Full Inclusion Is Not Always Beneficial.

Tori Aldinger Boise State University

Professor Juli Pool Exceptionality in Schools (Ed-Sped 250) 10/11/2013

Full Inclusion Is Not Always Beneficial. Special education is an important service that is offered in most schools. Special education class rooms help to educate those who have special needs and may require modifications to learning in order to be successful. The federal government categorizes special education students according to their impairments, disabilities, and/or handicaps. Learning disabilities is a category that has the highest number of affected students in the education system. Heward (2013), found that 2,483,391 students received special education services for learning disabilities in the 2009-2010 school year. This is more than any other disability category. ( p.9). Learning disabilities can be hard to define but according to Heward (2013) : most states require that three criteria be met: (a) a severe discrepancy between potential or ability and actual achievement, (b) learning problems that cannot be attributed to other disabilities, and (c) special educational services needed to succeed in school (p.9).

Students with learning disabilities are characterized by having deficits in such areas as reading/writing, math, and social skills. Behavior problems and low self-esteem can also be observed. Many students with learning disabilities are capable of being successful in a general education class but the question is; can all students with learning disabilities be served in the general classroom? I would say no, many educators take the same stance. While inclusion has its benefits, there are students who would benefit more from individualized help. Students who are far below grade level in certain subjects would benefit much more if they had access to individualized instruction through the resource room and a special education teacher then in the general education classroom. According to Heward (2013), one of the advantages to the resource room is students can receive the intensive, individualized instruction they need every day, which may not be possible in the general education classroom ( p. 189). If a teacher is teaching 20 other students grade level material, how and when could they be able to

effectively teach a student with a learning disability different material? Heward (2013), found through research that 40% of students with learning disabilities have general education teachers who have received no information about their instructional needs and that only 11% of general education teachers make substantial modifications to curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities ( p 190). How can students with learning disabilities be successful at learning if their teacher is not equipped to teach them effectively, nor makes the appropriate accommodations for them? Heward (2013), further found that studies of students with learning disabilities in the general education classroom have reported disappointing achievement results because of concerns about inadequate instruction, teachers limited understanding of learning needs of students with LD, and poor acceptance by teachers and/or peers. ( p. 188). Many people argue that students have better self-esteem if they are included in the general education classroom. This is not always the case. Heward (2013), states in the text Exceptional Children Elbaum conducted a meta-analysis of 36 students examining the selfconcept of students with learning disabilities in different placements and concluded that , contrary to the stigmatization perspective, students with LD placed in general education classrooms did not, overall, have higher self-concepts than students placed in either part-time, or full time special education classrooms (p. 189). It is possible that students with learning disabilities may feel stupid in the general education classroom. They watch the other students learn grade level material and struggle to learn the same material, leading to frustration and low self-esteem. If they are in the resource room with peers who have the same needs as they do, they most likely could have a higher self-concept.

While learning in the least restrictive environment is often the best environment for students with learning disabilities it is not always as effective. There will always be students that will benefit more from individualized attention and more intensive interventions. Heward (2013), notes All of the major professional and advocacy associations concerned with education of children with learning disabilities have published position papers against full inclusion ( p. 190). The idea of full inclusion in not a supported idea by many including parents and professionals. Students with learning disabilities receive the much needed interventions and appropriate education assistance in the resource rooms, so full inclusion is not something that I would support.

References Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional children an introduction to special education. (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.