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COATES, J. and VICKERMAN, P. (2008), Let the children have their say: children with special educational needs and their experiences of Physical Education – a review. Support for Learning, 23: 168–175. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9604.2008.00390.x
After reading this journal article I said “amen.” I hope to use the research from this article in future parent-teacher conferences, IEP meetings and in my own decision making as I include students with special needs in the general educational program. The authors stress the importance of allowing students with special needs to take part in the decisions that guide their educational experience, especially in the areas of inclusion and physical education. According to (Coates and Vickerman, 2008), students desire the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process related to inclusion. By doing so, students learn to advocate for what they think is beneficial in their educational program; therefore, feel more motivated to participate in the regular educational programs.
ReplyDeleteThere are factors that the authors pointed out that impede the inclusion process. First, general educational teachers support the inclusion but feel inadequately trained, second, regular educational peers may not support their peers with special needs by teasing or bullying and third, parents are afraid their child with special needs may be injured or left out in including them in the regular program. In conclusion, the authors feel these areas can be improved upon with proper training and consultation. The authors also think positively about allowing students voices to be heard and making the adjustments to help them succeed.