Inclusion
...ith appropriate aids and services to support them. If this is not beneficial to the student, then they should be placed into a restrictive setting, but still remain in the regular classroom as much as possible. Schools should consider whether or not they have taken steps to accommodate students with disabilities in the regular classroom before placing them in the special education classroom. Also, consideration of whether the student will benefit educationally from regular education and whether the district’s efforts were sufficient will aid in deciding the placement of the student. The effect that the student with a disability has on the regular education atmosphere and what will be the student’s overall educational experience in the conventional classroom are appropriate questions to answer before removal of the student from the regular education classroom. NO: Agne opposes full inclusion of students with disabilities in the regular classroom. She claims that education of students with disabilities in the regular classroom has a negative effect on public education. Agne says that students with disabilities cause disruptions in the classroom. Behavior and health issues pose as distractions. Everyone that is the same age is grouped together regardless of mental, emotional, and physical requirements. Teachers are not trained adequately to teach the students with disabilities. The author criticizes IDEA, saying that it is the easy way out. Agne (2004) argues that, “The most able students in our society are being taught to devalue their abilities and also themselves” (p. 260). Propaganda shows that it is acceptable to be an excellent athlete, but not excellent in academics. Students hold back on their ability because they are afraid of coming across as “nerdy.” The author says that if we do not give the gifted students their needs, our society will be compromised. We need to develop a system for education that is able to focus on all ability levels, no only those that are at the lower end. MY POSITION: I agree with Arnold and Dodge that full inclusion is beneficial to the students with disablilities. Arnold an...