Developing a Full Inclusion Program for Special Needs Students Within a Regular General Education Classroom

In this short presentation, I will speak about the process and procedure for the implementation of a Full Inclusion Program for Learning Disabled Student(s) at the Secondary Level.

The concept of Inclusion is incorporated into P.L. 94-142, known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. One of the main purposes of the Act is to guarantee that a free and appropriate education is available for all Learning Disabled students. Further, embodied in P.L. 94-142 is a proviso that requires that to the maximum extent possible, all children and youth with disabilities be educated in the regular classroom environment.

Before a school can decide that there should be a Full Inclusion program on the campus, there must be an agreement for all staff to work collaboratively in the Inclusion process and to develop a sense of "community" within the school environment. Embodied within this community will be a group of individuals who have learned how to honestly communicate with each other and who have developed a commitment to rejoice together, mourn together, delight in each other, pray together, and make each other's conditions their own. Included within this community are the following key personnel: the regular teacher, the special day class teacher, itinerant teachers who work with the learning disabled student, school psychologists, nurses, administrators, the regular education students, the learning disabled student (s), and the parents of both the regular education and the learning disabled students.

If the concept of "community" is to be successful so that the needs of the Learning Disabled students are met within the regular education environment, all talents, gifts and strengths found within the student(s) abilities must be recognized, encouraged and utilized to the fullest extent possible.

When a school has decided to operate as a "community" and develop a Full Inclusion Program on its' site for the Learning Disabled student (s), those instructors or "advisors" who will be acting in a supportive role for the student (s) will need to begin to develop a carefully planned program which will enable the students in the Inclusion program to develop self-esteem, socialization skills and feel successful.

First, the teacher/advisor needs to identify the child's strengths and gifts or talents that will enable them to be successful in the Full Inclusion program. Here, it is important during the planning process for the advisor to get to know the child by talking to: the child, the child's friends and classmates, the child's family, and the child's former teachers.

Next, the teacher advisor needs to develop an academic program that allows the Learning Disabled student to work at his/her own ability level and that fosters the concept of developing socialization skills within the regular classroom.

Third, the teacher/advisor needs to help the Learning Disabled student develop a "Circle of Friends" that can provide support, concern, nurturing and encouragement for the Learning Disabled student in the regular education classroom. This "Circle of Friends" will act as a network that allows for the genuine involvement of children in a friendship, caring, and supportive role with their peers. At the secondary level, this group of students who work with both the teacher/advisor and the student (s) in the Inclusion program participate in the following activities: helping the student (s) get to class on time; provide assistance to the child during class and act as a peer tutor/coach; provide any necessary assistance to the Learning Disabled student (s) during interactions/communications with other regular education students; encourage the Learning Disabled student (s) to socialize and become part of the regular student body population; encourage participation in school activities and events; and act as an "advocate" for the Learning Disabled student (s) if situations of insensitivity by others is demonstrated toward the Learning Disabled student (s).

With the "Circle of Friends" firmly established, the teacher/advisor needs to regularly meet with the student and "friends" on a weekly basis to discuss how the program is working and to resolve any concerns that the support group or the student feels a need to address.

Finally, the teacher/advisor needs to establish a program of collaboration among and between him/herself and the child's regular education teachers. Additionally, the child's parents must be included as part of this collaborative team approach. This collaborative team not only participates in the instructional program planning for the student, but also assumes cooperative responsibility for instruction, necessary accommodations or adaptations, and on-going monitoring and evaluations of the Learning Disabled student (s) success in the regular education program. It is the responsibility of this collaborative team to ensure that all area's of a student's learning and socialization, that is, developing friendships, controlling behavior, speaking clearly, and participating on an active basis within the classroom occurs in all areas of the student's day.

Collaboration is one of the most important components of a successful Full Inclusion Program. Without it, friction and dissention will occur between staff that will filter down to the Learning Disabled student (s) and result in the Learning Disabled student (s) feeling that he/she is a failure. When collaboration does exist, which requires intensive education of regular education teachers and students of the benefits of the program before the implementation of the program, all stakeholders involved in the process must begin to see, recognize and appreciate the gifts, talents, and strengths that all students, including the Learning Disabled student (s) have and can bring to the instructional program and educational climate within a given school.

As a former Special Education Teacher who was actively involved in an Inclusion program for an Eighth grade Down syndrome student who did her Eighth grade year in regular education classes and then continued with her High School studies in full regular education classes, I have experienced and seen first hand that Inclusion can and does work and that it should be offered to all Learning Disabled students who are able to participate within such a program. The Full Inclusion program that I implemented was used by other faculty and campuses within the Los Angeles Unified School District as a model that allowed many other Learning Disabled students to experience the opportunity to receive their educational instruction within a regular educational classroom environment.

References

Los Angeles Unified School District. Bulletin #49. June, 1993. Division of Special Education. Least Restrictive Environment for Special Education Students.

NICHCY. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. 1991. Washing, D.C. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1-15.

Schaffner, C., & Buswell, B. Opening Doors: Strategies for including all students in regular education. 1991. PEAK Parent Center, Inc. Colorado Spring, Colorado. Chapter 1. Team Approach. p.9-12.

Stainback, S. & Stainback, W. 1992. Curriculum Considerations in Inclusive Classrooms. Chapter 1. Toward Inclusive Classrooms. p 3-17