Inclusion can help children develop a friendship. A school is an important place for children to develop friendship and learn social skills. “Friendships between peers with and without disabilities can result in additional beneficial outcomes that include a greater understanding and appreciation of individual differences by the typical peers, development of age-appropriate social behaviors by peers with exceptionalities, and expanded friendship networks as well as improved quality of life for both participants” (Craig-Unkefer, n.d., par. 3). The recommended practice could be improved by using community-building activities that enable students to get to know each other. Examples of community-building activities may include playing cooperative games, interviewing and introducing a classmate, and completing a group project to produce an art piece such as a class mural. For instance, the game inviting students to guess the contents of a sack can be played during the lesson. Each student will bring five objects that say something about themselves. The students will show their objects and explain why they are important to them. Inclusive classrooms have more teachers; thus, children receive more support in the course of classroom activities. “The general education teacher and special education teacher often work together to teach and manage the class. This arrangement is often called collaborative team teaching” (Rosen, n.d., para. 8) It’s easier for children to ask help. Although there are students that do not have any disabilities in the group, they still can get professional suggestions from both of teachers. As collaborative teachers, they are able to give more attention to each student, which may happen in small groups or in one-on-one activities. They can also come up with alternate ways to teach material that can enable children to adopt a more specific approach to solving their problems (Peer relationships, n.d.). Students without disabilities can also get an academic benefit in an inclusive classroom. In a meta-analysis conducted by Kalambouka, Farrell, and Dyson (2007), 81% of the outcomes reported showed that the adoption of the approach also resulted in either positive or neutral effects on students without disabilities. Students without disabilities may make significantly greater progress in reading and math in inclusive settings, which can help them build confidence for studying. A student with disabilities could spend a greater amount of time to engage in academic activities in an inclusive classroom. Katz and Mirenda (1998) examined the instructional contexts provided for students with moderate, severe, and profound developmental disabilities in general education classrooms and their effect on engaged behavior (Katz & Mirenda, 1998). Inclusion is favorable for students without disabilities since it creates an authentic learning environment. These children will someday become a part of society, and they will work in a community. In their communities, they have to communicate with different types of people (Seehorn, n.d.). Therefore, they are likely to encounter individuals with disabilities. To help them learn to understand them instead of fearing them, it is crucial that children be exposed to communication with people of all races, genders, religions and abilities. The learning environment should be a part of studying.
References
Craig-Unkefer, L. (n.d.). Best practices in promoting friendship development for students with ASD. Web.
Katz, J., & Mirenda, P. (1998). Including students with developmental disabilities in general education classrooms: Educational benefits. Web.
Peer relationships. (n.d.). Web.
Rosen, P. (n.d.). 5 Benefits of inclusion classrooms. Web.
Seehorn, A. (n.d.). Barriers and benefits of inclusion. Web.