Inclusive classroom and teaching is an area that interest me the
most. I recall working in the Pre-K classroom in Child Development CeInter.
I had 22 students in the classroom along with an Assistant Teacher.
When I commenced my job in the classroom, the Director mentioned to me
that there was a few students who needed extra help however wanted to
keep them in an Inclusive classroom. This was the first time I heard
this term. I worked with the students and made changes to lessons and
activities to meet their needs and help them strive. Needless to say,
while researching this topic, I did not realize I was making
accommodations as what is required to help the children out.
A
few years ago, my son was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. We had noticed
the changes and struggles he had at home and school and knew something
was different. The first thought that went through my head was, "Not my
child and why"? After coping and accepting that our child needs extra
help, my husband and I immediately asked for help for him at school. After careful researching and advice from Special Educational Specialist,
I had to seek help for my child. My husband and I want my son to
succeed in school and life and became an advocate to ensure he received
all the necessary help he needed.
Inclusive classroom is an area in which I want to further my
research. Every child has the right to equal opportunity to learn and an
education. Understanding the child’s rights in an inclusive classroom
is what I would like to focus on first. Copple said that it is
important to support the right of each child to play and learn in an
inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without
disabilities. Every child’s culture, language, ethnicity and family
structure should value in the program (Reid, 2010). This is the area I
commenced my research, because it is important for parents to understand
their children have the right to equal education, they have the right
to speak up for their child.
Being new to this subject, I
would honor any comments or suggestion on the topic at hand. I hope to
fllourish in this area to help not only my son, but all children as
well.
Reid, C. M. (2010). The Inclusive Classroom: How Inclusive Is Inclusion?. Online Submission.
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteA couple thoughts...
My son too needed some assistance and he has been in both inclusive and non-inclusive environments. It is such a careful balance making sure that every child gets their needs met but also seeing that they are appropriately challenged so they can succeed to their greatest potential. I have had to be an advocate in both directions!
Secondly, there are situations where it is imperative that young children have access to typically developing peers for language and social modeling. At another time or with a different child, it could be more about self-help skills and a special education placement would be appropriate. I think the important thing is to make it about what is best for that child at that moment and to be constantly monitoring and making adjustments as appropriate. I sure would want to know that my child's teacher has had the proper training in this area. This could really be an issue in licensed child care or preschool classrooms.
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tammra concerning inclusion. However, the parent knows their child the best, and their input should be weighted heavily. Having typically developing peers as a role model is important, but it depends on the severity of the disability and if the child functions better in a smaller setting. If done correctly, many children can be successful in an inclusion model. Parental advocacy is critical.
A couple of research articles I found on Education Research Complete:
Inclusion for Young Children With Disabilities: A Quarter Century of Research Perspectives. Full Text Available
By: Odom, Samuel L.; Buysse, Virginia; Soukakou, Elena. Journal of Early Intervention. Dec2011, Vol. 33 Issue 4, p344-356. 13p. DOI: 10.1177/1053815111430094.
Collaborative Teaming to Support Preschoolers With Severe Disabilities Who Are Placed in General Education Early Childhood Programs. Full Text Available
By: Hunt, Pam; Soto, Gloria; Maier, Julie; Liboiron, Nicole; Bae, Soung. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Fall2004, Vol. 24 Issue 3, p123-142. 20p. 3 Graphs
Good luck with your research
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI am researching bilingual education. As a result, I agree that inclusive education is an important focus. Creating an inclusive classroom invites diverse children and families to be more engaged in the learning process. Good luck on this research project.