Abstract

More and more students with disabilities are being taught in the same classroom as their peers without disabilities instead of in resource or self-contained rooms. This qualitative study was designed to examine teacher perceptions in B-12 inclusive settings. Their perspectives were based on their work with students who transitioned from self-contained and resource rooms to inclusive settings. Special educators were interviewed to gather information about their observations regarding student success in resource or self-contained rooms and inclusive classrooms. They were asked about the skills and resources they tapped into, and wished they had, to help their students with disabilities succeed in inclusive settings. The most frequently cited: were pre-service teacher preparation for inclusive settings, and regular collaboration between special and general educators. One teacher (SS) had this to say about co-teaching, “…it’s double the pleasure and double the mystery.” Findings are discussed in terms of implications for teacher education, and academic achievement and social skill development of students with disabilities.