Becca Burney

EDU 330: Current Issues

Professor Van Spronsen

Position Paper #6

Inclusion and Disability

According to Ed.gov, around 13% of all students in the United

States are currently involved in an Individualized Education Program.

One of the major debates in regards to students who are exceptional

learners are whether or not to include them in general education

classrooms or to have them put into a special education classroom.

The first position shared in the Nelson book is advocating for full

inclusion. This means that students who have are exceptional or

special are not put into separate schools, classes, or sessions. They

would exist entirely in the general education classroom. Advocates

believe that when all students are placed in the same classroom then

they are given equal opportunity to be fully educated. They also

believe that when students are all together and not separated the

general population has the opportunity to become socially aware and

accepting of exceptional students and that separate classrooms leads

to exclusion and segregation.

The second position argues that special education programs help

special students. Nelson argues that for many exceptional children,

being in a general classroom adds a burden that is unnecessary.

Special education programs and teachers are better equipped to

handle the individual needs of the student and are able to provide

them with teaching that is appropriate to their individual needs. In a

general education classroom, teachers might have to spend more time

and resources to provide the support that some exceptional learners

might require, and that can hinder the other students. Overall, this

position supports the idea that special education is better for all

students involved as well as the teachers.

My personal stance falls somewhere in the middle. I believe that

exceptional learners should be in exceptional classes when it is better

for their learning, and this goes with gifted learners as well. But if they

have ability to be in a general education classroom for certain subjects,

then I believe they should be, because then they reap some of the

benefits of the inclusion side. For the subjects or times when being in a

general education classroom is too much for a student, then thats

where the special education classroom comes in because the teachers

are trained in this area and have more time to devote to each

individual student. I do think that general education teachers should

have more training with exceptional learners. One verse that I find

encouraging when learning about exceptional learners is Exodus 4:11.

It says, The Lord said to him, who gave human beings their mouths?

Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them
blind? Is it not I, the Lord? At the core of inclusion and disability are

the students and God makes these students intentionally. Every

student has different strengths and gifts and they should be taught in a

way that benefits them the most and will lead them to success.