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Jennifer Stirling
Karbowiak
Research Paper #2
Is Inclusion an Illusion?
The idea of having students with disabilities interacting with their peers in a traditional
classroom has been on the minds of lawmakers and administrators for years. However, is it
possible? Laws have started to be amended to allow for these students to be included. The
recently amended Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1975 states that students with
disabilities must be given an equal opportunity with additional help available to them. The
amendments to this law (2004, 2006, and 2011) place more detail on the children’s interaction
with their peers. According to a study by Niagara University led by Dr. Lisa Kilanowski:
“The recent reauthorization of the IDEA upholds the provision of the least restrictive
environment (LRE) for students with disabilities dating back to the original 1975 special
education law. The LRE initiative mandates that students with exceptional learning needs
be educated in the setting that is most like that of peers without disabilities as long as
their academic goals can be met in this setting” (Kilanowski 44).
Basically, any child with a disability should learn in an environment where they can interact with
peers and still meet their individual educational goals. All of these laws are pushing for what is
known as inclusion. According to Dr. Lorna Idol, a professor at University of Northern
Colorado, “Essentially, inclusion means that the student with special education needs is attending
the general school program, enrolled in age-appropriate classes 100% of the school day” (Idol
77). These new laws and the concept of inclusion are making the field of education to change
drastically. This means that teachers, administrators, and schools as a whole must change as well.
Elementary school teachers should be more knowledgeable on the issues of inclusion including
the concerns raised, the types of assistance offered to students with special needs, and the
successful methods used to incorporate these students into the classroom.
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There are many concerns raised in terms of including children with disabilities into the
general education classroom. These concerns include behavioral issues, acceptance in the
classroom, and the confidence of teachers. Many teachers are concerned the students with
disabilities may disrupt the classroom environment due to behavioral issues. According to a
survey of teachers led by Eynat Gal of the University of Haifa, “Teachers were most concerned
about accommodations for children with potential behavior problems” (Gal 89). Oftentimes,
children with disabilities tend to act out in the classroom because they are frustrated with the
situation or themselves. It is important that these behavior issues are addressed quickly, before
they cause disruptions in the classroom. To handle these situations, teachers need proper training
on behavior management and controlling the classroom environment. Gal also found in her study
that “children with learning disabilities, ADHD or emotional regulation disabilities present
bigger challenges for the teachers than children with sensory/ motor disabilities” (96). These
children often struggle not only at school, but at home as well. Their parents, if present, are often
faced with the task of providing for the child. Therefore, the child does not receive as much
interaction with parental figures. According to a study led by Dr. Regina Stoutjesdijk of Leiden
University, “the results showed that temperament, family risk factors, academic performance,
and socioeconomic status (SES) were mostly associated with behavioral problems” (Stoutjesdijk
95). These predictors highly impact a child’s behavior, and it only worsens with children who
have emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). According to Stoutjesdijk, “relational problems
between child and caregiver, academic performance, and the age at which the child received
youth care for the first time were identified as the three predictors that could most affect the
inclusion of children with EBD in regular education” (92). Unfortunately, most of these
predictors are outside of the control of the teacher. While teachers can help with academic
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performance, it really is up to the individual student if they wish to succeed. Frustration can lead
to a variety of behavior issues, so teachers need to be able to understand how to work with these
students. Also, the other students in the class must be accepting of the students with disabilities
or else the class will not meet their educational goals. While inclusion is seen as a positive idea,
it requires a great amount of innovation and restructuring. Gal interviewed multiple teachers in
her study and found there was a “less positive attitude to children with disabilities among older
teachers” (Gal 93). These teachers could possibly feel this way because they are used to their
routine and are unsure of these changes. Also, many teachers feel they lack the training to teach
and interact with children with disabilities. Therefore, their confidence as a teacher goes down
tremendously. Kilanowski’s survey of teachers showed “teachers generally indicated that they do
not have adequate training for work with students with special needs either in their teacher
preparation programs or as part of their in-service professional development. They also report a
need for more personnel assistance in the classroom to support their teaching” (Kilanowski 45).
Many teachers are feeling unprepared, which is unfortunate, since many are expected to not only
teach students, but students with disabilities as well. According to a survey led by University of
Exeter’s Elias Avramidis, “The teachers identified several factors that would affect the success
of inclusion, including class size, inadequate resources, the extent to which all students would
benefit from inclusion and lack of adequate teacher preparation” (Avramidis 194). This shows
that many teachers are skeptical about what is to come with inclusion. However, they believe it
to be a positive transition for schools.
Once the IDEA law was passed, schools began to scramble to find the best way for
children with disabilities to be integrated into the classroom. There were many discussions on the
types of assistance a child should have, including paraprofessionals and resource rooms, and if
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this assistance should be optional or not. In Idol’s study, it was determined that “several different
types of collaborative teaching programs are used in supporting general education teachers who
teach special education students” (Idol 78). These types of assistance are also listed and defined
within the study. The study states:
“The consulting teacher model is a form of indirect special education service delivery in
which a special education teacher serves as a consultant to a classroom teacher. In the
cooperative teaching model, special education and classroom teachers work together with
a variety of coteaching arrangements in the same classroom to provide educational
programs for all students” (78).
These methods were discussed extensively between teachers and administrators. Eventually it
was determined that coteaching seemed to be the best idea. However, in Kilanowski’s study,
“co-teaching, though frequently cited as the most beneficial model of inclusive practice, emerged
as the least documented method of instruction, with the utilization of consultant teacher models
emerging as the most prevalent” (Kilanowski 43). This is unfortunate because the practice that
most educators agreed on is not being used in the classroom. While co-teaching seemed like the
best idea, it seems that small group instruction was the most used strategy. According to
Kilanowski, “Small group instruction emerged as the most commonly reported support type
across demographic areas, with the number of teachers reporting co-teaching in suburban areas
more prevalent than rural or urban areas” (49). While the issue of what type of assistance to use
is still arguable, it is important to note the progress that inclusion has made. There is an
overwhelming amount of statistics and research that shows that students with disabilities are
excelling in the traditional classroom. For example, Kilanowski’s study found that tremendous
progress is being made. The study states, “while only 43.4% of students with disabilities
received educational services within the regular classroom for all or most of the day in the 1993,
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a slow but steady increase to 48.2% has been noted in the latest statistics available” (45). This is
huge progress, showing that some teachers have clearly succeeded in having children with
disabilities in their classrooms.
Some schools have truly accepted inclusion as a part of their school policy. They have
succeeded in having children with disabilities be apart of the traditional classroom. Overall,
according to Idol’s study, “36% of the respondents reported that having students with disabilities
in general education classes resulted in an increase in the statewide test scores of general
education students, and an additional 33% reported that the test scores of general education
students remained the same” (Idol 84). This shows that students with disabilities do not harm
other students by being present and interactive in the classroom. While some teachers have
succeeded, they are still recommending changes to be made. Idol’s study also stated, “several
teachers also recommended that certain practices and policies be implemented, such as offering
opportunities to visit schools that were further along with inclusion; respecting the special
challenges presented to the classroom teacher and providing support” (Idol 85). This statement
corresponds with the statistics found in the Avramidis study:
“56 teachers (representing 69.13% of the total sample) reported that they needed more
support in teaching classes that included students with significant difficulties. 40 teachers
(49.38%) felt the need for systematic, intensive training, either as part of their
certification programmes, as intensive and well-planned in-service training, or as an
ongoing process with specialists acting as consultants and 32 teachers (39.50%) also
required adequate curriculum materials and other classroom equipment appropriate to the
needs of students with disabilities” (205-206).
On top of needing more support, teachers are also asking for a larger classroom with a different
layout, a smaller class size and at least an hour per day to prep for class time (206). Clearly,
teachers and administrators are still struggling with the new inclusion laws and how to assert
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them into the classroom. It is important that teachers, new and old, understand the laws and the
changes that may be soon impacting their school. The ultimate goal for schools across the
country is that all students will be thriving in an environment where they feel comfortable and
can learn successfully. This goal can be reached through the spread of research and lots of
conversation and communication among teachers and administrators.
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Works Cited
Avramidis, Elias, Phil Bayliss, and Robert Burden. "A Survey into Mainstream Teachers'
Attitudes Towards the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in the
Ordinary School in One Local Education Authority." Educational Psychology: An
International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology 20.2 (2000): 191-211.
ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014
Gal, Eynat, Naomi Schreur, and Batya Engel-Yeger. "Inclusion of Children with Disabilities:
Teachers' Attitudes and Requirements for Environmental Accommodations."
International Journal of Special Education 25.2 (2010): 89-99. ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar.
2014.
Idol, Lorna. "Toward Inclusion of Special Education Students in General Education: A Program
Evaluation of Eight Schools." Remedial and Special Education 27.2 (2006): 77-94.
ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Kilanowski-Press, Lisa, Chandra J. Foote, and Vince J. Rinaldo. "Inclusion Classrooms and
Teachers: A Survey of Current Practices." International Journal of Special Education
25.3 (2010): 43-56. ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Stoutjesdijk, Regina, Evert M. Scholte, and Hanna Swaab. "Special Needs Characteristics of
Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders that Affect Inclusion in Regular
Education." Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 20.2 (2012): 92-104.
ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.