How to Convince Pupils to Accept Children With Learning Disabilities in the Regular Classroom

Good planning can help ensure that students with special needs are accepted by their classmates.

More than 2.5 million children with learning disabilities attend public school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many of those children spend most or all of the school day in classrooms with peers who do not have learning disabilities, in an educational practice called inclusion or mainstreaming. Many educators consider mainstreaming to be not just a legal responsibility, but a part of respecting diversity in the classroom. Teachers can take steps to ensure that students without disabilities are welcoming to their classmates who have special learning needs.

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the student's individualized education program, or IEP. The IEP, which is developed by parents and school administrators, gives a detailed description of a child's disability. Understanding a student's special needs will help you encourage interactions with students in the classroom who do not have disabilities.

2. Ask whether the parent or student would like to discuss the disability with the class. Often children are curious about others who seem different from them, and this curiosity can lead to negative feelings. If the child with a disability is open about the topic, the students can have their questions answered and may be less likely to misunderstand.

3. Create opportunities for students to interact. This may include activities in and out of the classroom. Encouraging children to play together is one of the first steps toward teaching acceptance of students who have learning differences.

4. Enlist students without disabilities to help their peers who have special needs. Students enjoy taking on roles of responsibility in the classroom. If there are opportunities for small-group instruction or independent work, ask students to support their classmates with special needs. This support may include writing for a classmate who is unable to use a pen or a pencil, or making sure a worksheet is completed if the classmate has problems focusing his attention.

5. Adapt classroom lessons so that all of the students can participate fully. Students who do not have disabilities are more likely to accept children with special needs when they see those students taking an active role in the class.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics: Fast Facts
• U.S. Department of Education: Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004
• Schools Moving Up: Successful Strategies for Middle and High School Inclusion

Resources

• Circle of Inclusion Project: Facilitating the Child's Participation in the Social Environment
• Inclusive Schools Network: Together We Learn Better: Inclusive Schools Benefit All Children
• Inclusive Education Starter Kit: Peer Interaction and Friendships
• Easter Seals: Friends Who Care