Inclusion Doesn't Always Mean Included

Overview & Synopsis

Children identified for special education services were once denied access to regular education classrooms and their peers regardless of the nature of their disabilities. In recent decades, efforts have been made to integrate more exceptional children into mainstream environments. The term inclusion has manifested itself into modern education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and No Child Left Behind (NCLB), all of which provide provisions as to how exceptional education students would co-exist with their mainstream peers. However, not everyone has embraced this form of integration and questions linger about just how effective the laws have been in regulating the education system so that no child is discriminated against.