Should Special Needs Students be Mainstreamed?

            A multicultural classroom is a class of diverse students, which includes not only students of difference races and cultures, but also students of different ability levels, as well as students with disabilities. Mainstreaming, also known as "inclusion" has been the cause for much debate between teachers, administrators, and parents. It refers to the process of incorporating special needs students into regular classrooms, rather than having them isolated from children without disabilities, even if they cannot meet the standards of the curriculum. There are benefits and disadvantages to inclusion, and it is not always clear whether it is best for special needs students.
           One clear benefit to including special needs students into regular classrooms is the friendships they will have a chance to form. Socialization and the chance to make friends is a great opportunity for special needs children. They are also challenged to deal with social issues that may arise in the future, and learn how to deal with them. Being isolated from other children removes many normal interactions that help will help special needs children learn how to communicate successfully with others. As a part of the class, special needs students get the change to feel like they are not so different from everyone else and are challenged to have higher goals for themselves. They also get the chance to have positive role models and see positive relationships and behavior from other children in the class. Inclusion is not only beneficial to special needs students, but also to other students in the regular classroom as well. They get experience working and dealing with people who are different from them, which is something they will surely have to face in the real world. They must learn to accept and respect people who are different from them, which is what a multicultural classroom is all about. One last benefit to inclusion, is the cost. A Special Education Expenditures Program study showed that it costs $10,558-$20,000 to educate a student with special needs services involved, and $6,556 without.
            While there are many advantages to inclusion, there are also some drawbacks. For many special needs students, a regular classroom can be distracting, and they may focus more on the socialization aspect of school more than the academic. Another disadvantage is that many special needs students need the one on one attention they will get from separate classrooms in order to get the maximum benefit out of their education. Also, having to accommodate the needs of a special needs students with the needs of regular students can be a struggle for teachers.
            I believe that, while every student is different, most special needs students will benefit from having their time divided between a regular classroom and another separate environment where they can focus solely on their school work. The amount of time a student spends at each place will depend on the individual student and wherever they seem to do best. This way, special needs students get their particular needs met while getting the benefits of being part of a regular classroom.

 





http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/special-ed/mainstreaming-special-education-in-the-classroom/

http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion/benefitsofinclusion.htm

http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2005/2005bergs.pdf