Inclusive Education
Lecture Notes
9.1 Introduction
Inclusive learning environment depend much on Models of disability; labelling; Language; and What does success look like? We need also to do auditing of the learning environment.
9.2 Model of disabilities
According to WHO and UN disability is defined as a physical or mental characteristic labelled or perceived as impairment or dysfunction and some personal or social limitation associated with that impairment. Impairments are generally seen as traits of the individual that he or she cannot readily alter.
Thus, poverty is not seen as an impairment, however disabling it may be, nor is tasteless clothing, even if it is a manifestation of impaired fashion-sense rather than scarce income. On the other hand, diseases are generally classified as impairments, even though they are rarely permanent or static conditions.
Diseases that are not long-lasting, however, such as the flu and the measles, do not count as impairments. WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, 2001), emphasizes that disability is a “dynamic interaction between health conditions and environmental and personal factors.
The Charity Model sees people with disabilities as victims of their impairment. Depending on the disability, the disabled persons cannot walk, talk, see, learn, or work.
Disability is seen as a deficit. Persons with disabilities are not able to help themselves and to lead an independent life.
Their situation is tragic, and they are suffering. Consequently, they need special services, special institutions, such as special schools or homes because they are different.
People with disabilities are to be pitied and need our help, sympathy, charity, welfare in order to be looked after. Sometimes people with disabilities themselves adopt this concept, in which case they usually feel “unable” and have a low sense of self-esteem.
The Medical Model
The Medical (or Individual) Model considers people with disabilities as persons with physical problems which need to be cured. This pushes people with disabilities into the passive role of patients.
The aim of a medical approach is to make people with disabilities “normal” – which of course implies that people with disabilities are in some way abnormal.
The issue of disability is limited to the individual in question: in case of disability, the disabled person has to be changed, not society or the surrounding environment. The medical model of disability, or the individual model, takes a ‘within child’ deficit approach and attempts to cure or remedy the condition. ).
This approach asks the individual to adjust to society, with the locus of control in decision making being retained by the professional rather than the individual, potentially exercising ‘power over’ the decisions that impact on placement and provision.
According to the Medical Model, persons with disabilities need special services, such as special transport systems and welfare social services. For this purpose, special institutions exist,
for example hospitals, special schools or sheltered employment places where professionals such as social workers, medical professionals, therapists, special education teachers decide about and provide special treatment, education and occupations.
The social model of disability acknowledges the impact of access issues within physical environments and the effect of ‘discriminatory attitudes and practice’.
In this sense, the notion of disability is a social construct. Diversity is valued and the barriers to participation are acknowledged. The social model of disability has been championed by individuals with the lived experience of disabling environments.
The Social Model regards disability to be a result of the way society is organised. Shortcomings in the way society is organised mean that people with disabilities face the following types of discrimination and barriers to participation:
- Attitudinal: This is expressed in fear, ignorance and low expectations (influenced by culture and religion);
- Environmental: This results in physical inaccessibility affecting all aspects of life (market and shops, public buildings, places of worship, transport, etc.); and
- Institutional: This means legal discrimination. Persons with disabilities are excluded from certain rights (e.g. by not being allowed to marry or to have children), or from school, etc.
These three types of barriers make people with disabilities unable to take control of their own lives. According to the Social Model, a disability not only depends on the individual but also on the environment, which can be disabling or enabling in various ways.
Is a person in a wheelchair still disabled if s/he can drive a car or motorbike and if her/his home, workplace and other buildings are accessible?
Social model of disability: some examples
A wheelchair user wants to get into a building with a step at the entrance. Under a social model solution, a ramp would be added to the entrance so that the wheelchair user is free to go into the building immediately. Using the medical model, there are very few solutions to help wheelchair users to climb stairs, which excludes them from many essential and leisure activities.
A teenager with a learning difficulty wants to live independently in their own home but is unsure how to pay the rent. Under the social model, the person would be supported so that they can pay rent and live in their own home. Under a medical model, the young person might be expected to live in a communal home.
A child with a visual impairment wants to read the latest best-selling book, so that they can chat about it with their sighted friends. Under the medical model, there are very few solutions.
A social model solution makes full-text audio recordings available when the book is first published. This means children with visual impairments can join in cultural activities with everyone else.
Disabled people internationally are effectively coming together and challenging society, those in authority and professions in the related health care fields:
- To recognize that disability is not the major barrier for people with disabilities to living fulfilling lives.
- That the external or environmental barriers, including negative attitudes towards disability, are where disabled people’s oppression lies.
- That people with disabilities too are “experts” in the field of disability, and that what is needed, is a democratisation of knowledge.
- That people with disabilities can identify needs, make decisions and evaluate services.
- That people with disabilities no longer accept the inferior, passive role of the recipient.
- That if they are to work in the field of disability the only relationship acceptable to disabled people is that of equal partners.
This model is closely related to the Social Model. It focuses on the fulfilment of human rights, for example the right to equal opportunities and participation in society. Consequently, society has to change to ensure that all people – including people with disabilities – have equal possibilities for participation.
It is a fact that persons with disabilities often face a denial of their basic human rights, for example the right to health (physical and psychological) or the right to education and employment.
Laws and policies therefore need to ensure that these barriers created by society are removed. The Rights-based Model states that support in these areas is not a question of humanity or charity, but instead a basic human right that any person can claim. The two main elements of the rights-based approach are empowerment and accountability.
Empowerment refers to the participation of people with disabilities as active stakeholders, while accountability relates to the duty of public institutions and structures to implement these rights and to justify the quality and quantity of their implementation.
A Socio-Political Model of Disability
A socio-political model of disability is an expression of the behaviors, attitudes and barriers that cause disabling conditions in society. This model explains that attitudes, economic, legal and policy barriers are the real reasons that people with disabilities have difficulties participating as full members of society.
While not denying the reality of physical and mental limitations that arise from impairments, this model stresses that these are often used merely as excuses by societies and governments that refuse to remove these barriers that keep people with disabilities from succeeding.
Policies that arise from the socio-political model of disability would not focus upon programs to alter the situation of individuals with disabilities and their families, as much as they would concentrate on altering environmental barriers, changing attitudes and programs that are currently not succeeding, and advancing the human rights and potential of people with disabilities.
| With examples write short notes on four models of disability.
With examples describe the following types of barriers to participation of persons with disabilities: Attitudinal, environmental and institutional. Critically reflect on any tensions between the notion of special educational needs and that of inclusion. Which model of disability does the vision of inclusion reflect? |
9.3 Labelling
The significance of seeing children and young people for who they are (interests, likes and dislikes) is paramount and leads us into the critical discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of labelling.
Labels have been associated with the allocation of additional resources such as funding for additional adults in the classroom or placement in special schools.
It is suggested that a label may provide an insight into how to plan a learning opportunity, provide a signpost to acknowledged good practice guidelines that facilitate access to curriculum areas and address social and emotional needs. A label may be the evidence that triggers the additional support and reasonable adjustments.
| Within the context of your own practice consider the labels that are identified. How do these labels influence your practice and perception of learning differences? |
9.4 Language
The label ‘special educational needs’ has been critiqued for diverting the attention from a rights-based approach to a needs-led approach in the provision of education. Education is an enabling right and the concern is that the categorization of need can influence teachers’ perceptions of learners and decision making, reinforcing disabling attitudes.
Historically, the language used to describe conditions reflects the values and social attitudes of the era. terms such as the ‘educationally sub-normal’, the ‘delicate’ and the ‘maladjusted’. IQ and a medical diagnosis were seen to be unchanging characteristics and were factors which contributed to the assessment and decisions relating to placement.
The legislation reflected the medical model of disability and the perception of difficulties as being ‘within child deficits’ required a segregated and special education for individuals. This psycho-medical lens saw provision overseen within hospitals and training centres with a vocational or life skills approach that impacted on life chances.
Children could also be placed in special ‘Educationally Sub Normal’ (ESN) schools and the remedial classes of the secondary modern schools. Such decisions illustrate the power and potential for practitioners to impose
identities and labels, effectively segregating learners as ‘other’ and defining ‘normal’ in the context of learning and teaching. These dynamics contribute to disabling environments where learning and teaching becomes a specialist teaching process.
Aa focus on an individual child and how they learn in your classroom is much more helpful. The current and ongoing challenge is to develop a shared language of inclusion which supports the move towards integrated planning and provision.
Perceptions of difference have changed over the past decades and language is a key indicator of how we view others. Over the period of a term, keep a reflective diary that addresses the following:
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What does success look like?
As Clough and Garner (2003) suggest, if a child succeeds in one setting and fails in another, what has changed? Fundamental principles underpinning inclusive education include:
- valuing all students and staff equally
- increasing the participation of students in the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools
- restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools to respond to the diversity of students in the locality
- reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students
- view difference between students as resources to support learning
- acknowledging the right of students to an education in their locality
- emphasising the role of schools in building community and developing values
- recognising that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society.
(Booth and Ainscow, 2002 cited in Armstrong 2012)
Transforming school cultures promotes an active engagement in learning and a sense of well-being for learners which are at the heart of current policy initiatives.
Two key principles to remember in your practice are early identification and early intervention. Being able to identify barriers to learning and participation at the earliest opportunity will allow support strategies to be implemented in collaboration with colleagues across disciplines, such as health and social care.
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9.5 Audit of the learning environment
The built environment and access to resources can have a profound impact on the well-being of all learners and significantly those children and young people with limited mobility and/or sensory sensitivity.
The ability to feel at ease in the environment nurtures child development and the process of active learning. Indeed, ‘classroom and school design can transform the inclusive learning and teaching provision, especially for children with ‘hidden’ disabilities such as specific learning difficulties or autism’. Guidance highlights environmental considerations as well as health and well-being:
- Good access to buildings and facilities.
- Making effective use of available space/design for flexibility and adaptability.
- Considering the accommodation needs of support staff and visiting professionals.
- Enhancing learning through effective classroom design.
- Good use of information communication technology (ICT) and assistive technologies.
- Sensory awareness/acoustics/lighting.
- Health and well-being for staff and students.
- Safety and security issues.
- Sustainability/cost effectiveness.
- Effective staff training.
- Working closely with all stakeholders, and listening to the ‘student voice’.
| Audit a learning environment in which a student with a disability is included. What is missing? What can be done to improve the situation. |
Lecture 10: Notes
Support services for learners with special needs and disabilities
Lecture Notes
11.1 Introduction
Inclusive assessment is an approach to assessment in mainstream settings where policy and practice are designed to promote the learning of all pupils as far as possible. The overall goal of inclusive assessment is that all assessment policies and procedures should support and enhance the
successful inclusion and participation of all pupils vulnerable to exclusion, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Inclusive assessment is considered to be an important aim for all educational policy makers and practitioners.
The principles of inclusive assessment are principles that support teaching and learning with all pupils. Innovative inclusive assessment practice demonstrates good assessment practice for all pupils.
11.2 The Principles of Inclusive Assessment
Inclusive assessment explicitly aims to prevent segregation by avoiding (as far as possible) forms of labelling and by focussing on learning and teaching practice that promotes inclusion in a mainstream setting.
Inclusive assessment can only be realised within an appropriate policy framework and with the appropriate organisation of schools and support to teachers who themselves have a positive attitude towards inclusion.
This means that:
- The needs of pupils vulnerable to exclusion, including those with SEN, are considered and accounted for within all general as well as SEN specific assessment policies;
- All pupils are entitled to be part of inclusive assessment procedures: those with SEN as well as their classmates and peers;
- All assessment methods and approaches are complementary and inform each other;
- Assessment aims to `celebrate’ diversity by identifying and valuing all pupils’ progress and achievements
- The Focus of Inclusive Assessment
- The purpose of inclusive assessment is to improve learning for all pupils in mainstream settings. All inclusive assessment procedures, methods and tools inform teaching and learning and support teachers in their work.
- Inclusive assessment aims to be empowering for the pupil concerned by providing them with insights into their own learning as well as a source of motivation to encourage their future learning.
Inclusive assessment involves
- A range of methods and strategies that all aim to gather clear evidence about pupils’ learning in non- academic as well as academic subjects;
- Procedures that may fulfil other purposes in addition to informing teaching and learning (for example initial identification of SEN, or monitoring of educational standards), but that are based upon shared concepts and values for assessment and inclusion as well as the principles of participation and collaboration;
- Methods that report on the outcomes of learning, but also provide teachers with information on how to develop and improve the process of learning for an individual pupil or groups of pupils in the future;
- Decision-making based upon a range of sources that present evidence of learning collected over a period of time. This provides `value added information’ on pupil’s learning progress and development, not just `snapshot’ information;
- Information that is contextualised within the educational environment taking into account any home-based or environmental factors that influence a pupil’s learning;
- Assessing the factors that support inclusion for an individual pupil in order that wider school, class management and support decisions can be effectively made;
- The active involvement of class teachers, pupils, parents, class peers and others as potential assessors, or participants in the assessment process.
11.3 Why is inclusive assessment important?
Inclusivity is a very important factor in assessment design as fair assessment must reflect the needs of a diverse student body. In order to provide all students with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their learning, teachers need to
consider the different means of demonstrating a particular learning outcome. Ensuring that students have variety in assessment and some individual choice, eg, in the topic or in the method/format of the assessment, can lead to overall enhancement of the assessment process to benefit all students.
Assessment procedures and methods must be flexible enough to allow adjustments to overcome any substantial disadvantage that individual students could experience.
Inclusive practice means:
- Ensuring that an assessment strategy includes a range of assessment formats
- Ensuring assessment methods are culturally inclusive
- Considering religious observances when setting deadlines
- Considering school holidays and the impact on students with childcare responsibilities when setting deadlines
- Considering students’ previous educational background and providing support for unfamiliar activities eg, for students unused to group work
- Considering the needs of students with disabilities
| Describe the importance of inclusive assessment in schools. |
Lecture 13: Notes
13.1 Introduction
Many regular education teachers do not understand their rights regarding special education. First and foremost, the regular education teacher has the right to seek help for any student in their class they believe needs special assistance.
Teachers have a duty to provide the best possible educational opportunities to all children in their classroom, and as such, it is their responsibility to refer any child for evaluation that they feel would benefit from additional services/resources.
The regular education teacher has the right to know all information that is pertinent to the referred child’s education, and has the right to receive teacher training needed to serve said child. The general education teacher has the right to participate in the IEP process so that all their questions regarding the education of said child can be asked and answered.
The regular teacher has the right to request special materials and related services be provided in the regular classroom to meet the needs of the special education child, and has the right to participate in assessing the effectiveness of the program.
The general education teacher should above all be treated like a professional and should never be treated as soldier expected to carry out a general’s orders. They have the right to ask questions and to act as an advocate for all the children in the classroom.
If the placement of a special needs child in the regular education classroom is having an adverse effect on the other students in the class, the special education child’s right to learn in “the least restrictive environment” should not outweigh the right of other students to learn in a safe, nurturing and peaceful environment. The general education teacher has the right to voice their concerns in this matter as well.
13.2 Skills Needed by All Teachers
There are certain skills that should be utilized by educators, not just those in special education. Teaching is a complex process, one which requires planning, time management, and organization. Educators need to decide what their teaching priorities are so that they understand how to use their instructional time wisely.
Devise a blueprint and stick to it. Map out the methods and exercises you are going to use in the classroom that will maximize the time you have with your students.
Vary your teaching and learning methods (teacher lead instruction, student oriented tasks, group projects, peer tutoring). Model concepts and lessons and ask for feedback from your students. Give your students opportunities to contribute and ask questions.
Make your expectations clear and encourage your students to become active in the learning process. Re-evaluate the strategies that you use in the classroom to determine the ones of greatest value. Prepare lessons that are interesting, keep students on task and provide instruction that is relevant.
13.3 Teachers’ Attitudes toward mainstreaming
It is important to identify teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion because it can dramatically affect their performance and the success of children with disabilities in the classroom. General education teachers have differing views about the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms.
However, the type and severity of the children’s disabilities affect teachers’ willingness to accommodate certain students and their confidence that they will effectively manage their classroom.
Teachers feel concerns about having students with disabilities in the general education setting because of the children’s lack of social skills, behavioral outbursts, modifications made to the curriculum, and lack of training and supports.
Teachers’ attitudes toward their current student population with special needs dramatically affect the success and effectiveness of their instruction.
Teachers’ attitudes toward integration appear to vary with their perceptions of the specific disability as well as their beliefs about the demands that students’ instructional and management needs will place on them.
Teachers who do not fully agree with inclusion are less likely to individualize lesson plans according to students’ needs and are less confident that they can implement the requirements of individualized education plans.
Therefore to increase positive attitudes to maintreaming teachers need support that will improve the overall implementation of inclusion, making it more beneficial for the students.
The support given by the principal, based on their beliefs about the importance of including children with disabilities, strongly dictates the general educators’ teaching methods and behavior.
Teachers are more willing to accommodate students in their classrooms when they perceive that their school administration fosters a supportive climate and when the culture of the school encourages teaming and collaboration.
Adequate support from administrators is likely to increase teachers’ likelihood of collaborating with special educators in order to solve problems in the inclusive classroom.
It is likely that these partnerships and support systems increase overall acceptance of inclusion, compensate for any insecurities, and improve educational professionals’ attitudes towards having students with a variety of disabilities in the general education classroom.
Research has found that the nature and type of the disability can influence teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion (Ryan, 2009, p.185). Avramidis et al. (2000) explain, “Multiple interpretations of labels occurs when teachers attribute different characteristics to a label based on their experience which could be positive or negative” (p. 282).
It was discovered that the nature and severity of the disabilities in the study and the perceived stress that would be put on the teacher significantly influenced the educators’ opinions toward including the students with special needs in the classroom.
According to Lopes et al. (2004), students with special needs present serious challenges to teachers because they are difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating.
Children with autism and emotional behavioral disorders generally exhibit different behaviors in the classroom than their typically developing peers and require individualized attention from professionals. Therefore, teachers’ attitudes regarding the inclusion of these students need to be explored.
13.4 Challenges facing teachers dealing with children with special needs
Teachers dealing with children with special needs are refereed to as special education teachers. Special education teachers have a higher rate of burnout than is found in most other professions. The burnout rate is the result of a number of issues that often culminate in these teachers leaving their jobs.
It is estimated that 75 percent of those who teach special needs students will leave their job within 10 years of starting. The result of this turnover rate is a shortage of special education teachers and a lack of quality programs for the students they serve.
While a special education teacher may start their career with the intention of helping disabled students become productive members of society, they face several challenges that make the task extremely difficult. The challenges of the special education teacher include:
1.The Widespread Misperception That Teaching is Easy: Teaching is a uniquely difficult job, one that comes with a set of huge responsibilities; however, many people fail to recognize the teacher’s role. The various disabilities of the students with whom special education teachers work multiplies the job’s difficulty. Special education teachers are largely unrecognized and unsupported by the public.
2. Non-Instructional Responsibilities: Many teachers are trained and willing to teach but find themselves burdened with responsibilities that remove them from the classroom. Special education teachers often find themselves being required to go to meetings, conducting assessments and dealing with loads of paperwork.
3. Lack of Support: At a time when many large school districts are experiencing high levels of growth, special education teachers are being asked to do more with less. Salaries are being cut in many districts, and there is often very little in the way of technical assistance provided by school administrations.
4. Dealing With Multiple Disabilities: A special education teacher’s classes may have students with various disabilities. Since each student is a unique case, the teacher must modify their lessons to suit each disabled learner by providing individualized education programs.
5. Handling Death: Among students in a special education classroom, there are often some with severe chronic illnesses that may result in death. Handling this is a challenge to which special education teachers will have to adapt.
6. Handling the Problems of an Inclusive Classroom: The concept of having classrooms that contain both special needs students and students who are developing typically is becoming a popular one. This type of education poses new challenges for a special education teacher.
For example, many students who have no disabilities are unaccustomed to dealing with those who do. Teachers in these classes are charged with eliminating cruelty and insensitivity from among their students and ensuring that those with special needs are treated with respect.
7. Professional Isolation: The nature of a special education teacher’s work is very different from that of traditional teachers; the result of this is that standard classroom teachers may not view them as colleagues.
There may be a professional stigma attached to the work of teaching “slow” students. Special education teachers often work with smaller groups and may focus on skills rather than content, thereby leading to the perception that their work is easier or less important.
8. Lack of Support From Parents: Some parents of special needs children are disinterested in the welfare of their children and fail to provide them with adequate care. Alternatively, they may be overly protective. Both can be problematic for the child and for their teacher.
Disinterested parents may have no involvement with their child’s education or interaction with their teachers, whereas overprotective parents may have unrealistic expectations from the child and the child’s teachers.
Both attitudes can shape children in negative ways. Parental disinterest may make special needs students less motivated and parents who are overprotective often diminish their child’s confidence and make it harder for them to learn.
9. The Difficulty of Discipline in a Special Needs Classroom: Disabled children may have behavioral issues including restlessness and moodiness. They may also exhibit problems like a short attention span or an inability to understand what is being taught. Special education teachers have to learn how to deal with these problems as well as how to take appropriate disciplinary measures.
10. Budget Problems: Across the nation, special education programs are facing increasing enrollment and decreasing budgets. The result is that there are fewer teacher assistants available, which results in a greater workload for special education teachers. They may also face shortages of essential resources and equipment for delivering effective lessons.
Any one of these challenges would make the work of a special education teacher incredibly difficult; as a group, they turn the job into a set of arduous tasks. Unfortunately, the result of the pressures placed on teachers is that the students suffer.
Anyone seeking to go into this area of teaching should be aware of what they will face and have the mental and emotional fortitude to overcome the challenges in order to improve the prospects of their students.
- Describe the role of regular teachers in inclusive classes.
- What are the rights of regular teachers in special and inclusive education?
- Professional teachers cover three domains: professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement. Discuss.
- Describe how you will implement any four quality standards for teachers.
- Describe any four skills needed by all teachers in inclusive education.
- What are the challenges facing teachers dealing with children with special needs?
Last modified: Tuesday, 15 January 2019, 8:25 PM
Lecture 14: Notes
14.1 Introduction
Learners will be able to explain the relation between IEP and inclusive settings. Learners will discuss the meaning of IEP; Advantages and Disadvantages of IEP and Why IEP in inclusive settings.
The experience of learners in inclusive learning in Tanzania in relation to individual learning needs will be explored. The aim is to understand the role of individuation in learning, taking into consideration the belief that learning is individual, every one learns in their own way.
Individuation involves the understanding of the emerging self and the process of identification. Individuation refers to self development and includes all the perceptions, cognitions, feelings, attitudes and beliefs that the individual has about himself.
Children are not born with the concept of self or individuality: At birth there is no differentiation between “me” and not me”. This concept is formed as a result of direct interaction with the environment and with others,
The child’s self concept is actually formed as a result of the quality ‘of his care taking. As one gets older, he moves away from the family A setting and the influence of teachers, peers, and other adults become increasingly more important.
Individuation or self development has been defined in various ways. The present work deals with six aspects of the emerging self which included body image, self image, self concept, self esteem, ideal self, and moral self.
Body image concerns the psychomotor aspects of self development including awareness of physical body in space, awareness of body as a separate person, and awareness of one’s body in reflection to other objects within the environment.
Self concept formation begins with development of body image, Children with inadequate body images often have distorted: perceptions of their physical capabilities. Body image can be trained by providing many opportunities for the child to use his body in interaction with the environment.
Self image refers to an individual’s perception of self in terms of specific concrete, socially important attributes such as body size, strength, and build which influence this attitude toward self. Self image includes awareness of self as object and as subject, ability to objectively describe the
physical self, and ability to deal effectively with feedback from others. Self image differs from body image in that self image involves perceptions of the person as seen in the mirror while body wage involves how the person perceives his body as an inner physical or kinaesthetic experience.
Self concept is the cognitive aspect of viewing self and refers to an individual awareness of his won characteristics and attributes, and the ways in which he is both like and unlike others. Self concept involves awareness of self as a separate, individual person, awareness of one’s identity in a social world, and self acceptance.
Self-esteem is the persons evaluation of self or how he feels about self. It includes awareness of feelings of personal worth, beliefs in ones own abilities and competencies, ability to solve problems, ability to express one’s preferences, ability to accept minor failures, and development of responsibility and independence.
Self esteem influence every aspect of self development including academic achievement. Ideal self is the “person I’d like to be” and represents the self which the individual aspires to become.
It is very similar to Freud’s ego ideal and involves the ability to describe and set goals for the person the child wishes to become. High and low real-ideal discrepancies may lead to poor adjustments. In other words, it is important to set goals for oneself as long as they are reasonable and not too easily or difficulty obtained.
14.2 The relation between IEP and inclusive settings
Student-Specific Planning : Student-specific planning is the process through which members of student support teams, including educators and parents, collaborate to meet the unique needs of individual students.
The purpose of student specific planning is to help students attain the skills and knowledge that are the next logical step beyond their current levels of performance.
Every student who receives special education supports and services must have an individual education plan (IEP). The first IEP is written soon after entry into the program. It is completely reviewed by parents and the school team a minimum of twice a year.
The purpose of the IEP is to:
- Create a document that is developed and implemented by a collaborative team, outlining a plan to address the unique learning needs of the student
- Guide educators in identifying student needs, provide programming supports and monitor student progress
- Assist the teacher and support staff in program implementation and assessment of skills
- Ensure continuity in programming through the provision of essential information when the student transfers from one school to another
- Help students attain the skills and knowledge that are the next logical step beyond their current levels of performance
14.3 What is an IEP?
IEP is a global term referring to a written document developed and implemented by a team, outlining a plan to address the unique learning needs of students. The IEP includes: A statement of primary needs (academic, behavioural, social) and recommended resources;
Current level of performance; A list of annual goals; A description of student-specific outcomes, strategies, and target dates for achievement; Criteria for evaluation; and a written behaviour, transition, health care, or transportation plan where required.
For effective inclusion a system have to be designed to facilitate collaborative planning between general and special education teachers, using a student’s individualized education program (IEP) as a foundation for decision making.
Use of the IEP ensures that educational programming is both individualized and integrated with the general classroom curriculum.
The educational placement of students with disabilities does focus on having a child with disabilities included in a least restrictive environment (LRE). The concept of LRE is based on the belief that educators must provide a range of placement options.
A cascade of placement options can range from the home-school and general education class setting to institutional placements. This cascade of services highlights the need to individualize and base decisions for placement on the student’s unique needs.
Most of schools are placing more students with severe disabilities in general education settings. But placement alone is insufficient to guarantee that the student with disabilities benefits educationally. The optimal integration option is based on two factors:
(1) the type of activity undertaken in the general education setting and (2) the objectives stated on the student’s IEP.
Decisions about including a student with severe disabilities are frequently oriented toward fitting the student into the existing general education classroom activities and focus primarily on social integration. The social integration focus negates the opportunity for the “included” student to receive instruction in content areas.
Although we acknowledge the value of social integration, we advocate that programming should emanate from the student’s IEP objectives. Teachers should consider content area coursework as a means by which the student may meet his or her IEP objectives.
For example, teachers can address many objectives from the IEP in the general education setting by considering a range of adaptations and accommodations. The Cascade of Integration Options illustrates a range of accommodations for students with severe disabilities who are included in general education settings.
This cascade includes the following poles:
- The least restrictive inclusion option in which no changes are made (unadapted participation in the general education curriculum).
- A more restrictive option in which students with severe disabilities are temporarily removed from the setting (functional curriculum outside the general education classroom).
The cascade also includes a series of questions designed to help educators make decisions concerning the most appropriate integration options during content area instruction.
Definition: The term inclusion has many interpretations. Inclusion is about placement in which students with disabilities are served in the general education classroom under the instruction of the general education teacher. Specifically it involves providing support services to the student in the general education setting versus excluding the student from the setting and their peers.
Inclusion requires the provision of adaptations and accommodations to classroom curriculum to ensure that the student will benefit from the placement. The definition, however, does not require that the student with special needs perform at a level comparable to peers without disabilities.
Benefits of Inclusion: Many research studies have shown that the inclusion of students with severe disabilities into general education settings is beneficial for all students (those with and without disabilities) particularly in relation to social acceptance, self-esteem, and social skills.
Although some research has indicated academic gains, teachers are more challenged to appropriately include students with severe disabilities in the content areas. Content domain areas include social studies, sciences, health, and related academic subjects.
Role of the IEP: Given that the goal of inclusion is to assure that all students benefit from instruction, educators must provide programming that meets the needs of all students including those with disabilities.
For students with disabilities, the IEP serves as the document to guide program planning and instruction. Educators should use the IEP to determine what should be taught, how the content should be taught, and who can most appropriately provide instruction.
Roles of Professionals: There are many professionals involved in providing services for students with severe disabilities in included settings. Two frequent members to this team of professionals are the general education and special education teachers.
The collaboration of these teachers is essential to assure that the student with disabilities is successful in the placement both socially and academically.
Both teachers need to be aware of the student’s IEP objectives and use this document to guide program planning decisions and data collection procedures. To meet the needs of students with disabilities in the general education classroom, changes in the curriculum may be necessary.
14.4 Collaborative Planning for Inclusion
The collaboration of educators involves with the student having severe disabilities is essential to ensure appropriate integration and educational programming. Special and general education teachers must share knowledge about teaching strategies when planning effective instruction. Through collaborative teaming, teachers set the stage for student achievement of goals. There are two stages of planning for special and general education teachers when considering options for content area integration. These stages are preplanning and collaborative planning activities.
- In the preplanning stages, the general education teacher reflects on the content area unit activities and conducts a task analysis to identify key components of the lessons. Once the general education teacher has identified components of the unit, the special education teacher is asked to reflect upon the individual student’s IEP objectives and how those objectives can be addressed in the general education content area unit. This stage is a thinking or reflection activity before a meeting; or the teachers could hold a face-to-face meeting to think together.
- In the collaborative planning stage, the two teachers meet to determine the most appropriate integration options in relation to the IEP, what adaptations or accommodations will be required, what additional supports are needed, and how student progress will be monitored.
- All children have equal access to education.
- All children learn alongside their same-age peers.
- The focus of education is on the child’s abilities, not disabilities.
- Children become accepting and understanding of one another’s abilities, talents, personalities and needs.
- Meaningful relationships and friendships develop as students spend quality time with one another.
- Students develop confidence in their ability to interact with one another and the world around them.
- Teachers in inclusive schools are highly trained and skilled at delivering appropriate, student-centered curriculum through differentiated activities according to ability level.
- In addition to the classroom teacher, children with special needs are supported by special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and specialists such as Speech/Language Therapists.
- Various resources and assistive technologies are available to students in inclusive schools in an effort to reach and teach all learners.
- Inclusive schools value input and participation from the whole community, not just students.
14.5 Reasons for Inclusive Schools
14.6 Making Inclusion a Reality
The role of the parent in inclusive education:
- Encourage child with a disability to participate in activities where s/he can meet children of same age with different abilities. When looking for activities, consider child’s interests.
- Help the child to develop friendships with classmates or other neighborhood children.
- Set up opportunities for the child to be with children he likes or children who show an interest in him. Teach the child how to make and keep friends.
- Share your goals and expectations for your child.
- Decide upon your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), meet with his teachers, therapists and others to discuss your goals, expectations, and future placement preferences for him.
- Know the rights you and your child have to an inclusive education.
- Consider inclusive education first.
- Special education services can be provided in many different settings. Schools are required to consider the general education class before considering any other setting for your child to receive special education services.
- Support each child’s learning.
- Teachers support learning in inclusive classrooms in three ways. First, they teach so that students with differing abilities and learning styles can understand and participate. Second, they modify assignments when they are too difficult. Third, they model respect and encourage friendships.
14.7 What schools can do to promote successful inclusive education:
14.8 Inclusive education in Tanzania
There are number of challenges facing inclusive education in Tanzania including: Too few qualified special education teachers; Lack of in-service training; Too many pupils per teacher, often more than a 1/50 ratio;
Lack of participatory learning and suiting classroom infrastructure; Lack of teaching material and teaching aids; Lack of other resources, like proper food and transport; Scarcely classroom and school facilities; Sceptical attitudes and Imprecise policies.
| Read the National Strategy on Inclusive Education 2009 – 2017 and comment on inclusive education practices in Tanzania |
