Busting Inclusion Myths A classroom rich with activities to challenge and support children — regardless of their academic abilities — maximizes the potential for success in the whole school.

True or False? Inclusion holds back the typically-able students. Students with disabilities require one-on-one support to succeed in a regular classroom. One student’s negative behavior can ruin a whole class. Every class will need a co-teacher. Inclusion costs a lot more money.

Inclusion holds back the typically-able students. Students should not be compared with one another, nor should they be subjected to arbitrary levels of expected achievement. In a truly inclusive classroom, no student is held back or exposed to content that does not challenge her in some way. Instead, the goal is to give every learner an equal opportunity to grow and achieve. Typically-able students demonstrated “improved prosocial behaviors,” and that they enjoyed “the opportunity to become experts in academic areas” while helping their disabled peers. Segregation doesn’t work. Whether children are separated based on race, ability, or any other characteristic, a separate education is not an equal education. Research shows that typical children and children with disabilities learn as much or more in inclusive classes.

Students with disabilities require one-on-one support to succeed in a regular classroom. Individualizing expectations does not take anything away from other students. Rather, it demonstrates flexibility and a willingness to embrace a wide variety of needs within a school community. Children may question why another student got full credit for what they perceive as doing less, but it is up to teachers, parents, and administrators to explain and demonstrate ways to both welcome and celebrate differences. A major goal in an inclusive classroom is for a student to show pride in her work without comparing it to the work of others.

One student’s negative behavior can ruin a whole class. Negative behavior can interfere with a class dynamic if the teacher lets it. Teachers have a responsibility to get to know their students personally and build positive relationships with them in order to implement classroom management in a way that provides ALL students with a warm, supportive, challenging, and meaningful environment. The application of positive behavioral supports significantly reduces negative behavior and improves student learning. IDEA requires that these supports be considered in the student’s IEP when his or her behavior affects the behavior of other students.

Every class will need a co-teacher. Co-teaching is ONE model of providing personal support to students in the general education class and is generally the most intensive.   Co-teaching is a wonderful model, can be highly effective if implemented appropriately, and represents a key point along the continuum of services.  We also must recognize that a teacher providing co-teaching services for part of the day may find the needs of the student dictate a less intensive level of support during the remainder of the day.  Co-teaching is never used as a cost saving technique but as a response to the reality not all students require bell-to-bell co-teaching in the general education classroom.

Inclusion costs a lot more money. Making education inclusive is not a cost-cutting measure. Additional resources required at the outset include teacher and staff training; improving infrastructure, learning materials, and equipment; and revising curricula to implement inclusive education successfully. Schools typically already have sufficient resources available but they may not be used effectively and efficiently.  If we re- examine how we are currently using the resources we have to eliminate redundancy and their associated high costs. When the benefits of inclusive education are balanced against the negative effects of segregation, the cost-benefit ratio is clearly on the side of inclusive education.

Takeaways Teachers who make time to reflect on teaching practice and have structured time for collaboration were more successful in gaining new insights on their own teaching and “made positive sustained changes to their teaching practice.” Enhancing the skills of teachers to educate an increasingly diverse student population is a good investment now and for the future. Utilize the resources you already have by allowing trained special educators, paraprofessionals, and parents to work in teams with other teachers to discuss, develop, and assess inclusive practice.

Vision of Inclusive Education