INCLUSION:
EQUAL TREATMENT FOR ALL?
Jessyca Arthur
 Inclusion deals with placing students that have disabilities into regular classrooms.  The idea behind this practice is that all children should be treated equally.  Supporters say that a student should not be separated out of a regular classroom simply because of a disability.  They stress that disabilities are just another difference that makes a person unique, not something that should limit a child's education and success.  Inclusion has been found to save money and make children feel like part of the regular education group, but it may compromise reaching their full potential.  By placing a child with a disability into a regular class, you are handing them over to teachers that most likely are not trained in special education and may not know how to meet their needs.  Also, those opposing inclusion say that a child with a disability slows the progress of the entire class.  Teachers must pay more attention to students with disabilities, therefore not allotting the same amount of time to "regular" students.  The questions raised by the following web sites are, do we value all children equally? Inclusion isn't easy, but does that mean that we shouldn't try it? Check out these links and make your own decision.

 http://parentsoup.com/edcentral/vocabulary/bsa070.html
This site defines important terminology such as: mainstreaming, inclusion and full inclusion.  It has an excellent search engine for inclusion.

http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm
This site looks at the underlying issue of whether it is ethical to separate students from a regular education class and deprive them of their right to have equal treatment.   It  looks at laws and legal cases that have relevance and provides scientific research data on the effects of inclusion.

www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/
This site deals with the legal requirements of inclusion, teaching strategies and best of all the philosophy behind inclusion.  This philosophy is that children need to be exposed to an inlcusive environment because in the real world people with varying abilities and capacities must interact.  Inclusion prepares children for this.

 http://interact.uoregon.edu/wrrc/AKInclusion.html
Outlines the debate about inclusion and then provides research to back up the benefits of inclusion.  It finds that "instruction not setting is the key to achievement of success..." Tries to convince you that inclusion is the best answer to teaching children with disabilities.

 www.inclusion.com/page_7.html
This is a very good look at both sides of the debate.  The ethical implications of Inclusion vs. Exclusion are explored.  How will each affect a person with a disability as well as others that interact with the person.

http://inclusion.org/htdocs/what_is/what_is.html
This page provides facts about people with disabilities, such as that they are the nations largest minority.  People with disabilities have the same rights to pursue their dreams.  This site reaches outside the realm of the school setting and looks at inclusion in the community.

www.aahperd.org/AAALF/pos_paper_pe.html
I liked this site because it dealt with inclusion in a physical education setting, which is more applicable to this class because we are dealing with human movement.  This site believes that inclusion is wrong when it is done simply for social interaction.  Teachers may believe that if the child is feeling like part of the group, their job has been done.  Inclusion in P.E. needs to be for improving life and physical functioning.

http://www.palaestra.com/Inclusion.html
Provides an overview of the issue as related to physical education.  Looks at the problems with inclusion such as lack of support, funding and low quality P.E. programs. Asks the reader to examine whether inclusion really is the right idea.