The Inclusion Movement
Public school systems have been including children with disabilities in general-education classrooms for some time. Yet this well-intentioned effort, called the inclusion movement, needs improvement, according to Shriver. She feels that there may have been discussion among government leaders and school officials about inclusion, but no one talked to the nondisabled community, so the general public is, in effect, frightfully unfamiliar with disabled individuals and their needs.
"We can't throw students with disabilities into the classroom and not tell the public about it," says Shriver. "The inclusion movement has much to learn to improve itself." She feels it's an issue that has been avoided and that communication between all parties is critical.
Sandler, who works with children with spina bifida (SB), suggests that disabled children in inclusionary settings talk with their nondisabled peers. Talking about what it means to have SB and how it affects them helps all parties immensely. "We encourage these children to share in a show-and-tell way," he says. "This helps knock down some of the barriers that arise when things are shrouded in mystery."
