Phase Seven

I found my article on the EBSCO database. The article is called "Inclusion of all students with emotional or behavioral disorders? Lets think again." It was found on the Academic Search Premier. It is from the Phi Delta Kappan periodical which is a professional organization for teachers. Two authors are listed, James M Kauffman, who has received his Ed.D. in special education from the University of Kansas, and John Wills Lloyd, who teaches and conducts research at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education.

This article will be helpful for my research because so far I have agreed with inclusion, and this article moves into how inclusion can be modified and why we may need to broaden the definition of inclusion. It also adds an angle that slightly contrasts the last source I used, which warned against highly differentiation. This article warns us in making over generalizations and realizing the full extent of what inclusion will do to the regular classroom setting.

Summary:

The article begins by asserting the idea that there are many children in general education classrooms who may not be diagnosed as a special needs child but do indeed struggle with emotional and behavioral issues. The author is calling for us to face the fact that there will be problems and issues that we will have to work through if we decide to use inclusion. He is hesitant to assume that all of these students will be able to receive an appropriate education in the general classroom setting.

The article points that there are many children who are being taught in regular school systems who have handicaps but have not been diagnosed. They are often not diagnosed unless their behavior is fairly severe and it is very common for multiple problems to occur in the classroom before the children are diagnosed (the article gives two examples of children who were in a regular classroom and were not labeled as special needs students until they caused significant disruption to the flow of the classroom). Control over students with emotional or behavioral issues is said to be crucial for the instruction and academic progression of all students involved.

The article goes on to introduce different strategies that work well with handling these students and basic traits each program should posses, including monitoring progress and frequently coaching the students in applying the skills that they learn. It is confirmed that not every strategy is the same, and there are many factors that play into acquiring each student's education.

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders are not usually identified for special education, and the author suggests that many of these students are certainly competent to remain in the regular classroom but that more strategies should be implemented in order for them to succeed.

There are two major problems that the author asserts in reference to the inclusion of students with behavioral and emotional disorders. There are not enough trained personnel to support the students and the pupil/staff ratio is extremely low. The author insists that we need to realize inclusion is the correct program to abide by for these students and that it will be long, laborious task that will require a case-by-case approach.

Next the author proposes that the definition of inclusion be broadened to allow for students to have different placements based on what conditions are able to help the student feel secure and adept to learn.

The article is summed up by the idea that in our efforts to move forward with inclusion for an achievable amount of students, we need to face the realities of teaching a classroom full of disabled/non disabled students, and we should not allow over generalizations to steer our thinking.

Reflect:

Although I believe that schools should use inclusion, this article helped me to consider all of the dynamics of inclusion and why we need to be cautious allowing children with behavioral and emotional disabilities in the classroom.

I am sure that there are many children in the regular classrooms who struggle emotionally/behaviorally but are not "labeled" as such and it becomes an issue if the child is not diagnosed before much disruption is caused. However, we need not differentiate these children into separate groups right away but work on establishing them into the main classroom, using various methods for each individual. We need to keep in mind that the focus is on the student, not the disability.

A friend of mine who teaches second grade, told me once that when she has a child with emotional or behavioral disabilities in the classroom, it is very tricky to keep that student on track without "dumming down" the material for the rest of the class. I understand this concern and I would agree when the author of my source claims that there is not enough personnel or teacher/student ratio to keep up the pace of the classroom. The question I must ask in response: is it ever possible to get "enough" faculty to keep the perfect balance of the classroom? There are many schools who would agree that they could use more professionals to help out with these students, but can they necessarily afford it? Will that contribute to the general education teachers getting cuts? I would agree with those who allow some para-professionals to come into the classroom and work one-on-one with the disabled child to keep them moving along while the teacher is able to give attention to the class as a whole. Two elementary school teachers that I know of seem to be pleased with this setting and although it might not be the perfect option for every situation, it still gives relief for the teacher without having to hire countless special education professionals.

In conclusion, I would have to agree when the article affirms the idea that inclusion is a long process and requires a case-by-case approach. It is a fact that cannot be avoided. I wonder if my cousin Joey ever had someone sit down with him and his family to help to develop a unique plan that would fit his specific needs. Instead of using a "one size fits all" deal, or pointing him to the "autistic students group," using an inclusion-based approach with strategies that best fit Joey's needs, seems to be a healthy solution. Inclusion can be a wonderful and highly beneficial program, if adequate procedures are used and unique strategies are implemented for the care and comfort of each student involved.