Advocacy Plan:

Problem Statement
An inclusive classroom is a classroom that creates a shared learning environment for

both atypical and typically developing children. Many people do not believe that atypically

developing children should have a place in a typical early childhood classroom. However, it has

been shown that typical children benefit from this shared learning environment just as much as

the atypical children. Being able to learn in a typical educational setting is something all

children should have the opportunity to experience even if it is only part of a day.

Objective

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, only 13% of children with a

disability are in a typically developing general education class during regular school hours. I

believe that schools need to make more of their classrooms inclusive and give their teachers the

training needed to support all types of developing children. According to an article from The

Atlantic, On-the-job training is essential to ensure teachers have the skills needed to teach all

students in their classroom, especially those teachers who may have attended teacher preparation

years ago or missed out on training about disabilities. (Mader, 2017). Many teachers are only

required to take one to two courses during their education on special needs. This lack of

education on special needs and disabilities can cause them to get frustrated in the classroom. In

addition to this, I feel their needs to be more support for the parents of both types of children in

the classroom. Often times parents of typically developing children are worried that their

children will have a lower quality of education if placed in a classroom that is inclusive. I believe

having school officials and teachers that are comfortable leading an inclusive environment will

help make all parents and children more comfortable.

 Background of Inclusion

The idea of an inclusive classroom became popular when parents of children with

disabilities started realizing the potential their children could have if they were given the same

opportunities as their typically developing peers. Before the 1970s many children with special

needs or disabilities were denied public education. One of the first movements for the rights of

special education was IDEA 1975. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was enacted by

Congress to allow for children (age 3-22) with disabilities to access free public education.

However, this law does not require inclusion. IDEA federally mandates that children must be

placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This law allows the atypical students to

benefit as much as they can from their educational setting., This means, for many students, that

they should be placed in an inclusive classroom. Since IDEA has been in effect, 6 out of 10

special needs children spend 80% of their day in an inclusive general education classroom

(Healsy, 2016). More recently the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, calls for disabled

children to have the highest quality teachers. This means that all special needs teachers needed

to be certified in every subject they teach. Although, there is still not a law that states general

education teacher in inclusive classrooms need to have a certification in special education.

Barriers and Challenges

Currently, there is a significant amount of research being done on inclusive classrooms,

and the most beneficial learning methods for atypically developing children. As I have

mentioned above, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of teacher training for inclusive

classrooms. It is very important that pre-service teacher education programs focus on providing

appropriate instruction to those who will be instructing students with special needs because even
if these teachers will be in a general education classroom, it is incredibly likely that general

education teachers will be working in an inclusion classroom (Zimmerman). When teachers are

not trained appropriately and do not fully understand the needs of the special needs children in

their class, then they will not be able to give the children all the support they need.

Another challenge to overcome are the negative beliefs that some people have about the

idea of inclusion. In a survey given by the Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance, 20%

of people surveyed gave negative responses towards inclusion (Early Childhood). According to

this survey, the people surveyed were under the impression that these programs would take extra

work and financial aid that they do believe the schools do not have. However there are many

easily accessible ways to educated these teachers. For example, there are many online programs

that allow for teachers to receive training and professional development that teach how to handle

atypical students.

The idea that the atypically developing children are disruptive in the classroom is another

challenge that must be overcome. Research has shown that all children in these classrooms

benefit from being in a diverse learning classroom environment. It has been shown, that children

are exposed to others differences and start to develop a more positive view of himself and others.

(Benefits of Inclusion). Being exposed to classmates with disabilities also allows for the children

to be more open and accepting towards approaching those with disabilities in their community.

(Henninger). Personally, I believe this idea of acceptance is a very important idea for children to

learn at young age. If they are able to see the differences in others and understand and accept

them, then they will be able to collaborate and understand with others better throughout their life.
 In addition to the parents of typically developing children being concerned about this

issue, there is also some concern from those with atypical children. A study by Robert Savage

showed that out of a 28 students (14 learning disabled and 14 typical students), the learning

disabled students were bullied either physically or verbally more than the typical students. This

study also found a link between the students with learning disabilities and peer rejection. The

students in this study were in the 5th grade. If we allow for inclusive classrooms at a younger

age, than children will start school being exposed to this, and I believe through increased

understanding will aid in combating bullying and peer rejection.

Stakeholders

There are many stakeholders for special education. The most important stakeholders are

the child and his/hers parents. However, inclusion also affects the teachers in these classrooms,

the administrators of the school (Principal, therapists and other collaborators) and the other

children in the classroom. Additionally the school community is also a stakeholder for inclusion

because in order for these classrooms to be successful, there is needed support from the

community.

However,the children in these classrooms are the the main stakeholders of their

education. These children are young and not always able to stand up for themselves and their

right to education. However, they are the ones who benefit most directly from what classroom

they are placed in, and the level of curriculum they are being taught. The parents of the children

in tinclusive classrooms are also affected by inclusion directly. Whether they are parents of

typical or atypical children, they will need to understand and accept the classroom in order to
support the idea of inclusion. The parents of atypical children are affected because they are often

having to fight for the rights of their child.. I interviewed a family friend whose son has autism

about their experience with being placed in an inclusive classroom, working to get Justin in an

inclusive classroom was difficult because there are so many little details we needed to work out

with the school. It was important for us to make sure that he had the right IEP (Individualized

Education Plan) and was getting all of the support he needed inside this mixed classroom. The

parents of typical children are also affected, whether they support inclusion or feel it will be a

distraction for their child. As I have mentioned above a lot of these parents feel that their

children will be distracted more often due to being in a classroom with special needs children.

This can make the parents of typically developing children worry that their children are not fully

benefitting form their education due to this type of classroom. This could be changed easily if

these parents were to read a brochure like the one I created for my short term goals to present

some of the benefits their child is gaining from being in this type of classroom.

The administration, principals and school district are also big stakeholders for inclusive

education. It can be difficult for principals and the administrators in a district to think of children

with special needs as individual children instead of a demographic. Not only are the principals

responsible for making sure the programs like inclusion are compliant, but they also are

responsible for testing of all students, including those student with special needs (Webster,

2017).

Finally, another very important stakeholder is the general education teacher in these

inclusive classrooms. These teachers are important because their knowledge and attitude

towards teaching in an inclusive classroom will set the environment for the year. I talked with a
teacher in an inclusive classroom, she stated how, sometimes I find myself struggling to make

the curriculum for all the children in my class. A few years ago was when I first started teaching

in an inclusive class and I did not feel fully prepared to teach all the types of children I had

placed in my class. It was very interesting to hear her perspective and how she did actually

seem to get frustrated with the atypical children in her classroom.

Allies and Constituents

There are many allies of inclusion. For school districts, most of these allies are teachers,

administrators or school board members who support children with special needs. There also

corporations, such as Autism Speaks that are constituents of inclusion. Autism speaks believes

that inclusion is important because it honors the fundamental value of each person. .

(Inclusion, 2013) It is important that large corporations like, Autism speaks support inclusion

due to their reliable sources, name and accomplishments that many people know and trust.

Ethical Responsibility

In order for an inclusive classroom to be successful all of the stakeholders need to be

ethically responsible. All the stakeholders have an ethical responsibility to treat all children fairly

and give them the best education and accommodations needed.The idea of inclusive classrooms

is in accordance with the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. For example, Ideal I-4.6 states, to

promote knowledge and understanding of young children and their needs. To work toward

greater societal acknowledgment of childrens rights and greater social acceptance of

responsibility for the well-being of all children (NAEYC). This ideal supports the needs of

inclusion and the purpose of trying to offer inclusion in schools is to support the needs of all

children not just the children that have special needs.

 Long Term Goal

My long term goal towards making all classrooms inclusive would be to provide more

thorough and frequent training to teachers and aides.If the teachers of these inclusive

classrooms are trained to handle a mixed developing class, it will aid them in being able to

handle and teach all of their students more effectively.

Short Term Goals

My three short term goals are as follows. My first idea would be to write a letter to the

parents of typically developing children who are going to be in an inclusive classroom. The

intent of this letter is to provide more information to the families of typical children that are

hesitant of inclusive classrooms. This will help them to understand more about the atypically

developing children and the support they will need in their childs classroom. My next idea

would be to make a brochure showing the positive effects inclusive classrooms have and how

they are beneficial to all types of children. Finally, I would create a curriculum plan that would

be applicable to inclusive elementary aged children and includes activities for both atypical and

typically developing children.

Tactics for Short Term Goals

The three short term goals listed above can be implemented in a classroom very easily.

The letter from a the teachers of an inclusive classroom can be sent home at the beginning of the

school year in order for the parents to understand what is special about their childs class.r. Next,

the brochure I created could be left in a schools main office or given to the parents of children

who have questions about inclusion. Finally, the lesson plan I have created could be used by
teachers who need an easy activity/lesson plan to implement that has simple accommodations for

those children with special needs

Sources:

"Training General Education Teachers - Inclusion in the Secondary Classroom." Google Sites.

N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Webster, Jerry. "Happy Stakeholders in Special Education." ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web.

19 Apr. 2017.

"Bullying Risk in Children With Learning Difficulties in Inclusive Educational Settings."

Bullying Risk in Children With Learning Difficulties in Inclusive Educational Settings - Jul 24,

2016. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Henninger, Wiliam R. How Do Children Benefit from Inclusion? (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

"The Benefits of Inclusive Education." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 02 July 2012.

Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

"Early Childhood Inclusion: Challenges and Strategies from the 2014 Preschool Inclusion

Survey." Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance, n.d. Web.

"The Challenges of Inclusion." The Challenges of Inclusion | Scholastic.com. N.p., n.d.

Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Lee, Andrew M.I. "No Child Left Behind (NCLB): What You Need to Know."

Understood.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Inclusion: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from the NEA - Wrightslaw. N.p., n.d.

Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

 Esea. "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001." Office of Superintendent of Public

Instruction. N.p., 01 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Mader, Jackie. "How Teacher Training Hinders Special-Needs Students." The Atlantic.

Atlantic Media Company, 01 Mar. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

"Students with Disabilities, Inclusion." Fast Facts. National Center for Education

Statistics, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Heasly, Shaun. "Report: Inclusion On Rise In Nation's Schools." Disability Scoop. N.p.,

02 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 May 2017.

Webster, Jerry. "Why Happy Stakeholders Are Important in Special Education?"

ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2017.

Inclusion: Leading the Way in Access for Everyone (n.d.): n. pag. Autism Speaks, 2013.

Web.