Pentucket Regional School District Special Education Department

Special Education Department

Inclusion

The Pentucket Regional School District educates students identified as having a disability in the general education classroom. According to the state laws, children with disabilities have the right to learn in the least restrictive environment. Inclusion is a familiar term used throughout Massachusetts. It is based upon the idea that outside the school setting, people must interact with others. They must learn to work with and accept people who are not like themselves. Just as adults must learn to interact with one another, children must also begin to accept diverse environments. An inclusion classroom is committed to treating all children equally. Rather than moving the child with disabilities from his or her familiar learning environment for services, the support would be serviced in the classroom. The classroom teacher, the professionals involved in the child's services, and the parents, would all be involved in creating a pleasant atmosphere to best meet the needs of the child.

The following web sites clearly define inclusion and discuss issues of inclusion in the elementary classrooms:

http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm

This special education resource page defines inclusion, along with mainstreaming, full inclusion, and the regular education initiative. It also states the special education laws and what the state requires of the school systems (IDEA, Section 504, and recent legal action). Includes inclusion research and recommendations.

http://www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/

Includes the philosophy of inclusion, legal requirments, and strategies of inclusive teaching (cooperative teaching, preparation for inclusion for both teachers and students, and a description of an inclusive classroom).