Vocational classes, in general education environments tended to be the trend for mainstreaming children with disabilities, which in many cases included general life lessons courses where children learned how to function as independents additionally some programs offered general education job coaching and other life skills courses, with the intention of people with disabilities who could do so seeking further education in post-secondary vocational settings at college. (Halpern, Yovanoff, Doren & Benz, 1995, p
Instructors can be sympathetic to individual needs, especially with regard to disabilities like ADHD because they can be made aware of them without the potential for discrimination or early recourse, as would be the case in employment. (Lemaire, Mallik & Stoll, 2002, p
The growing number of adults with ADHD seems to be helping the education system by offering insight into the thinking patterns and needs of individuals with ADHD, but progress is slow and overmedication still seems to be the answer in most cases. (Neven, Godber & Anderson, 2002, p
"Rather than "forcing" students with disabilities into an existing mainstream that is structured to teach everyone the same thing in the same way for the same amount of time, inclusion presumes a restructuring to accommodate individual student differences." (Proctor & Baker, 1995, p
Facilitated communication has been reported to result in dramatic breakthroughs for some people with autism (Biklen & Schubert, 1991; Putnam, 1994), although the efficacy of this approach is hotly debated by professionals in the field. (Putnam, Spiegel & Bruininks, 1995) Educators need to be prepared to answer issues involving, not just academics but also behavior in a constructive manner, especially with regard to students with ADHD, as such students are often feared by the educators as those who will suck up all their time and leave them with less instructional time for other students
27) If high school counselors [and all teachers] are to be competent in helping students with ADHD prepare for their transition from high school into postsecondary education or the workplace, they must understand the educational, vocational, and social problems associated with students identified with ADHD. (Schwiebert, Sealander & Dennison, 2002, p
94-142 was passed (1975) which mandated that children with special education needs are to be educated in the least restrictive environment." (Wilcox & Wigle, 1997, p
First, and perhaps the most reason was inclusion promised parents that their child with a disability would be part of a larger group and a true member of a general education class. While friendships could not be forced, opportunities for forming friendships with peers without disabilities became much more practical when children with disabilities where based in general education classes (Brown, et al
1-7). Simple things such as talking with friends in class, playing together on the playground, chatting over lunch, getting ready to go home, and sharing excitement of assemblies and other school-wide functions seemed to be more difficult to plan when children with disabilities were alienated from peers without disabilities (Ferguson, 281-306)
It look that separating children with disabilities for educational purposes, while well intentioned, was not effective or necessary. Benefits of Inclusion What of benefits of properly conducted inclusive programs? Were benefits of inclusive programs anticipated by advocates in the 1980s found in the 1990s? Recent research has, in fact, supported benefits of inclusion not only to the child with a disability, but to non-disabled children and to general education staff (Giangreco, Dennis, Cloninger, Edesman, & Schattman, 359-372)
Even individuals confined to wheelchairs, the group most commonly thought of as disabled, number only 720,000. (National Health Interview Survey, National Institute on Disabilities and rehabilitation Research
We have included benefits from many diverse perspectives, and we are sure that you will be able to add to the lists when you start to build inclusion into your program. Children with Special Needs Part of their community Peers serve as role models Peers provide a reason to communicate Learn motor, communication & other skills within natural settings Children without Disabilities Acceptance of differences Diversity of friendships Encourages cooperation Helps children become more resourceful & creative Parents Awareness of disabilities All parents are part of community Knowledge of typical development Availability of other parents for support & information Early Childhood Providers Hands-on training for staff Learn to work as a team Wealth of support and materials More understanding of child development Special Education Providers Work with diverse staff Work with diverse group of children Learn skills from other staff Move toward whole developmental perspective Justification for Inclusion Much has been written about rationale for amalgamation special and general education and resulting benefits of properly conducted inclusive programs (Stainback & Stainback, 225-239)
A second critical reason was the fact that empirical research showed a divide, dual system of special education (mostly self-contained) and general education were relatively unproductive and inefficient. For example, reviews of research by (Wang and Baker 503-521) found integrated settings when implemented properly, were more effective in helping students with disabilities achieve both academically and socially while shunning negative effects e
Much of this discomfort is the result of a lack of knowledge about disabilities, lack of experience with handicapped students, and minimal training in teaching these students. While both proponents and opponents of mainstreaming believe that all children should be given the opportunity to achieve to their fullest potential, opponents argue that this cannot be accomplished by mainstreaming, saying that the benefits of special education outweigh the disadvantages (McIntyre, 1992)
3). For students with severe handicaps, which may include mental handicaps, sensory impairments, physical handicaps, or chronic health problems, it is widely believed that they can learn but might require a lot of guidance, teaching of basic life skills, or assistance with daily activities (Stanviloff, 2002)