Mackenzie Scheu

Dr. Guenzel
Research Dossier Draft

Introduction: Inclusive Classrooms Help Students with Special Needs Develop

Socially and Academically
Ive always wanted to be a teacher. I didnt know what specialty or age
group I wanted to teach, but I had a general idea. Growing up with twin
cousins who are both severely autistic had inspired me to focus on special
education. Questions that always ran through my head were Why were they
treated so differently?, Why were others considered normal, and they
werent? As I got older I decided to volunteer at events benefitting
individuals with special needs, such as volunteering in classrooms, being a
peer-mentor, and helping at special Olympics events. My interest and
passion for special education has obviously grown over time.
My research project will cover one main topic- inclusion. What is
inclusion and what are its benefits? More importantly, how can inclusion
help children with special needs develop, both academically and socially? I
will be using resources, such as field experience, academic journals, peer-
edited journals, and potentially an interview with one of my education
professors. Inclusion is a fairly new concept and is often brought up in
education-related debates.
Inclusion of students with special needs allow for them to develop both
academically and socially. I plan on using the information I have found
through research as evidence to support this claim/thesis. My basis for
research so far has been the UCF Library website, using databases to find
specific resources by searching keywords and phrases.

From: Mackenzie Scheu

Subject: Educating Children with Special Needs

Topic description: The topic of my research paper will be the education of students
with special needs. It will address the debate of inclusion and funding for special
education programs (research territory). I will create my research niche by using
keywords and phrases in my searches, including special education, inclusion,
inclusion in public schools, special education funding, special education funding in
public schools, etc.

Documentation Style: I will be using MLA formatting, because I am most comfortable

with this format.

Tentative List of References:

"Concerns About and Arguments Against Inclusion And/or Full Inclusion." Concerns
About and Arguments Against Inclusion And/or Full Inclusion - Issues ...about Change,
Inclusion: The Pros and Cons, Volume 4, Number 3. SEDL, an Affiliate of American
Institutes for Research, 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

"Educating Children with Special Needs." Educating Children with Special Needs.
Specialednews.com, 2009. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

McCann, Clare. "IDEA Funding." EdCentral. New America EdCentral, n.d. Web. 31 Jan.
2017.

"Special Education in the Schools." Special Education in the Schools. Council for
Exceptional Children, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

"What Is Inclusive Education?" What Is Inclusive Education? | Inclusion BC.

InclusionBC, 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

Julia. "Inclusion: Research and PROOF." Inclusion: Research and PROOF. N.p., 01
Jan. 1970. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.

Purpose: As an elementary education major, the inclusion of special education

students in the education system and the funding they receive needs to be
acknowledged, whether it be good or bad. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a career
in special education and hold this topic very close to my heart. It is something I have
always wanted to work with children with special needs and I am very excited to be
exploring the topic more, and sharing my findings with an audience.

Intended audience: The TED audience in class.

Preliminary Thesis/Argument: Special education programs do not adequate
opportunities for inclusion. By increasing these opportunities, children who are in special
education programs will have equal opportunities, and the chance to thrive, both in
school and in life.

Types of research areas: I will conduct research in internet searches and using
experience from field research. Service learning is a requirement for my major, and I
volunteer in an inclusive classroom.

Graphs or charts:
Scheu
Educating Children with Special Needs
Research Map

Questions
1) Are there scientifically proven benefits of inclusion, in regards to students
with special needs (autism, down syndrome, etc.) ? If so, what are they?
2) Why do some people disapprove of the idea of inclusion?
3) What are the benefits of inclusion?

Key Words/Phrases
1) inclusion AND special needs
2) benefits of inclusion
3) special education
4) inclusion case studies
Types of Research That Will be Conducted:
1) Library/ Scholarly Research- I will go to the UCF Library and spend time
researching using the provided resources.
2) Internet Research- I will use the key phrases and terms to conduct an
internet search, using Google as my main search engine.
3) Field Research- As an education major, service learning is a requirement
for some of my pre-requisite classes. I will use this experience to observe
students in my class, because it is an inclusive class.

Deadline Schedule:
February 13, 2017 Class is in Library (conducting research)
February 22, 2017 Have paper trail ready, of at least thirty sources
March 1, 2017 Research Dossier/ Draft due
March 3, 2017 Peer review due
March 10, 2017 Final Draft of Dossier due
March 13-18, 2017 Spring Break
March 22, 2017 Peer Review due
March 24, 2017 TED Talk invention
March 27, 2017 Present pitches
March 29, 2017 Final Draft/ Rhetorical Analysis due
March 31, 2017 Begin drafting research paper
April 3, 2017 Draft 1 Research Paper
April 10, 2017 Draft 2 due
April 12, 2017 Draft 3 due
April 14, 2017 Final Peer review due, begin final revisions
April 15-16, 2017 working @ wedding all weekend
April 19, 2017 Final Draft due
TBA- Final (TED Talks)
The preceding schedule is exclusively for ENC1102 and the research project.
The following schedule includes other classes and activities.
February 28, March (2,7,9,14,16,17,21,23,28,30), April (4,6,11,13,18,20)-
PHI2010 12p.m. 1:15 p.m.
Every other Tuesday- EDF2085 1:30-4:20 p.m.
Every Sunday- Chapter Meeting 8 p.m. (ADPi)
February 28, 2017- Mid Term Part 2 (EDF2085)
March 6, 2017- Digital Video Assignment due (EME2040)
March 7, 2017- Betas Best Dance Crew 7 p.m. (ADPi)
March 12, 2017- FLVS Field Trip due (EME2040)
March 18, 2017- Cheers for Charity practices start (ADPi)
March 27, 2017- ASSURE Lesson Plan due (EME2040)
March 28, 2017- Quiz 4 and Module 4 due (EDF2085)
April 3, 2017- Gradebook Assignment due (EME2040)
April 6, 2017- Black Diamond Ball (tbd, ADPi)
April 10, 2017- Power Point Quiz (EME2040)
Research Time Periods:
Library Research- February 13 (class day)
Internet Research- Current- March 29 (have most of the information, but feel
free to add findings)
Field Research- All semester (fifteen hours are required for my education
classes, so it will be over a long period of time)

Annotated Bibliography:

1. Abbas, Faiza, Aneeka Zafar, and Tayyaba Naz. "Footstep towards Inclusive
Education." Journal of Education and Practice (2016): n. pag. ERIC. Web. 20
Feb. 2017.
Abstract: Inclusive education is a rising trend in the world. The first step towards
inclusive education is providing the awareness to the general education teachers.
 This study focused to investigate the general education teachers of primary and
secondary level awareness about the special education and inclusive education.
This study is descriptive method used survey type. Closed ended questionnaire
developed for collecting data. 300 teachers were selected as sample from primary
and secondary schools through random sampling technique. Teacher's awareness
level unfortunately not good particularly primary rural areas school teachers. The
age groups (25-30) of teachers with high qualification have strong awareness level
about special education (90%) and inclusive education (40%). While, senior age
group (51-55) have poor knowledge about special education (40%) and inclusive
education (2%). Respondents' education matters regarding awareness about special
education and inclusive education. Awareness level was escalating with education.
This journal makes inclusion seem very doable, and in a way provides a step-
by-step guide that schools could use as a guide as they become more
inclusive. I will use this source to show the audience that inclusion is not as
hard as they think.

2. Elton-Chalcraft, Sally, Paul J. Cammack, and Liz Harrison. "Segregation,

Integration, Inclusion and Effective Provision: A Case Study of Perspectives from
Special Educational Needs Children, Parents and Teachers in Bangalore
India."International Journal of Special Education 31.1 (2016): 2-9. ERIC. Web. 20
Feb. 2017.
Educating special educational needs (SEN) children in special schools is the norm in
India but there is a growing trend towards inclusive practice. Perspectives were
sought from children, their parents and teachers in Bangalore, India to investigate
perceptions of effective provision for SEN children using an interpretative approach
to provide thick descriptions. Findings suggest that integration of SEN children in
mainstream schools was not the preferred model for both the children and adults in
the study. Separate schooling was cited by the majority of respondents as the most
appropriate model for reasons of unsuitable pedagogy and curriculum, a lack of
individualised attention for children and difficulties of social interaction. The study
reveals that teacher dedication, passion and care for the SEN children in their
classes is juxtaposed with an acknowledgment of their professional training and
development needs. These findings provide teachers and policy makers with an in
depth insight from this sample case study into the perspectives of children, their
parents and teachers on appropriate SEN provision and the challenges of
implementing inclusive practice.
This source includes and acknowledges the perspectives of all groups
involved in education (parents, students, and teachers) and provides a case
study from India. I plan on using this source to incorporate the different
perspectives, and also to compare Indias special education system with the
United States system.
 3. Ledford, Jennifer R., and Joseph H. Wehby. "Teaching Children With
Autism In Small Groups With Students Who Are At-Risk For Academic
Problems: Effects On Academic And Social Behaviors." Journal Of
Autism And Developmental Disorders 45.6 (2015): 1624-1635. ERIC.
Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
Students with ASD are often taught in individual instructional
arrangements, even when they receive educational services in
inclusive settings. Providing intervention in small group arrangements
may increase opportunities for social interactions, particularly when
these opportunities are systematically planned. In this study, academic
instruction was conducted in small groups consisting of one student
with ASD and peers who were socially competent but at risk for
academic failure. All students learned targeted academic behaviors
and increased their use of targeted social behaviors during
instructional sessions. Generalization of social behaviors to a less
structured context was variable. Results suggest that small group
instruction may be a feasible and preferred alternative.
Suggests that students with autism and at-risk students are taught together.
This socializes them and allows for both of them to learn at a slower pace
than other classmates, effectively teaching the material. This source can be
used to suggest one way to include children with special needs.
4. Kasari, Connie, et al. "Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And
Social Skills Groups At School: A Randomized Trial Comparing
Intervention Approach And Peer Composition." Journal Of Child
Psychology And Psychiatry 57.2 (2016): 171-179. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb.
2017.
Background: Peer relationships improve for children with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) in clinic-based social skills groups but rarely generalize to
real world contexts. This study compares child outcomes of two social
skills interventions conducted in schools with children in Kindergarten
through fifth grade. Method: Children with ASD were randomized to one of
two interventions that varied on group composition (mixed typical and
ASD vs. all ASD or social difficulties) and intervention approach (didactic
SKILLS based vs. activity-based ENGAGE groups). Interventions were
implemented at school for 8 weeks (16 sessions) with an 8-week follow-
up. Innovative measures of peer nomination and playground peer
engagement, as well as teacher reports of child behavior problems and
teacher child relationship were analyzed for 137 children with ASD across
four sites. Results: On the primary outcome of social network connections
from the peer nomination measure, there was no main effect of
treatment, but there were moderator effects. Children with low teacher
 child closeness or high conflict improved more in their social connections
if they received the SKILLS intervention, whereas children with higher
teacherchild closeness improved more if they received the ENGAGE
intervention. Only two secondary outcome measures yielded significant
effects of treatment. Children in the SKILLS groups increased peer
engagement and decreased isolation during recess. Child behavior
problems and teacherchild closeness moderated peer engagement such
that children with higher behavior problems and lower closeness
benefitted more from SKILLS groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest
that social skills groups conducted at school can affect both peer
engagement during recess as well as peer acceptability. Child
characteristics and teacherchild relationship prior to intervention yield
important information on who might benefit from a specific social skills
intervention. Keywords: Social skills groups; autism spectrum disorders;
inclusion; peer relationships; teacher child relationship; social networks.
Statistical data on benefits of socializing students in inclusive groups; I will
use this data to incorporate varying sources, increasing my credibility as a
writer.
5. Maxam, Susan, and James E. Henderson. "Inclusivity In The Classroom:
Understanding And Embracing Students With Invisible Disabilities."
Journal Of Cases In Educational Leadership 16.2 (2013): 71-81. ERIC.
Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
This case involves a high school principal dealing with increasing
numbers of students with invisible disabilities in his school while
faced with ever-present budgetary cuts, perennially substandard
academic performance, and low teacher morale. This case seeks to
investigate how a principal, faced with an unsupportive Board
interested only in raising test scores as well as teachers complaining
about students with disabilities disrupting their classes, can foster a
climate of inclusivity while creating conditions aimed at the academic
success of all students in this financially strapped, low-performing
school serving children in poverty.
This source provides a case study, which would allow me to include
specific evidence in my paper. Because this is a true story, I can also
use it to appeal to my audiences emotions.

6. Mcmurray, Sharon, and Ross Thompson. "Inclusion, Curriculum and the Rights of
the Child." Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 16 (2016): 634-
38.ERIC. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
Inclusion; segregation; equity In 1989, The Centre for Studies in
Inclusive Education (CSIE) published its inclusion charter which was
 subsequently revised in 2002. This charter sought an end to all
segregated education on the grounds of disability or learning difficulty.
The vision was that all children would be educated in mainstream
classrooms with benefits for disabled and nondisabled pupils alike.
Segregation emerged as a human rights issue firmly set within an
equality of access agenda. Special schools were perceived as a
violation of every child's right to the society of their peers within their
local mainstream school. This paper considers the case of an individual
with severe learning difficulties and his journey through the system of
special educational needs in Northern Ireland (NI). In 1994, aged 5, he
was the first child in his Education and Library Board area to obtain a
supported placement in a mainstream school. Within the Northern
Ireland system of education, while there has been
increased inclusion in mainstream schools, special schools for children
with severe (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties
(PMLD) have seen substantial investment in new buildings and
resources. This paper considers a range of complex issues with regard
to the inclusion agenda and children with severe learning difficulties.
It considers issues in inclusion as the Department of Education
embarks on the development of shared education campuses in
Northern Ireland.
I chose this source, because it shares that separating children with special
needs is actually a violation of the students rights. I am using this source to
incorporate logos in my paper, potentially increasing my credibility.
7. Nye, Elizabeth, et al. "Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies In
Response To Problematic Behaviours Of Primary School Children With
Special Educational Needs: Views Of Special Educational Needs
Coordinators." Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties 21.1 (2016): 43-60.
ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
Children identified with special educational needs (SEN) and
behavioural difficulties present extra challenges to educators and
require additional supports in school. This paper presents views from
special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) on various strategies
used by educators to support children identified with SEN and
problematic behaviours. The data were collected from telephone
interviews with six SENCos from the UKs South West Peninsula. The
SENCos were invited to participate because their school was
participating in a cluster-randomised trial of a teacher classroom
management course (Incredible Years). Using thematic analysis to
analyse the data, this paper illustrates strategies deemed by SENCos
to be successful in the support of children identified with SEN. The
management strategies generated by participating SENCos were then
 mapped onto those taught as part of the classroom management
course for comparison. Findings indicate that strategies from the
training programme appear to be appropriate for children identified
with both SEN and behavioural difficulties.
This journal provides strategies that teachers in inclusive classrooms could
take advantage of in the event that there are behavioral issues, because
students with specials needs and regular students respond differently to
discipline. By using this source, I can suggest ways to handle difficult
situations in inclusive classrooms, providing a solution to potential problems,
before they are caused.
8. Ranjan, Rajeev, et al. "Effect of Transdisciplinary Approach in Group
Therapy to Develop Social Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder." Theory and Practice in Language Studies, no. 8, 2014, p.
1536. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?
auth=shibb&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.381837399&site=eds-
live&scope=site.
AbstractThe social impairments in individuals with Autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) are diverse and involve speech, linguistic conventions
and interpersonal interaction. 5 male children with ASD in the age
range of 8 to 10 years were selected randomly. All the children were
attending mainstream schools, receiving individual speech therapy and
occupational therapy (45-minute session every fortnight) and were
having difficulty in social interaction. The children were placed in a 3-
hour group therapy program for 6 sessions, which were facilitated by
two professionals, a speechlanguage therapist and an occupational
therapist at our center (Society for the Physically Disabled). The rating
score was rated by parent and therapist. The comparative pre and post
therapy score among the two groups, that is by parents and therapist
shows that the objectives for the group therapy were rated higher after
the completion of the group therapy. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test shows
there is significant difference
I could use this source to provide another suggestion for inclusive
techniques.
9. Rosenburg, Karen L. "Using Animal Assisted Therapy With Students
With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Art Room Setting." Online
Submission (2016): ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

This case study focused on the addition of a therapy dog in an Art I

level class at a public high school level that
included students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The purpose of
this study is to determine how Animal Assisted Therapy may
 benefit autism support students in the art classroom.
The students participated in lessons that focused on representation of
feelings through the use of color and combined realistic and abstract
subject matters. Qualitative methods of research were used to conduct
this study through use of observations, formal and informal interviews
of students and teachers, student artifacts/artwork, and student
questionnaires. The study focused on 2 students with ASD as well as
the classroom as a whole. The data collected was analyzed to gain an
understanding of how the inclusion of a therapy dog could assist in
successful inclusion, assist students with ASD with socialization, and
affect student choice within their artwork. The following are appended:
(1) Pax Commands; (2) Lesson Plan; (3) Pre-Study Survey; (4) Mid
Study Survey; and (5) Consent Forms.
This study provides a specific solution to inclusion and how this strategy
helped the student excel in an inclusive classroom. I liked this source,
because it highlighted the importance of understanding disabilities and I can
use it to get the audience to understand specific disabilities.

10. Special Education : Is IDEA Working as Congress Intended? : Hearing

before the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One
Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session, February 28, 2001. N.p.: Washington :
U.S. G.P.O. : For Sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. [Congressional Sales
Office], 2001., 2001. Cat00846a. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
This source acknowledges legislation that gives rights to students with
special needs. I could use this source to investigate what IDEA entails and
use the authors claims as evidence in my paper.

11. Yeo, Kee Jiar, and Kie Yin Teng. "Social Skills Deficits In Autism: A
Study Among Students With Austim Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive
Classrooms." Universal Journal Of Educational Research 3.12 (2015):
1001-1007. ERIC. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who lack of social skills
have been hindered from being included in IE classrooms. The purpose
of this study was to identify the most frequently occurring social skills
deficits area among students with ASD in IE classrooms so that the
mainstream teachers will be ready and well prepared to cater to their
special educational needs (SEN) accordingly in order to yield more
effective educational outcomes. A total of 34 teachers in three schools
with inclusive classrooms in Johor state, Malaysia were involved in this
study. The instrument used in the current study was adapted from
 TRIAD Social Skills Assessment (TSSA) by Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
The instrument was adapted and consisting of a 41-items survey form
which assess the knowledge and skills of students with ASD in three
areas, namely cognitive, behavioral and affective. The findings showed
the most observed social skills deficits fall under behavioral and
affective areas. Comparison of the three areas in social skills using
repeated measures analyses indicated that there was a significant
difference among the scores of three areas among the students with
ASD. The implications of practice were discussed.
This study supports my claim that lack of inclusion hinders children with
special needs social development. The abstract states that the study was
intended to collect data on the social qualities children with autism lack, and
then pass it on to mainstream teachers as they prepare to teach these
children alongside their regular class. I can use this source to acknowledge
those opposing inclusion.

12. Zvoleyko, Elena V., Svetlana A. Kalashnikova, and Tatiana K. Klimenko.

"Socialization of Students with Disabilities in an Inclusive Educational
Environment."International Journal of Environmental and Science
Education 11.14 (2016): 6469-481. ERIC. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
With the implementation of the Educational Standard for children with
disabilities, the need for definition of parameters of an inclusive
educational environment is high. The article highlights the groups of
special conditions of socialization for students with disabilities in an
inclusive educational environment; the authors give the content
characteristics of all groups. In order to implement inclusive practice it
is necessary to create special educational conditions for children with
disabilities. Russian defectologists adequately defined a list of special
conditions, but they did not give the system description. Without these
conditions, studying in a regular school is difficult for a child with
disabilities. We have used a new approach to the representation of
special conditions system of inclusive education, which is based on the
structural-functional model of the educational environment; the
components of this model allowed identifying some groups of special
conditions (organizational and managerial, material and technical,
organizational and pedagogical, the organization of psychological and
pedagogical support, social-psychological and subjective). We have
defined the content of each group of special conditions and determined
the significance and content of extracurricular activities for successful
socialization.
 This source focuses on the socialization of children with special needs
and how they can benefit from it. This supports my main claim, and
can be used throughout the entire paper.
13. I will be interviewing Dr. Constance Goodman, a professor of
education at UCF, about inclusion. I will be meeting with her sometime
next week to discuss her experiences with inclusion as a special
education teacher. The questions I will ask are:
What school(s) did you teach at? What school(s) did you
specialize in special education?
What is your stance on inclusion?
Did you experience any negativity regarding inclusion?
How much inclusion was present in your school?
What benefits do you believe come from inclusion?