Abstract
Inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular class has been promoted since 1990’s. Inclusion has long been legislated in the US such as in IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). A major goal of inclusion is to cultivate social inclusion. Researchers have advanced the notion of social inclusion to that of social integration. Social integration, however, has not been achieved. Social isolation and exclusion of children with disabilities remain prevalent in contemporary times. At issue is what barriers there are to social integration. This study examines barriers posed to the social integration of children with disabilities, using the Canadian context as an example. Based on the qualitative research method, structured interviews were carried out with 64 elementary school teachers, mostly teaching in inclusive education classes. The recorded interviews were transcribed and coded for major themes. The results found various barriers present in major stockholders such as the child with disabilities, non-disabled peers, and the school environment. The barriers centered on the special needs of students with disabilities, the negative attitudes of their non-disabled peers, and the inadequate school administrative and resource support. The results provide guides for school administration and policy makers for addressing barriers to social integration enabling a systematic approach to promoting social integration. The results also lay a foundation for more research in systematically examining the pathway to and developing programs for achieving social integration globally. Implications for practice and further research are suggested for increasing the social integration of students with disabilities.
Presenters
Lily DysonResearcher, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education and Learning Worlds of Differences
KEYWORDS
BARRIER, INCLUSION, SOCIAL INTEGRATION, DISABILITY, CHILDREN, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, EDUCATION
