Inclusion In Education

Inclusion. “Inclusion is a term which expresses a commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend. It involves bringing the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to the services) and requires only that the child will benefit from being in the class (rather than having to keep up with the other students).” (Special Education Inclusion, 2014).

Anyone involved in the school system has heard the word “inclusion.” Educators continue to determine the best practices to include students with disabilities alongside their general education peers. The legal history involving inclusion goes back to over a decade ago where students were segregated into educational and residential institutions. When States began creating public educational systems, students with disabilities were often excluded and sent to an alternative facility. Fast forward to the 21st-century and there are many laws that mandate the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education

Since the Thomas case, schools are no longer able to keep students out of school due to phobia or speculation. To this day, students with AIDS are considered handicapped and are protected by Section 504. If a school or parent thinks the student may impose a risk to their peers Section 504 requires an evaluation and placement process to determine the appropriate educational setting for the child, rather than a recommendation or a vote from a school board like presented in the Thomas case. The Thomas case impacted education because it protected the educational rights and the inclusion of handicapped children, eliminated exclusion based off of speculation and fear, and required schools to follow procedures before placing infected students in an alternative