Inclusion

Inclusion has been a controversial topic at the forefront of education for many years now.

The fact is that it isn’t going to magically go away nor should it. There will always be

contradicting opinions about its application as well as its effectiveness. In the end, the decision to implement inclusion must be based on the best interest of both the general and special education student population.

Inclusion should not be viewed as a place or a classroom setting, but as a philosophy or state of mind when thinking about education (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2010). McLeskey, Rosenberg, and Westling define inclusion as including students with disabilities as valued members of the school community (2010). Inclusion is a means to “create schools that meet the needs of all students by establishing learning communities for students with and without disabilities, educated together…” (Kavale & Forness, 2000, p. 279). In order to ensure that all students receive a nonbiased education, an education not based on level of ability, many advocates have stepped forward over the years in support of inclusion in the general education classroom.

The movement to support the inclusion of students with disabilities into the regular education classroom began in 1975 with the passing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA). This act orders that all children be provided access to an appropriate, public education regardless of their disability status. EAHCA was later updated and amended to become the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). The implementation of IDEA allowed for the largest growth in number of students with disabilities graduating from high school and entering into the workforce as well as college (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2010, p. 36). These, along with other acts of legislation, have been put in place to provide opportunities for all children to receive a quality education regardless of...