Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Inclusion or self contained classrooms?

How do you choose the best setting for your child with learning disabilities? When I was growing up we had resource rooms where some students went for individualized instruction of certain subjects.  I was aware of the resource room but don't remember any stigma attached to my peers who spent time there although those students may disagree.  Now we have Inclusion settings where students remain in the classroom for all subjects and there is an inclusion teacher who is there to assist students with IEP's and modify material and assignments.  I work in a school that follows that model and my sister is an Inclusion teacher for a 6th grade class and the idea is that the class doesn't know who the Inclusion teacher is there for because she is moving about the class helping all students.  I have seen the model work well for some students who need that extra support but am unsure how I feel about it for students with multiple or more severe disabilities. As a parent, are we doing our children a disservice by enrolling them in schools that follow the Inclusion model because we don't want them to feel different if they are removed from the classroom to visit the resource room? Are some special education students struggling in schools with the Inclusion model?  This is a link to an article outlining the 2 types of Inclusion, push-in and full inclusion.

http://specialed.about.com/od/integration/a/Inclusion-What-Is-Inclusion.htm

Monday, October 3, 2011

I took the plunge...

and posted to a blog!  I had been checking out this neighborhood blog, the one I spoke about in my first entry here.  The one where a certain few people use the space to rant and rave to each other about anything concerning our neighborhood, I mean anything.  I asked if anyone knew when or if a certain store was coming instead of posting a complaint.  I really wanted to post about how some people throw their dog's "stuff" in other peoples garbage cans, it's pretty gross.