Special Education: Mainstreaming and Inclusion

At the heart of the public education system in an institution so simple and so logical that is comes as a shock to many that it raises such constant debate - special education. While the term typically evokes the image of impoverished children with mild learning or mental disabilities, special education refers to an entire spectrum of students who require specific modified instruction, from severely mentally challenged children to exceptionally gifted children.

Regardless of the type of special education, some people believe that special and regular education classes should be combined and all students should be able to learn together in the same environment. This idea is absurd and special needs students should be given the specific attention they need in order to provide the most conducive environment for every student.

The idea of integrating special needs students comes in three stages - mainstreaming, inclusion, and full inclusion (IDEA, 2004). Mainstreaming is the practice of introducing special needs students into a small number of regular education classes to be determined by each students individual potential in each subject and takes place in most public school districts in America, though it is not mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (2004). Many districts use mainstreaming as a means of introducing special needs students to the outside world in an attempt to prepare them for the 'real' world that awaits them after high school.

Inclusion refers to placing special needs students in regular education classes along with an aide focused in special education. The idea is to allow the special education students the chance to learn together with regular education children while still having the added attention from the aide thus giving the students the added instruction they require. Many schools have experimented with this idea with mixed results.