| Mackenzie Scheu

Mackenzie Scheu

Dr. Steffen Guenzel

April 2, 2017

Research Paper Draft 1/2

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities

Ever since I was young, special education has always been a passion of mine. I have

continued to have this passion and am now an elementary education major. This passion was

intensified when my twin cousins were diagnosed with severe cases of autism at the age of two.

This disorder effects speech, linguistic abilities, and social interaction. Because the spectrum for

autism is so wide and diverse, it is also very common for a child to be misdiagnosed, causing

misplacement within the school system. They were both nonverbal and relied on gestures and

humming for communication. Naturally, when they could not effectively communicate what they

wanted or needed they would get frustrated and often throw tantrums. Autism/autism spectrum

disorder is one of the many challenges people of all ages face daily, but these difficulties can

sometimes be much harder to deal with at a young age. I have chosen to focus on the inclusion of

children with autism for Zach and Parker, and for the one in sixty-eight children that are also

diagnosed with autism or autism spectrum disorder.

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Inclusion is defined as the action or state of including or being included within a group or

structure. Are there scientifically proven benefits of this practice? If so, what are they? These are

two questions that have always crossed my mind. Like every issue, there are reasonable

concerns, but the life changing benefits outweigh those concerns. Some people support the

concept of inclusion, while others do not support it due to these concerns that are sometimes

based on stereotypes. A very important group of people to focus on plays a key role in the

education system and inclusion is the group of teachers that are working with these children; the

people who see the academic and behavioral changes in the classroom first hand. Including

children with disabilities, specifically autism spectrum disorder, in inclusive classrooms will

allow them to develop both socially and academically. All three of these perspectives helped

guide me in my research process. My research will benefit children with disabilities and help

those who disapprove of inclusion understand why it is so vital to their education. It is important

that people know the benefits of inclusion so that these children have a voice and people to

advocate for them when it comes to their education. It also important for me to understand the

benefits of what I will be doing when I begin my career as a special education teacher.

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For many students school is a safe place, and their teacher is their confidant. This

intricate relationship is vital to a childs education, and every child deserves to experience it.

Because of the impact each teacher has, it is important to include them when talking about any

educational issue, especially inclusion. Dr. Constance Goodman is a former special education

teacher and a current professor of education, specializing in diversity, at the University of Central

Florida. When asked what her stance on inclusion is, she says I believe including students with

special needs in the regular classroom with access to the curriculum is the right thing to do,

legally and philosophically. Dr. Goodman is referring to the No Child Left Behind act that was

put into place in 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when she says that

inclusion is legally the right thing to do. These pieces of legislation set standards and include

requirements regarding the education of students with special needs. She observes that inclusion

is a common standard in most public schools today, even if there are mixed reviews regarding

the subject. She also says that with the growing presence of inclusion comes benefits for all;

Everyone benefits from inclusion. Students with special needs are challenged both academically

and socially. and experience great benefits from learning with their nondisabled peers. Students

without special needs benefit and get to embrace our differences as human beings. And, teachers

enhance their instructional strategies by learning to accommodate various learning styles and

unique needs to students. (Dr. Constance Goodman). I interviewed Dr. Goodman via e-mail to

gain insight on the teachers perspective and her professional beliefs regarding inclusion. She

mentions that one of the hardest aspects of inclusion is writing a childs individualized education

plan (I.E.P.). She claims that part of the issue lies in the fact that parents sometimes have too high

of expectations, while teachers may have too low of expectations. The main goal for these

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meetings is to place the students in the least restrictive learning environment, leading to inclusion

and integration of students with different abilities.

Because children with disabilities, such as autism and autism spectrum disorder, have

trouble communicating, it can cause behavioral issues within the classroom, leaving the teacher

responsible to figure out what the child needs. In Elizabeth Nyes journal article, Classroom

Behaviour Management Strategies in Response to Problematic Behaviours of Primary School

Children with Special Educational Needs: Views of Special Educational Needs Coordinators,

she shares different methods teachers can and do use to cater to students with special needs. Nye

includes positive praise, rewards, clear structure and communication, and positive relationships

in her article. Teachers use these methods within the classroom to help the child learn and meet

goals. Structure is very important, especially in the lives of children with autism, because it

keeps them in a routine. Inclusive classrooms have a daily routine that is followed, which would

allow for a child with autism to thrive.

While teachers can vouch for the incredible positive impact inclusion can make in some

students lives, a popular concern with inclusion is bullying. Bullying is an unfortunate common

occurrence that can happen anywhere, but could be maximized in an inclusive classroom. Some

believe that for this reason alone, inclusion is not the answer; however, both students who are

with disabilities and without can learn tolerance and build relationships in an inclusive

classroom. In a journal article, Jennifer Ledford and Joseph Wehby present an argument for the

perspective of those who do not support inclusion or find it beneficial. They offer the idea of

students at risk and students with disabilities being taught together, in small groups. Group

activity would allow for socialization and academic improvement, while the students learn about

each other and how they learn differently (Ledford and Wehby, Abstract). A study was conducted

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to test this proposal and the results showed that all students met their targeted learning goals and

concluded that small group instruction could be a small, feasible step toward inclusion for those

who disapprove.

Over time more people have come to support inclusion and it has become somewhat

normal, especially in public. This support for inclusion is to show that every child deserves the

chance to reach their full potential. The practice of inclusion is now publicly supported in

schools, communities, and even in court. In a journal article written by Sharon Mcmurray and

Ross Thompson, the authors suggest that segregating a child based on ability or sending them to

a different school based on their disability is an issue of human rights; the article, Inclusion,

Curriculum, and the Rights of the Child," says that this makes not practicing inclusion illegal.

Their paper covers the nineteen ninety four story of a five-year-old boy who was the first child

with special needs to attend a mainstream school in Northern Ireland and covers many complex

issues within the case.

As support for inclusion has grown and developed, so have the techniques and strategies

used to accomplish it. Kee Jiar Yeo and Kie Yin Teng conducted a study and reported their

results. They studied children who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive

classrooms and compared their abilities to children who did not have any disabilities. The pair

defined the children with autism spectrum disorders characteristics by saying Their [children

with autism] social skills deficits are characterized by poor eye contact, lack of joint attention,

pedantic or odd speech patterns, difficulty both initiating and maintaining conversations, lack of

social problem-solving ability, lack of empathy, and difficulties interpreting body language (Kee

Jiar Yeo and Kie Yin Teng, Introduction), setting a standard for what the children they were

studying would be like. Their conclusion was that the main difference between children with

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autism spectrum disorder and children without was social behavior. This shows that children

with autism spectrum disorder are intelligent and have exceptional cognitive abilities; it also

shows the need for inclusion and socializing these children. Socializing is now accomplished

through group therapy and group work in the classroom. Group therapy is typically completed

with a group of other children who have been diagnosed with autism/autism spectrum disorder.

Rajeev Rajan covered a case study performed with five male autistic students who were placed

in group therapy for six sessions with two different types of professionals, both therapists. These

boys ages ranged from eight to ten years old. The parents and therapists took a pretest and a

posttest based on observations they made of the children. The post test showed signs of

improving social skills and increased use of these skills, showing the effectiveness of group

therapy. Another method was discussed by Connie Kasari in her journal . "Children With

Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Skills Groups At School: A Randomized Trial Comparing

Intervention Approach And Peer Composition." This experiment randomly placed one hundred

and forty-six children with autism spectrum disorder in kindergarten through fifth grade with one

of two intervention strategies based on skills or engagement. These interventions took place for

the first eight weeks of school and then were followed by eight follow up sessions. The

experiment did not have one main effect, but it did improve the childrens social development,

the ways it benefited them just varied. One way middle and high schools use peer intervention is

having social inclusion clubs on campus or teacher assistants that the children can interact with

and socialize with. This allows for the disabled child to feel normal in a sense.

Based on my research, I conclude that the inclusion of children with special needs,

specifically autism and autism spectrum disorder, is beneficial to their social and academic

development. The benefits of inclusion are scientifically backed, giving us the answer that, yes-

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there are scientific, proven benefits of inclusion. I have seen the impact inclusion has on children

with autism from my cousins. After being included in a mainstream classroom, Zach and Parker

are both beginning to verbally communicate and show more social skills. Their progress has been

the inspiration behind this project, and I am so thankful that their teachers saw the potential in

them.

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Works Cited

Goodman, Constance. "Benefits of Inclusion/Experiences with Inclusion." E-mail interview. 05

Mar. 2017.

Kasari, Connie, et al. "Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Skills Groups At

School: A Randomized Trial Comparing Intervention Approach And Peer Composition." Journal

Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry 57.2 (2016): 171-179. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Ledford, Jennifer R., and Joseph H. Wehby. "Teaching Children With Autism In Small Groups

With Students Who Are At-Risk For Academic Problems: Effects On Academic And Social

Behaviors." Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders 45.6 (2015): 1624-1635. ERIC.

Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Mcmurray, Sharon, and Ross Thompson. "Inclusion, Curriculum and the Rights of the Child."

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 16 (2016): 634-38.ERIC. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Nye, Elizabeth, et al. "Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies In Response To Problematic

Behaviours Of Primary School Children With Special Educational Needs: Views Of Special

Educational Needs Coordinators." Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties 21.1 (2016): 43-60.

ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Ranjan, Rajeev, et al. "Effect of Transdisciplinary Approach in Group Therapy to Develop Social

Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder." Theory and Practice in Language Studies,

no. 8, 2014, p. 1536. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?

auth=shibb&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.381837399&site=eds-live&scope=site.

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Yeo, Kee Jiar, and Kie Yin Teng. "Social Skills Deficits In Autism: A Study Among Students

With Austim Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive Classrooms." Universal Journal Of Educational

Research 3.12 (2015): 1001-1007. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.