The Effects of Mainstreaming and Inclusion of Special Education in Regular Classes

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Special education refers to the arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to address the needs of students with differences, mental health issues, physical and developmental disabilities, and giftedness. Our school was one of the establishments with a special education center that provides accessible services for children with special needs, that is why we found it to be a very special topic also for a research as it would help us learn more on how to help these children with special needs and help make them feel that they belong to the classroom, to a family, to a community and to the country where they live. Furthermore, this research focused on how these special children will react if they will be included in regular classroom set up treated as normal pupils or individuals.

METHODS

In this research, multiple methods were used. The researchers used a design questionnaire to determine the effects of mainstreaming of special education (special children) in regular classes. The researchers used a checklist style research questionnaire and this was conducted and administered for the Grade levels and sections which includes special children/pupils in their class.

RESULTS

Only one or two children with the same or different impairment/disabilities were enrolled in the same regular class. They are included and given the same sets of activities and even tests just like the regular pupils in the class. Based on the results of the research, children with special needs can cope up with the lessons very well. And what is more joyful about the results is that they do all things with all their hearts and they had given enough of what they know, what they can and through this they expressed their ideas about some things and change the mentality of people around them that they are "abnormal". It is such an amazing experience seeing these special children innovate themselves with the help of the teacher, their cooperative classmates and most of all the techniques and methods used in the research.

DISCUSSIONS

From the research, it is found out that mainstreaming do help children with disabilities adjust to being with their non-disabled peers or their so called regular classmates which helped them adapt to the demands of a regular education class. Inclusion is a teaching approach that focuses on including students with special education needs in the school community, it goes beyond placement in a general education.