Mainstreaming Should be the Parents Decision Essay

Mainstreaming Should be the Parents Decision Integrating children with handicaps into regular classrooms (also known as mainstreaming) has been a huge issue in education systems recently. The goal of mainstreaming is providing the most appropriate and beneficial education to a child in the least restrictive setting and so the question of where the children with handicaps benefit the most is the question that is the hardest to answer. In the 1960s there was no question. No one even thought about taking a child with a handicap out of special education and placing them within a regular classroom. But now, partly because of parents requests, select school districts are mainstreaming. The debate over mainstreaming being good†¦show more content†¦In special education, the teachers focus on teaching the skills that the children will need to survive so they can increase the chance that these children will be able to live independently. They focus on dressing and personal hygiene, as well as teaching them basic job skills. The students learn how to count stock at the grocery store, how to run a cash register, and how to handle money. Bobbys class actually learned these things along with reading and writing. In my opinion, I think these skills which teach the children how to take care of themselves is a lot more valuable than most of the things that Sean was learning. Seans mother and other advocates of mainstreaming, on the other hand, believe that children with mental handicaps should be taught the same skills as any other child. They say that teaching a child how to count stock and use a cash register is basically telling the children that they wont amount to anything more than working at Mc Donalds. They say that it ruins their hopes and dreams of becoming something else. But advocates fail to realize that although Sean made it through the first grade (barely), the intellectual gap between him and his peers gets larger as they get older. It will be even harder for Sean to keep up next year in second grade. And then what will happen in junior high? It will be extremely difficult for Sean to stay in a regular classroom. As it is in first grade, Sean is taken out of class for help withShow MoreRelatedEducating Students With Children With Disabilities969 Words   |  4 PagesMainstreaming in Education â€Å"We must understand that inclusion is first and foremost a philosophy. It is a mindset and a belief that everyone has value and something to contribute. It is a willingness to see the ability in everyone and match skill with challenge. It is an understanding that what our programs really provide at their heart is the opportunity to build relationships, learn who we are, and develop skills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Friedman, 2014) Mainstreaming, one of the most controversial topics in the educationRead MoreSpecial Education Inclusion1040 Words   |  5 Pagesthe important questions that should always be asked when discussing inclusion. She gives us some arguments from advocates on both sides of the issue and everyone in between. She recognizes that inclusion has no simple answers. She merely intends to overview the concepts of inclusion and offers some recommendations to ensure the needs of all students are met. Her overview begins with definitions of common vocabulary, discusses laws governing inclusion, court decisions that have governed placementRead MoreBenefits Of Mainstreaming Students With Disabilities Essay1658 Words   |  7 PagesTeachers, parents, and special education case workers have worked with the dilemma of making a choice to mainstream students in regular education classrooms for many years and have been set back in each IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) on what would benefit the child. Not enough students with disabilities are being mainstreamed so they can experience the full capacity of their learning stages. It is important for all individuals involved to understand the pros and cons associated with placingRead MoreStudents with IEPs1386 Words   |  6 Pageswant to be included and do everything else the other students are doing. However, you have this learning disability no one knows about except for you, your parents, the exceptional educator, and now your general education teachers. It’s not easy being different wanting to do everything the other students are doing. Well, this is why mainstreaming and inclusion are important for these students. They want to be successful like everyone else. They want to fit in. They want to go to the general educationRead MoreMeeting the Needs of Special Education Students Essay913 Words   |  4 Pages to students reading years ahead. Within this broad spectrum, special education students are defined as individuals with special needs in a way that address the students individual differences and needs. Through the use of inclusion classes, mainstreaming, and individualized education plans, the needs of each individual student are met. â€Å"Education of physically, mentally, and emotionally handicapped children in the United States, until the 1960’s was provided through a mixture of institutionalizationRead MoreMainstreaming Vs. Inclusion: The Best Possible Outcome.1343 Words   |  6 PagesMainstreaming vs. Inclusion: The Best Possible Outcome While there are many aspects of the education system that are constantly under question and review there is a relatively new idea that is changing the classroom dynamic all together. The question is if mainstreaming students with disabilities or having special classrooms to meet their needs enhances their learning experience. The traditional classroom environment for children with special needs is to be in their own classrooms with specificRead MoreInclusion Is An Understanding Of Terms Dealing With Inclusion1332 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents. Supporters of inclusion normally favor original forms of education service delivery. There are different types of inclusion that people should recognize when dealing with this topic. , Mainstreaming has been used to refer to the selective placement of special education students in one or more general education classes. Supporters of mainstreaming typically accept that a student must earn their opportunity to be placed in general classes by ind icating an ability to keep up with the work assignedRead MoreThe Effects of Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Our Schools4122 Words   |  17 PagesThe Effects of Mainstreaming and Inclusion in our Schools Students with special needs are mainstreaming and inclusion into regular classrooms everyday in American schools across the country. The subject of mainstreaming and inclusion in the school system is often debated. Debates can become heated and both sides feel strongly about their views when deciding where students who are labeled as â€Å"special† should be placed. Children who start out in Special Education classes should be given the chanceRead More Students With Auditory Challenges and Mainstream Schools Essay2264 Words   |  10 Pageschances to learn English (Johnson 45-7). The proposal includes teaching sign language as the child’s first language and encouraging the second language, English, to be taught through reading and writing (Johnson 52). Further, this curriculum should be implemented in the least restrictive environment possible. Researchers emphasize the necessity of parental support and the support of early intervention programs such as proposed organized activities and training for families with hearing-impairedRead MoreEvery Individual Has Goals Whether It Be Personal Or Career1628 Words   |  7 Pagesranging from teaching styles to discipline, from motivational techniques to leadership. In the following, I will attempt to touch on all of these issues and also spend some time discussing such topics as educational reform and mainstreaming in the classroom. First, I should focus on what philosophies I will adhere to as an educator. At best, I can describe my philosophy as a combination of the well-established, almost timeless philosophies of idealism and realism. The idealist in me views discipline