Written Report on Mainstreaming or Inclusion. Education Essay

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Mainstreaming the Learning Environment
The role of education in the development and empowerment of people is incontrovertible. A society is defined by diversity, but this has for long been ignored in the learning context, leading to the birth of mainstreaming. This paper explores how successful learning institutions have been in providing inclusive education. The achievements notwithstanding, additional collaborative efforts are necessary to ensure that education remains not just accessible to learners with special needs, but free from discriminatory beliefs, attitudes, and practices as well.
Mainstreaming has a firm foundation in the law. The Federal Government mandates mainstreaming in schools through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA stipulates that schools should adhere to the concept of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). LRE is part of IDEA that requires not just the inclusion of students with special needs in classes with nondisabled peers, but also stresses that they receive education to the greatest extent achievable. Accordingly, the only condition in which these learners may be separated from their gifted peers in the regular class is when it is impossible to achieve education satisfactorily, supplemental aids and services notwithstanding.
Special education has evolved considerably over the years. With the enactment of IDEA, most students with special conditions have access to neighboring schools where they can learn together with their nondisabled students. Disabilities include speech impairments, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, hearing impairments, and autism, to mention a few. Unlike others, special needs learners require certain services, which vary according to the nature and category of the disability in question. According to Hossain (12), age and grade level are used to determine the degree of inclusion at the elementary and secondary levels. Classification is integral as it allows experts to tailor learning interventions to the needs of the student.
Current education standards emphasize adequate supply of thoroughly trained teaching staff and supply of relevant teaching/learning resources. Thus far, many commendable steps have been taken to promote successful mainstreaming. Experts have supported training teachers, adding teachers’ aides, and the provision of special equipment to meet the needs of students. At least one teacher’s aide is required to be in class to offer the additional assistance that the disabled learners require. Withal, teachers are encouraged to employ different teaching methods, especially those that appeal to the multiple different senses, including video, lecturing, and role-playing. These steps are in place to help teachers to ensure that everyone benefits from the learning process regardless of his or her physical or mental conditions.
Assistive technology has offered a huge boost to mainstreaming. Technical aid can be any assistive, adaptive, or rehabilitative device employed in the learning process to compensate the student for th...