Inclusion of Students with Special Needs:

One of the most challenging parts of this course was that it was online. I found it difficult to
engage in real discussions with participants who were faceless, since body language and facial
expression is at the heart of genuine communication. Despite that, however, there was much to
be gleaned from resources and readings around the subject of inclusion. INTASC 1, 3, 4, 5, and
6 and WI State Teaching Standards 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10 all provide crucial foundations for effective
teaching of students with special needs. Knowing what we are teaching, designing appropriate
assessments, and communicating and collaborating with peers is essential to the success of any
inclusion model.

Frequent and purposeful collaboration with colleagues is critical to student success when
inclusion is the goal. When regular education and special education teachers work closely
together to plan lessons, set expectations, and select differentiation strategies, students are given
the best possible coherent instruction in the best possible environment that meets individual
needs. Frequent monitoring of student achievement leads to timely instructional adjustments that
one may need to make to ensure continued growth by the students.

Providing students with a variety of opportunities to access content and express their learning is
at the heart of teaching and assessing students with special needs. Inclusion into the regular
education classroom benefits both the special needs student and the regular education
student. Creating a classroom community that is safe, nurturing, and culturally responsive will
benefit all students. Achievement gains are greater for individual students when teachers can
respond to their needs in a timely manner. The use of appropriate assistive technology,
communication strategies, and motivation and engagement strategies will address individual
needs as well as the needs of the larger group. Students who can learn from other students in
varied situations will be that much more prepared for real-world situations.

Peer collaboration fostered in an environment of trust and caring moves all students ahead in
achievement gains. While students who have special needs that are more behavioral in nature
can be more difficult to fully include in a classroom, when teachers do make the effort to do so,
the rewards are great. All students learn to be more empathetic, to value differences, and to work
collaboratively toward common goals. I've seen many students blossom through such inclusion
experiences, and exhibit more inclusive behavior, as well as develop leadership skills they did
not even realize they possessed. Teachers must help students see more than one perspective or
view of the world so that students develop a higher level of confidence, and a greater acceptance
of others who may appear to be different. Inclusion helps to break down those barriers so that
students begin to see potential in others, not diminished capacity.