In Good Health: Mainstreaming: a valuable lesson

Mainstreaming is the most current approach in educating children with special needs

Educational experts use several terms to describe the approach of educating students with special needs together with their typical peers. “Mainstreaming” or “integration” or “inclusive education” refers to a form of education where diversity is respected in the classroom and all the students belong. “Self-contained classroom” refers to a separate classroom within a mainstream or “typical school” setting.  Special needs schools are educational facilities that work exclusively with special needs children.

Educating children with various learning and emotional profiles in a mainstream setting has many advantages. Children with disabilities have “appropriate” role models, stigmatization is avoided, and it enables gradual mainstreaming of children with disabilities into the regular classroom. In such schools mainstream teachers benefit from seeing how special educational personnel deal with problems and issues that they also encounter. The students benefit from exposure to high quality multisensory learning and gain that measure of sensitivity and caring that is the universal goal for all parents. Thus, educating children together benefits all children.

This anecdote demonstrates these points: When David’s parents elected to place their son in a newly developed program for children with learning delays and social and emotional concerns, it was a decision they made with trepidation and a heavy heart. After three years in which their son tried hard but could not succeed, they had no choice but to remove him from the same school his siblings had attended, with the hope that he would finally receive the education he needed. Fortunately for David, his new class was within a regular school. In his new program every student worked towards social and academic goals. In his case, mainstreaming with his peers in the fourth grade class was an immediate goal. The other students in his self-contained class had different strengths. Some were socially savvy but had significant learning disabilities; others learned well but could not focus, and others suffered from anxiety and social skills deficits. David had friends from whom he could learn social skills. He was also fortunate to work with teachers and a staff of professionals who used his classroom experience as “teaching moments” to work on student readiness skills and social skills.  In this environment David gained academic knowledge. However what truly made the year a success was the degree to which he learned skills. He learned how to maintain attention, follow direction, control his impulses and adapt socially. First, David joined other fourth graders for recess and lunch. Over time he progressed to participate in sports activities. After a few short months, his parents and his teachers set new goals that included academic mainstreaming.

In this warm, caring and highly skilled teaching environment, David blossomed. At first, he needed a teacher by his side. After a few weeks David began to handle the transition into the classroom on his own; a few reminders from the teacher were all that he now needed. David learned how to organize and handle himself in the classroom. Soon, David was participating in certain classroom discussions, though he did not yet feel comfortable reading aloud or answering questions related to classroom work. David had practiced what it meant to do “good listening,” how to effectively communicate with his peers and teachers and how to demonstrate that he was interested in their opinions and needs. He now knew to offer to share his work and his supplies with other students, and many of his peers felt important because David effectively asked them for help. David made friends. The fourth grade teacher worked on elevating David’s status among his peers and praised students who treated David appropriately. Looking to gain more attention, the students of the fourth grade English class started to look for ways to be more friendly and inviting to each other. The classroom became a nicer, warmer and more inviting place.

Providing a mainstream opportunity to students with special needs allows different types of students to learn from one another. Students with weak social or learning skills can learn from and practice with others for whom these skills come more naturally. Those with more pronounced learning disabilities or learning differences are able to benefit from differentiated instruction that is tailored to their needs. For David, being in a mainstream class gave him an opportunity to practice and observe in a larger classroom how to focus on the teacher, raise his hands, and to contribute effectively as a member of the group — all with empowering support from his special education teachers. On the other hand, mainstreaming also provides students without significant learning or social/emotional issues the opportunity to experience different forms of problem solving, creativity of thoughts, and diversity of skills, and helps to stress the importance of being respectful of differences. The fourth grade class experienced David’s different learning style, creative ideas and gained sensitivity, among many intangibles that they would not acquire from their regular teacher and peers. David’s new program became a catalyst for creating a new understanding of “special education” within his mainstream school and communicated the importance of individual goals and learning styles for every child.

Successful mainstreaming of special needs students depends on several factors. First, it depends upon an accurate identification of the social/emotional and learning strengths and weaknesses of the student. Second, it depends upon a solid collaboration between teachers of both programs, parents, therapists and the student. Third, it depends upon the efforts taken to transition the student effectively. Finally, it depends on the degree to which the classroom and/or school is involved in creating a pro-social environment for which all attempts towards friendliness are encouraged and supported.

Chassia Boczko, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist, maintains a private practice in Woodmere, NY that services children, adolescents and their families. She specializes in neuropsychological evaluation, individual psychotherapy, social skill groups, and shadow training, and parent and school consultation. She co-founded the Shadow Training Institute (STI) an educational center that provides training, referral services and certification for shadow teachers. For further information or to speak with Dr. Boczko call (516) 792-6311 or e-mail dr.boczko@gmail.com