based on the concept of natural proportions; 3) there is learning / teaching restructuring so that supports are created for special education in the general education settings and 4) placement are grade-age- appropriate. There is further distinction between inclusion, where students spend 2/3 or more of their time in general education classroom, and full inclusion, where students with disabilities spend all their time in a general classroom (Savich, 2008). Supporters of the inclusion movement argue that all learners reap the benefits …show more content…
Mainstreaming also refers to a process whereby students with disabilities receive a portion of their day in the regular classroom with the other non disabled students. The remainder of the day is spent in the resource (segregated) classroom with special education teacher. The student with disabilities receives instruction in the general education classroom for the subject areas that are considered his or her strengths while receiving instruction in the resource class in areas of weakness (Fox & Ysseldyke, 1997).
What are the Pros and Cons of Inclusion? The first benefit of inclusion is that it resulted in greater communication skills, greater social competence, and greater developmental skills for special education students who have been part of inclusive settings (Bennet, Deluca, & Bruns, 1997). The second benefit of inclusion is that disabled students make more friends in general education settings and interact with their student peers at much higher level (Fryxell & Kennedy, 1995). The third benefit is that the cost of inclusion is less over time than teaching the special education students in special education classes alone (Savich,