Shirleen* was two years old when she was diagnosed with autism. Her parents started seraching for a special school for autistic children. On a random visit to a friend, they were informed of the inclusive system of most public schools. Shirleen was enrolled alongside her non-special peers and today, she has learnt all the normal life processes.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) demand that children should be educated in a natural environment with the least restrictions (CONNECT). Children with special needs should be allowed to access, and participate in the normal system of education. They should get the maximum support possible to enable them to learn like their peers. Support systems include professional development, policies, and a variety of structures that will improve coordination of the programs. The federal government funds all the resources needed for inclusion. Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a placement system that caters for children as from the age of three years (CONNECT).
Inclusion offers many benefits to parents, the community, and the child. Simple changes to the physical environment can accommodate the needs of special children. Families are satisfied when others accept their children. Inclusion fosters collaboration among students. Children learn to appreciate other’s needs and diversity. With the recent advancements in assistive technology, children have many facilities that they can use in learning. In the past when children with disabilities were segregated, literacy levels were low. Inclusion increases the general literacy levels of children and “opens” their creative world. Children with special needs are also able to learn ways of communicating their needs in an all-inclusive set-up. This form of learning prepares them to live in the normal world.
*not her real name
Work cited
CONNECT. Policy Advisory: The law on inclusive education. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute. 2012. Web. 9 October 2013. < <http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/Handout/CO NNECT-Handout%201-4.pdf>
