Assignment: Inclusion versus Segregation

One of the top issues in special education is the ongoing debate of "inclusion versus segregation." The idea of inclusion in education is that all students, no matter what disability they may have, should learn together in the same environment. Fully inclusive schools do not differentiate between special education courses and general education courses, but rather include students with learning, emotional, behavioral, or physical disabilities in classes with all of the other students.

The idea of segregation in education suggests that there are benefits to providing classes separate from general education classes that meet the needs of students with special needs. For some students, this may be for just one or two subjects, while for other students, this encompasses all of their courses.

In this assignment, you will consider those students who suffer from behavioral disorders or social skill deficits.

Using the module readings, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, research observational learning. Then, address the following:

• Based on your learning about observational learning in this module, what are the benefits that these students could gain through their inclusion into a regular classroom?

• How could the principles of observational learning help to improve the classroom behavior of students with behavioral disorders or social skill deficits?

• What are some of the classroom disadvantages for employing inclusion for other typically developing students?

• Do you support the move toward inclusion? Why or why not?