Inclusion of Students in Special Education

For as long as I've been working in and studying special education, there has always been a struggle with whether or not students receiving special education should be included in the mainstream classroom. I've been working on a project for one of my classes to try and figure out how I feel about this issue. I've always thought that it's really important to educate students in the least restrictive environment, but I've been questioning lately whether or not the mainstream classroom is the best setting for all students. To help myself figure out how I feel, I've generate a list of the pros and cons of inclusion:

Pros

•Students stay in mainstream classrooms.
•Inclusion doesn’t segregate or label students with disabilities.
•It is less expensive.
•There can be a lot of support in the school system for inclusion.
•Keeps expectations of students high instead of lowering them as in lower ability classrooms.
•Students develop social skills and interaction skills with their peers that they may not receive in a segregated classroom.
•Teachers are trained in dealing with the student's, sometimes, difficult behavior.
•Students have access to a range of different materials appropriate to their skill level and they receive the necessary support needed to be successful.

Cons

•Segregation may naturally occur in the classroom.
•The quality of education could be lower.
•Teachers may have bad attitudes toward students with disabilities.
•Teachers may not be able to appropriately handle behavior issues.
•Students mat not receive as much individualized attention as needed.
•There are sometimes negative views on inclusion and this may cause a lack of support.
•Curriculum and necessary materials may not be appropriate for a range of ability levels.
•Students may be disruptive to other students learning in the mainstream classroom.

Because of all the above reasons, it is easy to see why inclusion is such a complicated issue. It is really important to always have the students best interests in mind and really to fit them into an environment that is most appropriate for them and that will help them to be as successful as possible.