Interview Three (Parent of a Typical Student)

Interview: Parent of a typical ten year old child.

Question(s): Has your child ever been in a fully inclusive classroom? What is your personal opinion of inclusion in the school environment? Do you feel inclusion benefits all students?

Parent’s Response: My child has never been in a classroom where full inclusion has taken place. She currently is in a fifth grade classroom that is made up of 18 typical students and two students who are English language learners. A few of those 20 students in the class get pulled out for learning support services during certain parts of the school day. In the school building there are separate classrooms for those students with severe or multiple disabilities and those students who have a severe emotional or behavioral disorder. In my opinion, inclusion is not always the best choice for every special needs student. Inclusion should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Some students in my opinion would not best be served in a general education classroom for a whole school day. I also believe that there are not enough supports and staff available in most general education classrooms to support the needs of those students with severe or multiple disabilities. I believe that inclusion would not benefit all students in my daughter’s classroom, because there is only one adult currently in the classroom, which is the general classroom teacher. Inclusion may work in some school environments and for some students, but in my opinion is does not benefit all students.