Explained: Importance of Inclusive Education for Specially-Abled Students
An educational model and environment that delivers the prospect of having children with and without special needs get educated together in the classroom is inclusive education. The preliminary objective of inclusive education is to devise a learning environment wherein students can feel welcome regardless of their special needs or disabilities. An inclusive classroom is usually where students support each other in the learning process oblivious of their limitations. It is through the policy of inclusive education for the students with disabilities that they can start acknowledging their own individuality and wield their skills as their strength without feeling inferior because of what they lack that their peers don’t.
Upgraded emotional intelligence and socialization skills:
The importance of inclusive education is that the students with disabilities do not feel discriminated against and learn how to interact with the children of their age. The classroom and the school environment are the first places where a child would usually learn to socialize for the first time outside their familiar environment within the family. That is why having a classroom that would include both disabled and non-disabled students in a regular learning or educational program can help the former get oriented with the other children. This way they will start feeling more comfortable articulating themselves in public forums. It is through this inclusive education system that the disabled students will be able to establish a firm and permanent sense of belongingness to not only people of their age group but also the society at large. In addition to that, it will also be the first opportunity for these disabled students to learn about different social relationships, interactions, and meanings through human bonds and attachments, such as friendship.
Importance Of Inclusive Education For Better communication abilities: Students with special needs like those who are suffering from challenges, such as autism, speech or hearing problems, to name a few, will have a scope to learn from their peers which would both be exciting for them as well as a matter of inspiration. Instead of cocooning themselves, which is a very common tendency amongst children with different disabilities, the inclusive environment at school will facilitate and allow the students to communicate with their friends and get an understanding of the world outside their own. The more they communicate, the higher the chances will be for these kids to get acquainted with seeing themselves as a part of a regular community without feeling curbed by their physical constraints.
Importance Of Inclusive Education For Fostering self-confidence: Until an individual learns to work with others it remains very challenging for them to discover their own dormant potentials and skills. Likewise, if the kids with disabilities are distanced from the non-disabled students, their learning process will not have attained the required sense of fulfillment, and nor would they have that overwhelming sense of joy when they can achieve something just like the regular kids do. That is why if the self-confidence of the disabled students needs to be nurtured and encouraged, it is important that they are put through the same learning program as the non-disabled students. It would not only fill them with a sense of confidence while installing a sense of reassurance with a note of optimism in their overall perception of life and their future prospects.
Importance Of Inclusive Education For Creating harmony in the learning environment: It is not just the students with disabilities for whom having an inclusive education system is important. In fact, it can be immensely beneficial for non-disabled students as well. Since the non-disabled students have to be quite accommodating while welcoming their new peers who are differently-abled, it will increase their level of tolerance and understanding towards the world where there are different kinds of people co-existing in peace and friendship. They will start to comprehend that people are different and that it is completely normal to be different. That is why having a classroom that is inclusive towards the students with disabilities can make the non-disabled students aware and appreciative of the diversity that exists outside their everyday world of friends and family, thereby creating harmony and acceptance right from the classroom. It can be said that inclusive education is important for the students with their abilities because it creates a synergy between students with disabilities and the students who do not have any physical limitations so that both of them can learn from each other and treat each other equally.
It must be remembered that the idea of inclusive education for disabled students does not need to limit itself to the four walls of the classroom or a school compound. It must be extended to colleges and universities. Inclusive education must be continued so that the process never ends and in the process, it broadens the attitude and perceptions of the children towards themselves and each other because the circumstances make them accept the strengths and weaknesses that they possess and appreciate the ones that their differently-abled peers have.