Inclusion

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Home : 2002 : June : 8

Inclusion
By Sarah

I disaggree with the above responses about inclusion. It can be wonderful. I taught Special Needs Kindergarten for seveal years. I team taught with an amaizing regular Kinderagarten teacher. Our classrooms were adjacent
to each other and the children flowed between each room. At times, both classes were in the same room. Our class size varied each year. She started with about 22 full time students and I had approx. 8 special needs students. All the students (even my lower funcitoning children) participated in inclusion at some time during the day and typically the amount of time increased over the

year. The amount of time the students with special needs were inculded depended on their individaul needs and abilities. Both class ate lunch, playground, specials (lunch and music and sometimes pe) together each day. In addition, developmental center time was done together. Chilren rotated thorugh weekly centers and my special needs students were divide among the groups. Different centers were located in both classrooms and I alwasy faciliated one of the centers as well as one of my paraprofessionals. The other para assisted with specific children. It takes a group effort but can be wonderful. I am now a specailist for our preschool special needs program and currently I'm out of the classroom. However, I am putting my own "typical" 5-year-old child in the regular ed inclusion class for his kindergarten year. Each year, we also have regular ed parents request the regular inclusion class for their "normal" chidren. It benefits children on both sides. Inclusion can and does work if done right.