A History of Inclusion in Education

Question 1 

The movement towards special education can be traced back to 1975 when the U.S. Congress passed the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), also referred to as the PL 94-142. The act provided a mandate to schools to provide education to students that had disabilities. The law also provided schools with the funding required to have special education services. Various amendments were made to the law. In the year 1990, the law was changed to become the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). “It places special emphasis on the use of assistive technologies, including devices or services (evaluation, therapy, or training) to educate students with disabilities” (Powell & Driver, 2013, p.15).IDEA also made it possible for schools to have more funding for toddlers, infants, and those between ages 3 and 21. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) also led to effective teaching as it stipulated that 95% of special education was to meet the adequate yearly progress (AYP) benchmarks. Students with disabilities were required to participate more in the general education curriculum and take similar standardized assessments. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed in 2015 to replace the NCLB. It retained the NCLB's goals and expectations but further mandated states to develop accountability plans. The analysis of the history of inclusion shows that it has come a long way to ensure that students with disabilities can receive a good education.

Question 2 

The policies and laws have influenced the current trends for inclusive environments by having students with disabilities have better access to learning resources and succeed in their education. Various teaching methods and technological resources have been developed that enable inclusive learning. The resources are usually provided to the children for free, ensuring that the services are accessible to the children that need them. Students with disabilities are no longer left behind in their education, but they perform well, just like their peers. Parents today know that their children are receiving the most appropriate education, and they have a clear understanding of what each student is included in (“Children Therapy Place”, 2015). Teachers today are held accountable for the performance of the students and ensuring that the accommodations for students with disabilities are effective.

References 

Children’s Therapy Place (2015). Special Education Trends. https://childrenstherapyplace.com/special-education-trends/ 

Powell, S. R., & Driver, M. K. (2013). Chapter 1: What is special education? In Working with exceptional students: An introduction to special education. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu/