Julie+Amoroso+-+Inclusion

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children, including those children in public and private institutions, are educated with children who are not handicapped, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of handicapped children from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the handicap is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (Villa, 2005) According to the New York State Education department’s web site on special education, research shows that most students with disabilities can meet high standards when provided with meaningful access and participation in the general education curriculum and appropriate, high quality specially designed instruction and support services. Inclusion considers that all students are full members of the school community and are entitled to the opportunities and responsibilities that are available to all students in the school (Tech Inclusion, 2010)
 * __ INCLUSION __**

Inclusion is a belief system, not just a set of strategies. Inclusion is not a program or a research-devised strategy. The most compelling rationale for embracing inclusive education is philosophical in nature: a belief that exclusion of any subgroup is a simple violation of civil rights and the principle of equal citizenship. Segregated education creates a permanent underclass of students and conveys a strong message to those students that they do not measure up, fit in or belong. (Villa, 2005)

Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of ‘integration’ and ‘mainstreaming’, which tended to be concerned principally with disability and ‘special educational needs’ and implied learners changing or becoming ‘ready for’ accommodation by the mainstream. By contrast, inclusion is about the child’s right to participate and the school’s duty to accept the child. Inclusion rejects the use of [|special schools] or classrooms to separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities. A premium is placed upon full participation by students with disabilities and upon respect for their social, civil, and educational rights. Inclusive schools no longer distinguish between "general education" and "special education" programs; instead, the school is restructured so that all students learn together.(Wikipedia, 2010)

Students in an inclusive classroom are generally placed with their chronological age-mates, regardless of whether the students are working above or below the typical academic level for their age. Also, to encourage a sense of belonging, emphasis is placed on the value of friendships. Teachers often nurture a relationship between a student with special needs and a same-age student without a special educational need. Another common practice is the assignment of a [|buddy] to accompany a student with special needs at all times (for example in the cafeteria, on the playground, on the bus and so on). This is used to show students that a diverse group of people make up a community, that no one type of student is better than another, and to remove any barriers to a friendship that may occur if a student is viewed as "helpless." Such practices reduce the chance for elitism among students in later grades and encourage cooperation among groups. (Wikipedia, 2010) Among the initiatives that have great promise for building inclusive schools are:

** Universal Design: ** Differentiated materials, methods, and assessment alternatives are considered and created in advance with the full range of students’ differences in mind. Teachers routinely use partner learning, cooperative group learning, integrated thematic units and lessons and hands-on learning experiences. The goals of Universal Design for Learning are to provide students with multiple means of representation, multiple means of engagement, and multiple means of expression. Initiating a universal design approach requires educators to think about three distinct curriculum access points: content, process and product. Content concerns what is taught or what we want students to learn, know and do. Process concerns how students go about making sends of what they are learning. Product concerns how students demonstrate what is learning. Those three access points directly reflect the three goals of universal design for learning. (Villa, 2005)

** Differentiated Instruction: ** Involves providing [|students] with different avenues to acquiring content; to processing, constructing, or making sense of [|ideas] ; and to developing [|teaching] [|materials] so that all students within a [|classroom] can [|learn] effectively, regardless of differences in [|ability]. Differentiation stems from beliefs about differences among learners, how they learn, learning preferences and individual interests. (Villa, 2005)

** Multiple Intelligence Theory: ** A framework for understanding and finding strengths in all students. MI theory assumes that all students possess an array of the following intelligences that can be cultivated to emerge in unique configurations: Verbal/linguistic, Logical/mathematical, Visual/spatial, Musical, Bodily kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist. (Villa, 2005) Technology in the library has a profound impact on the librarian’s roles of teacher, instructional partner and information specialist in the inclusive school library. Computers have been used to enhance development and function in children with disabilities possibly longer than with typically developing children. (Tech Inclusion, 2010)

Computers and technology provide ways for children with disabilities to communicate and interact on a more equal level with children who have no disabilities. It also helps them to function as independently as possible. For children whose mobility is limited, email and other Internet tools focus on the content of the communications rather than personality or physical attributes, so that students can interact as equals without the encumbrances which sometimes isolate them, such as wheelchairs, canes or physical appearance. (Tech Inclusion, 2010)

Teaching information skills classes in the library often makes use of peer tutoring and co-operative learning which has been found to benefit many children with learning disabilities. Most school librarians work closely with special education teachers in planning content and adapting worksheets and other materials to suit individual student’s needs. Where possible, school librarians should offer one to one instruction to students, or modify the expectations for individual students. (Tech Inclusion, 2010)

The teacher librarian should always keep inclusion in mind when working on collection development keeping audio books and other assisted technologies on hand. Research has demonstrated that many students with leaning disabilities respond very positively to auditory and visual stimuli as opposed to print media. (Tech Inclusion, 2010) However, phase three of “The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation” study revealed the following:

**//Inclusion//** • School librarians report lower levels of technology and physical accessibility to resources for students with disabilities than other services and resources. • Mean scores by school librarians for services to students with disabilities accounted for several of the lowest scores on both surveys. • The provision of assistive learning technologies in the school librarian and attention to IEPs (individualized education programs) received the two lowest scores from the school librarians. • Elementary school librarians’ perceptions of their use of IEPs to provide differentiated instruction to students with disabilities were greater than perceptions of secondary school librarians. • No school librarian reported providing separate instruction to students with IEPs. (NYLA, 2010)

There are many ways in which the school library can contribute to the personal growth of students with disabilities and in fostering acceptance and understanding of these students by their non-disabled peers. A four year study of school library provisions for students with disabilities showed that provision of effective information literacy programs, a welcoming and physically accessible library environment and access to information technology and electronic information sources can have a significant effect on the development of confidence, independence and self-esteem in these students. (IFLA, 2010).

__ BIBLIOGRAPHY __

(2010). //The Impact of New York’s School Libraries on Student Achievement and Motivation: The Third and Final Phase.// Retrieved Oct. 20, 2010, from American Library Association. Web site: []. (2010). //The Inclusion Classroom.// Retrieved Oct. 20, 2010, from Tech Inclusion. Web site: []. (1999). //An Inclusive School Library for the 21st Century: Fostering Independence.// Retrieved Oct. 20, 2010, from IFLA, Netherlands. Web site: [].

(2010). //Inclusion.// Retrieved Oct. 20, 2010, from Wikipedia. Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion_(education). Villa, R. (2005). //Creating an Inclusive School.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Develop.