Throughout other courses at Walden, I have been exposed to
resources which discuss the importance of including all children in the
classroom. Having an inclusive classroom could include children from different cultures,
children who speak different languages, and children with special needs. Research
supports that children should be included in the least restrictive environment.
Currently, I have a student who has Autism and is a part of our Communication
and Language classroom where she receives supports in learning how to
communicate and complete everyday tasks. This student is very bright and is a part
of third grade math and reading. Watson and McCathren (2009) shared an article explaining
children should be a part of an environment where all children can be as
involved and independent as possible (p. 21). Children with autism who are
included in a general education classroom are presented with the opportunity to
interact with peers and establish communication skills that they may not have
learned if they only participated in the CALs classes. This article was
interesting to me because it provides a check list for educators and administrators
to use to see if their program is ready to include all children. This resource
could provide suggestions and help a teacher become more at ease when trying to
plan for a student with special needs to enter the classroom. In my personal
experience, I have never had a student with special needs in my classroom and I
needed to adjust my classroom to meet their needs. After experiencing this, I do
agree with the research that students with special needs may belong in a
general education classroom. I had the opportunity to observe a CALs classroom
and I was able to compare those students to my student with Autism. This opportunity
allowed me to see the different levels of function these children have and
understand that this student in my classroom was truly in the correct placement
even though it has come with its challenges. This student who was placed in my classroom
has made many improvements throughout the year and proved she could hold her
own on a third-grade level. While she requires extra support throughout the
day, this opportunity has proved she is in a setting where she can be involved
and be successful.
Reference
Watson, A., & McCathren, R. (2009). Including children
with special needs: Are you and your program ready? Young Children, 64(2), 20-21.
