And What Do Inclusive Schools And Classrooms Look Like?
In the words of one parent, inclusion
- when it is really working - doesn't look like anything! As she has put
it, "inclusion is something that may be structured differently
for every child and is designed not to draw attention to itself or the child.
In fact, when adaptations are well designed in the context of regular
class activities, it can be difficult to identify which children even have
disabilities!
Yet there are a few things that we can say about how inclusive programs should "look". First, what defines 'inclusion' for an individual student will vary with that child's age and with that child's specific needs. We know that fully integrated preschool programs, with appropriate modifications, are able to provide a very rich learning environment for all children. And we are increasingly learning that our elementary schools, especially our primary schools with their emphasis upon individualized instruction, hands-on learning, and child-to-child interactions, are creating classrooms that can effectively educate all students.
At the middle school level, an emphasis upon team membership, cooperative learning, and exploratory classes provides the context for participation in regular classes, while students may also be spending increasing amounts of time outside of the classroom for instruction in the community, for learning to do school jobs with their peers without disabilities, and for extracurricular activities.
At the high school level, inclusive education may look different still; yet, it contains elements common to all the other grade levels. In inclusive high schools, students with diverse needs and abilities are still members of regular home rooms, are active members of their class(e.g., freshmen, juniors, etc.), and are not separated into self-contained classrooms. Students still spend a significant part of their school day actively participating in elective and academic classes with their typical peers. Many high-school age students with disabilities (and growing numbers of students!), are spending increasing amounts of time in the community learning independent living and vocational skills in 'real-life' settings.
For students who are of post-secondary age (18-21), a few school districts in Kentucky are now exploring age-appropriate options that allow students with varying needs and abilities to continue their education with their same age peers. For example, the Jessamine County Public Schools have worked collaboratively with Asbury College to establish a post-secondary program on Asbury's campus. Students with disabilities, including students with moderate and severe disabilities, are able to attend appropriate college classes and extracurricular activities while they continue to receive community-based job training for work after graduation. (For a more detailed description of this innovative program see section Transitions: Life After High School). Other districts in Kentucky are considering similar alternatives, such as community college programs and area vocational schools, for students in the 19 through 21 age range.
Characterizing programs at
all of these age levels are the common threads of membership,
of belonging to the group and of not being set apart; and of friendships,
the opportunities to develop relationships that are freely given, reciprocal,
and caring. Moreover, the opportunity to attend one's neighborhood school
- the school that all the other children in the area attend, is an essential
element of membership, of belonging, and of developing friendships. Indeed,
federal law states clearly that students with disabilities should be educated
in schools as close to their own homes as possible.
Finally, inclusive programs at all age levels are more than just 'adding on' individual adaptations so that students with disabilities can participate. It is also about enriching the learning for children without disabilities by providing more individualized, more supportive, and more caring classrooms for them as well. Hopefully this book will increase your own awareness of inclusive programs, and enable you to be a better advocate for the children whose lives you shape - whether you are a parent or a teacher (or both!).
