Inclusive Practices

Compare and Contrast Inclusion can be controversial it is important to have inclusion but the controversy can be with how to go about be inclusive. Inclusion is a philosophy not a program and there are not guidelines on how to be inclusive it is determined by the school. This being the case there is the problem of inclusion could merely be a matter of opinion whether or not a classroom or school is inclusive. Inclusion varies from school to school and in the different types of school, though it is known that inclusion is needed there is the grey area of how to accomplish this. There has been a shift in moving to integrated classrooms instead of having specialized classrooms. To understand the debate of inclusion it is first necessary to define inclusion. Inclusion as stated Colleen Tomko in “What is Inclusion” (1996) is; “Inclusion is part of a much larger picture then just placement in the regular class within school. It is being included in life and participating using one's abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community.” Through this, we must realize that inclusion, as a philosophy must be in all aspects of life not just in the school. Tomko brings up the point that though they maybe have different learning than the typical child they are first and foremost people first and we must treat them as such. We must be sure their basic needs are addressed everyone wants to feel like their life has meaning, that they are loved and they have a sense of belonging (1996). This can be possible not merely by placement in a regular classroom but also careful planning, preparation and support (Tomko, 1996). The child needs to be treated as a child not by their disability they are not defined by it. The integration of the classrooms is moving to have children mainstreamed into the general education classroom. However, no matter how good the intentions were there maybe some out lash as seen in Haynes (2006). This is a newspaper article about the School