Inclusion

Definitions

Inclusion can be conceptualized as a philosophical approach to education for children with disabilities, or as a specific set of practices to support participation in general education settings. Recently, the focus of inclusion has shifted from access to quality education. Currently, there is no agreed-upon definition of the term. However, inclusion, sometimes referred to as full inclusion, incorporates a number of principles that help illustrate what is meant by the term, such as (a) shared responsibility among all school staff for the education of every child, regardless of disability status; (b) all students educated in their neighborhood schools and assigned to classrooms based on their age/grade level; and (c) following the principle of natural proportions, meaning that the proportion of students with disabilities in any given classroom is representative of the community. Additionally, inclusion assumes that all schools are physically accessible and follow developmentally appropriate practices, and that inclusion is implemented across all grade levels and schools. Finally, inclusion generally means that all students should share the same schedule and activities, including co-curricular activities.

Inclusion should not be considered simply the placement of children with special educational needs in general education classrooms, a process known as dumping. Neither should it be confused with an earlier iteration known as mainstreaming, whereby students with disabilities left a specialized education setting to attend selected classes in the general education setting. Rather, inclusion calls for the development of a universally designed system with the capacity to support all learners and with the infrastructure for the delivery of special education supports and services in the general education classroom.

Current Legal Issues

Legal mandates regarding students with disabilities specify certain rights and entitlements that bear on the issue of inclusion.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)(1990) requires all public institutions to provide equal [Page 509]access to disabled and nondisabled persons. The ADA provides a baseline via reasonable accommodations, but does not mandate remediation. Therefore, students who only require accommodations such as ramps or sign language interpreters in order to access educational services are protected by the ADA as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. However, students with disabilities from birth through age 21 have additional rights under the 2007 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA).

IDEIA, the most recent reauthorization of special education law, does emphasize that consideration of access to the general education curriculum and placement with general education peers should be a major consideration in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development. However, should attainment of goals and objectives not be achieved satisfactorily in the general education environment with supplementary aids and services, more restrictive placements must be available. The legal definition of least restrictive environment (LRE), therefore, does not imply that all students must be educated with their general education peers; rather, it specifies that the student be placed in the least restrictive environment in which educational goals can be achieved satisfactorily, therefore requiring that a full continuum of services be available. Students' IEPs for inclusive services should detail the modifications and supports necessary to meet objectives in the general education setting.

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