Looking back on my educational experience, I don't think any of my classes participated in inclusion. I can't remember any fellow students with a mental or physical disability. I would have to assume that there were students with learning disabilities, but that is something kept between the student and teacher. While reading this section in our texts, I thought a lot on the topic, as well as my observation experience.
In the sixth grade classroom I observed, the teacher taught reading and language arts to a class that had a student who had high functioning autism. She seemed to be a very sweet girl with well intentions. She was always offering to answer questions or volunteer to help the teacher with a task. Sometimes it was hard for other students to participate in class though because it was common for her to just shout out answers to a question. She could be frequently found roaming around the classroom too and talking out during lessons or quiet work time. The teacher had to constantly remind her to sit in her seat or that it wasn't an appropriate time to talk. It was the end of the school year, so the other students and teacher seemed to be accustomed to what was happening. The teacher always remained patient, but this student seemed to be a constant distraction for the class.
Because I never experienced inclusion for myself as a student, I am still not exactly how I feel on the matter. Only observing one student in a class for a few hours doesn't give me a full sense on the subject. I do believe in equality for all though. This student's disruption of the classroom may have been due to her disability, but it isn't so that only students with a physical, mental or learning disability can distract a classroom or teacher. Any type of student can have issues with sitting for long periods of time in their chair at their desk or remembering to always raise their hand to talk or answer a question. Just assuming these students will cause an issue and limiting them to the chance to be in a general classroom isn't right. Some feel that these students have the right to be in any classroom and shouldn't be required to get pulled out.
Maybe that isn't the place for every student though. Some students need that specialized, small group attention to focus and strive. Also, not all teachers may be able to, or want to, teach a classroom that participates in inclusion. It's been argued about whether or not teachers need special instruction to teach students with different types of disabilities. There are a lot of positives and negatives on the subject. While I haven't fully formed an opinion for or against inclusion, I think what is good and works for some, isn't true for all. Inclusion may work for some students and classrooms, but not every.
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