Case Study: Taking Sides: Clashing Views In Special Education

Legal Case study 2 tells about Mr. and Mrs. Konya and the struggles they faced getting their daughter, Jane, into a full inclusion first grade room. The family just moved into the school district and are very excited to start off the new school year. However, when they met with the principal, they were turned down on having Jane in a full inclusion classroom. The Konya’s were extremely disappointed with this decision and it didn 't seem that Mr. Timko was going to budge. One piece is advice that I would give Mr. Timko is to keep an open mind. In chapter 2.5 of Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Special Education, we read about Ro Vargo. Ro is now a 20 something women with a disability who is attending college. While Ro was in school, she was in a full inclusion curriculum and she flourished. Ro was accepted by all of her peers and teachers and had a fantastic experience. Mr. Timko should keep his mind open to the possible outcomes if he allows for full inclusion in his school. Full inclusion doesn 't have to change everything with the special education program. Along with keep an open mind, I would also tell Mr. Timko to make the gradual change into full inclusion. He doesn 't have to put all students into the traditional classroom on day one. Me could start the transition with Jane since she has experience with being in full inclusion. Mr. Timko can then start working the other special education students into their own least restrictive environment, whatever level of inclusion that may be. Lastly, I would advise Mr. Timko to make special training available for teachers. Teachers already have to do training, so why not make it full inclusion training? This can be as simple as having someone come and talk to the staff or even going to another school to observe how they implement inclusion. With one simple google search, I found a full inclusion training named KIT, Kids Included Together. KIT is an organization that offers online and inperson training. According to www.kit.org, “KIT strives to help the world see the ability in every child. Our organization helps others meaningfully include kids with disabilities through inclusion training, policy development and sharing our best practices information and research. By creating inclusive environments where no child is excluded, everyone benefits.”. KIT would equipe Mr. Timko’s staff with the skills they need to fully include all students. I believe that the next step for Mr. …show more content…
and Mrs. Konya is to keep pushing for full inclusion. These parents have been doing everything possible to make sure that Jane is given the best education possible. So, why stop now? The Konya’s are making sure that Jane is receiving the Least Restrictive Environment possible. According to our text, Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Special Education (2016), “IDEA requires all schools to ensure that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE): “removal from regular education environment occurs only of the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” (pg. 214). The Konya’s should not stop fighting until Jane is in her LRE and receiving the proper education. I also feel that the Konya’s should keep asking for the resources