Models and Strategies for Inclusion in Special Education Programs

This essay delves into the concept of inclusion in special education, emphasizing its importance in early childhood development and adherence to federal laws like IDEA. It defines inclusion as a practice that values every child's right to participate fully in society, regardless of ability, and explores va...Read More

Running head: INCLUSION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Inclusion in special education
Name of the student:
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1INCLUSION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Executive summary
The research paper aims to study early childhood inclusion in education and the various models
of inclusion applicable in the case of children with special needs. At present, a huge population
of infants, irrespective of whether they are disabled or not, play and learn together in
playschools, homes, childhood programs, crèches and so on. Children with special needs and
their families are members of a community and deserve equal rights and respect. Segregating
them or subjecting such children to discrimination could further dampen growth and
development. On the other hand, inclusive programs in learning institutions could help propel the
developmental process of such children. In the paper below, inclusion is defined and studied to
understand how it works and the advantages and disadvantages associated with it.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Definition of inclusion.................................................................................................................3
IDEA and federal laws regarding inclusion.................................................................................4
Federal law recommendations with regards to inclusion........................................................5
The various models of inclusion..................................................................................................5
PASS variable..........................................................................................................................5
SCREAM model......................................................................................................................7
Inclusive model for children with special needs..........................................................................8
Strategies for working with families of children with special needs...........................................9
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction:
In different regions around the globe, children are often discriminated against on the basis
of class, gender, ethnicity and even physical or mental disabilities. However, it must be
understood that every child should have the basic human right to feel included in the community
and receive equal opportunities to learn and grow. With regards to schools, no child should be
made to feel different simply because they have a disability and it is the responsibility of the
teachers and their peers to make the child feel included (Florian, 2010). In the case of children
with special needs, inclusive education is the need of the hour because it can create a warm,
empathetic environment for all children to learn, play and optimize their cognitive development.
A school is essentially the first interaction a child has outside of their immediate family; thus, an
inclusive education in the early childhood phase would enable a child to develop healthy and
positive relationships with other members of the society (Dyson, 2001). Children with
disabilities or special needs fall under the category of marginalized groups, and segregating them
would only alienate and isolate them further.
Discussion:
Definition of inclusion
Inclusion can be defined as the practice that embodies certain values and principles,
guaranteeing every child (including their family), irrespective of his or her ability, the right to
partake in a variety of activities, as a full member of the society (Cologon, 2013). These
activities, in turn, would facilitate the growth and development of a child. A policy of inclusion
must be implemented in the early stages of education so as to pave the way for positive

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relationships with the other members of society, healthy friendships, a sense of belonging in the
community and optimized development in terms of learning. Inclusion would mean that diverse
children, under the same educational institution, would be studying and playing together and
they would take part in the same activities and excursions. The concept of inclusion is based on
the idea that by including children with such diversities, each child would have something
unique to contribute to the classroom. In such an ambience, both children and parents would feel
safe and assured. In addition, it is expected that such institutions would recruit staff members
who are trained and can provide the children with nourishment and special care they need.
IDEA and federal laws regarding inclusion
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act make it
mandatory for schools and other educational institutions to provide equal opportunities to all
students, irrespective of whether they are disabled or not (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014). The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA supports the concept of inclusion in
educational institutions and promotes such inclusive programs in the natural environments of the
children. The federal law, IDEA which was amended in the year 2004, does not declare inclusion
to be compulsory for schools and similar institutions; however, it insists that the educational
environment for such children should be as less restrictive as possible, so as to cater to their
unique and diverse needs ("Special Education Inclusion", 2018). At the same time, the IDEA
realizes that having such facilities might not be appropriate for some students; in that case,
separate recommendations are made. For instance, a school may be required to have residential
facilities to aid the students. Such continuums in the act ensure that the needs of each student are
taken into account.

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Federal law recommendations with regards to inclusion
 The section 1400(5) of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act states that the
development process of children can be enhanced if such children are included in regular
classrooms, in the company of their peers.
 The federal law recommends inclusion for all educational institutions because it
inculcates both social and cognitive growth in an individual.
 Similarly, section 1412(a)(5) states that a child with special needs, between the ages of
three and twenty one would be allowed to avail benefits ranging from a fully inclusive
environment to a completely separate school, with several levels or stages in between
("Special Education Inclusion", 2018).
The various models of inclusion
Inclusive education takes a long, hard look at the way children are educated in schools,
and the provisions for children with special needs. It is imperative that education and curriculum
programs are devised in such a manner that the needs of all children are taken into account.
Every child should be able to actively participate in the activities of the classroom, without
feeling left out. As a result, teachers have developed certain models, like PASS variable, or
SCREAM, or co-teaching – all of which follow the core principles of inclusive education. These
models are founded on the basic ideology that each child harbors the ability to learn, and should
not be deprived of their birth right (Lipsky & Gartner, 1995).
PASS variable
The PASS variable, an acronym for prioritize, adapt, SCREAM and systematic
evaluation, is often used in classrooms which promote inclusive education in order to optimize
the learning process for children with special needs (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1995).

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Prioritize
The teacher is expected to have a planned structure of instruction, where the objectives of
the curriculum are supposed to be top priority. The objectives would take into account the
subjects being taught, the way they are taught, the parameters on which a student would be
examined and the criteria which determines a student’s achievement level. Based on these
objectives, a teacher’s work can be termed successful or unsuccessful. In addition, the teacher is
also expected to plan the sequence and the scope of the curriculum. While the latter takes into
consideration the overall content of the curriculum, the former states the order in which they will
be implemented in the classroom (Van Laarhoven et al., 2007).
Adapt
A teacher is expected to devise the curriculum in such a manner that the unique needs of
each child are given due importance. This means that a teacher would have to adapt to the
changing needs of students; in simpler terms, the education or instruction material needs to be
flexible enough so as to abide by the policy of inclusive education.
SCREAM
SCREAM stands for structure, clarity redundancy, enthusiasms, appropriate rate and
maximized engagement. This model, explained in greater detail in the following section, is an
effective teaching technique that supports inclusive education.
Systematic evaluation

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Adequate measures should be taken by the teacher to evaluate each individual student’s
performance in a systematic way. That would enable the teacher to understand the progress made
by a student and if there is room for improvement.
One of the major benefits of such a model is that it is all encompassing, and takes into
consideration all possible challenges a student might face in the classroom. Moreover, it instructs
teachers to create a structured, coherent module which would make class assignments and
student evaluation easier. However, the PASS variable fails to emphasize the inclusive nature of
education, and tends to generalize the students.
SCREAM model
The SCREAM model, which is a part of the PASS variable, is a specialized tool by which
teachers can organize the curriculum and enhance the content of instruction.
 Structure - Every lesson needs to have a definite structure, which must be communicated
to the students.
 Clarity – The teacher needs to be clear about the point he or she is elucidating, so as to
ensure complete clarity. One way of ensuring that the students understand the teacher’s
perspective is by using relatable or visual examples (Chesebro & McCroskey, 1998).
 Redundancy – It must be remembered that children usually have a shorter attention span.
A teacher who regularly repeats important or key points or is willing to clarify doubts
repeatedly would be able to get the lesson across better.
 Enthusiasm – Enthusiasm is a two way street; this means that a student would be more
willing to receive education if the educator or teacher is enthusiastic about the lesson.

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The teacher should be able to motivate the students and encourage them to communicate
in class.
 Maximizing engagement – It is important to ensure student engagement by ensuring that
more time is invested on a particular task or assignment. If a student spends more time
working on a particular task or on honing his skills, it would optimize the learning
outcome (Skinner & Belmont, 1993).
The SCREAM model is frequently used in the classroom because of the benefits associated
with it. For instance, it comprises guidelines as to how a teacher should approach a particular
topic or subject. Adherence to this guideline would enable a teacher to maximize student
engagement. However, the model has one limitation – like the PASS variable, it pays little heed
to the individual requirements of child with special needs. On the contrary, the SCREAM model
in accordance with a co-teaching policy would be recommended for a fully inclusive education.
Inclusive model for children with special needs
For children with disabilities, an IEP or individualized education program would be
recommended. Such a program pays close attention to the individual and unique needs of every
student, whether they have a disability or not (Grigal et al., 1997). This enables such children
with special needs to access the support they require to participate in classroom activities, like
their peers. An IEP can be called a kind of written plan where the annual and weekly goals of the
instruction method, evaluation methods short term and long term objectives are specified. The
Individual with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA states that an IEP must be written or
composed annually for children with disabilities (Yell, Shriner & Katsiyannis, 2006). This would
be done by an IEP team, which would comprise the general teachers, special education teachers

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and also the school administrator – all of whom are expected to examine or assess the child in
question.
Strategies for working with families of children with special needs
While working with children with disabilities, it is important to recognize the role of the
families in the progress made. Early childhood education professionals are expected to partner up
with the families and work in accordance with them to ensure the best possible results for the
children (Spann, Kohler & Soenksen, 2003). Two strategies that must be kept in mind are:
 Open lines of communication must be maintained between the families and the
instructors. The latter should take necessary measures to share relevant information with
the families; this would include the mission of instruction provided, the day schedule, a
parent handbook and also sheets measuring daily progress of the child.
 The instructor is expected to measure the progress of the children daily in order to
understand if there is a developmental delay of some kind. In that case, it would have to
be communicated to the parents and a plan to rectify it must be chalked out.
The teacher would be asked to modify the curriculum accordingly:
 Weekly meetings with the parents would be organized, where both parents and teachers
can share their concerns and chalk out ways of working on them.
 The teacher would also be expected to have one-on-one sessions with the student and
assign performance tasks which can determine the progress that the children are making.
 To assess development delay, a simple tool called Age and Stage Questionnaire can be
used; this questionnaire is supposed to be answered by the parents of children between 2
and 66 months of age. The questions would range from problem solving skills to

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cognitive skills and would help the teacher to understand the developmental stage of the
student.
Conclusion:
To conclude, it can be said that for children with disabilities, an inclusive education can
prove to be effective in fostering development and growth. Despite the social stigma, a child
with disabilities is no different from other children of the same age. Therefore, it would be
unjustified to deny them of their right to basic education simply on these grounds. Even in
schools and educational institutions, such children are often victims of discrimination which can
adversely affect their cognitive and social development. Thus, the federal law and the IDEA
states that a system of inclusive education should be followed by the schools, to ensure that
children with disabilities receive equal opportunities as their non-disabled counterparts. In
addition, it is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the unique needs of each child are
met, and that a robust strategy is devised by also including the families.

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References:
Chesebro, J. L., & McCroskey, J. C. (1998). The relationship of teacher clarity and teacher
immediacy with students’ experiences of state receiver apprehension. Communication
quarterly, 46(4), 446-456.
This reference takes into account the importance of introducing subjects in the classroom
with clarity, which is an integral aspect of the PASS variable.
Cologon, K. (2013). Inclusion in education: Towards equality for students with disability.
This reference states the importance of an inclusive education for children with disability
who deserve the same opportunities to study, learn and grow like their non-disabled peers.
Cortiella, C., & Horowitz, S. H. (2014). The state of learning disabilities: Facts, trends and
emerging issues. New York: National center for learning disabilities, 2-45.
This reference takes into account the trends in inclusive education as seen in different
organizations around the world. Moreover, it also examines the federal law regarding the same.
Dyson, A. (2001). Special needs in the twenty-first century: Where we've been and where we're
going. British Journal of Special Education, 24.
This reference takes a look at the relationship between inclusion and social inclusion
there review of the history of special needs education. It also takes a look of where we were and
what really lies ahead for special education and the type of emphasis on what inclusion education
is all about. There is also an optimistic and pessimistic approach that will be discussed using this
reference as well.

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Florian, L. (2010). Special education in an era of inclusion. Psychology of Education
Review, 34(2), 22–29.
This reference takes a look at where special education was and where it is going. and
looks at what works for special education and what doesn't work. This reference also looks at
why the UK is not as unique as it is in the US.
Gordon, S. (2006). Making sense of the inclusion debate under IDEA. Brigham Young
University Education & Law Journal, 189–225.
With this resource, it takes a look at what the impact of IDEA has had on the inclusion
debate for special needs children. Although we do need these laws through IDEA it will also be
discussed was we were with the law and the impact that the law will have on special needs
children in the future.
Grigal, M., Test, D. W., Beattie, J., & Wood, W. M. (1997). An evaluation of transition
components of individualized education programs. Exceptional Children, 63(3), 357-372.
This reference studies IEP or individualized education programs as an inclusion model
which must be implemented in the classroom. Such a model ensures that the unique needs of
children with disabilities are met.
Lipsky, D. K., & Gartner, A. (1995). The Evaluation of Inclusive Education Programs. NCERI
Bulletin, 2(2), n2.
This reference studies the techniques of inclusive education along with the individualized
education programs in accordance with the federal law.

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Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (1995). What makes special education special? Evaluating
inclusion programs with the PASS variables. The Journal of Special Education, 29, 224–
233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002246699502900213
This reference analyzes case studies in special education in elementary classrooms for
what seems to work in different inclusion settings. The case studies look at a full inclusion
program for children with learning disabilities and whether these children are still receiving
special education as they should be. There are some arguments that some children aren't getting
the proper monitoring that they may need or the right amount of instruction.
Skinner, E. A., & Belmont, M. J. (1993). Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal effects of
teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. Journal of educational
psychology, 85(4), 571.
This reference studies the importance of a healthy relationship between the student and
teacher which can motivate the students and enable them to understand and learn their lessons
faster.
Spann, S. J., Kohler, F. W., & Soenksen, D. (2003). Examining parents' involvement in and
perceptions of special education services: An interview with families in a parent support
group. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities, 18(4), 228-237.
The reference takes into account the role of parents in special education services. It also
emphasizes on the cooperation between educators and parents of children with disabilities which
can enhance the learning process.
Special Education Inclusion. (2018). Retrieved from http://weac.org/articles/specialedinc/

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This website provides a general overview of special education, what the sphere entails
and the policy of inclusion that must be followed by teachers and schools alike.
Urton, K., Wilbert, J., & Hennemann, T. (2014). Attitudes towards inclusion and self-efficacy of
principals and teachers. Learning Disabilities--A Contemporary Journal, 12(2).
This reference studies the overall attitude of teachers and educators as far as inclusive
education is concerned. Moreover, it also examines the way teachers approach inclusive
education and how far the models are implemented.
Van Laarhoven, T. R., Munk, D. D., Lynch, K., Bosma, J., & Rouse, J. (2007). A model for
preparing special and general education preservice teachers for inclusive
education. Journal of Teacher Education, 58(5), 440-455.
This reference provides specific guidelines for the teacher to compose a structured study
plan that prioritizes the individual needs of each student.
Yell, M. L., Shriner, J. G., & Katsiyannis, A. (2006). Individuals with disabilities education
improvement act of 2004 and IDEA regulations of 2006: Implications for educators,
administrators, and teacher trainers. Focus on exceptional children, 39(1), 1-24.
This reference studies in detail the IDEA regulations of 2004 and 2006 and includes the
recommendations mentioned in the same. It also highlights the role of individualized education
programs in inclusive education.