tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post4514580217016105507..comments2024-01-06T07:53:11.832-08:00Comments on disabled Christianity: Christian School Special EducationJeff McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10029386598033932429noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-38919864497675182062015-07-20T11:17:23.715-07:002015-07-20T11:17:23.715-07:00Jeff,
If you haven't seen it already, I recom...Jeff,<br /><br />If you haven't seen it already, I recommend watching "Including Isaac" (https://vimeo.com/118712017), about Isaac, a young man with spinal muscular atrophy and his friends at Byron Center Christian School (Byron Center, MI). As you'll see from this video, the BCCS community embraces Isaac's gifts and sees him as an essential member of their community. He is included in general education classes and has deep friendships with his peers. Their understanding of disability is one of mutuality and interdependence. They exemplify many of the practices highlighted in your post. <br /><br />Thanks for advocating for inclusive school and church communities! <br /><br />Katie @ CLC NetworkKatiehttp://clcnetwork.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-22865485844082005202015-07-19T05:39:01.207-07:002015-07-19T05:39:01.207-07:00Jeff, it is disappointing, though not at all unusu...Jeff, it is disappointing, though not at all unusual or surprising, that a Christian school is still looking at segregation as their preferred option for the education of children with disabilities. The academic research just does not support this as the best educational route for any child, with a disability or without disability, though many educational providers still have a view that it is. Christian schools often seem to see it as a loving response to a burden that is being borne. Robert Jackson at include.com.au has looked at thousands of academic research papers on educational segregation vs inclusion and has not found ONE that showed a better outcome, for a child with disability or without disability with disabled children included in their classrooms. Some examples - Calberg and Kavale (1980) did a meta analysis of 860 studies done up to that date and concluded that special class placements were significantly inferior to regular class placements for students with below average IQs. Sobsey and Dreimanis systematically reviewed all literature on inclusion from 1980 to 1990 and concluded that the research to date shows both educational and social advantages for integrated settings over segregated alternatives. 1996 Lipsky and Gartner found the same and actually stated that segregation was also more cost effective. 2000 Freeman and Alkin reviewed 100 studies and found integrated students performed better than segregated on measures of academic performance and social competence. The list of research continues on and all points to the same (uncomfortable conclusion for many) that segregation is not the better option. If you are discussing partial inclusion (ie inclusion for "nonacademic" subjects and segregation for the academic ones), Rea, McLaughlin and Walther-Thomas examined this in 2002 for 8th grade students and found those continuously included had higher grades. On the topic of social impact, an interesting study (Heiman 2000) found children in segregated schools had fewer friends and reported feeling lonelier than those in mainstream. And finally if the concern is raised of the effects of inclusion on the children without disability, Kalambouka, Farrell, Dyson, and Kaplan in 2007 reviewed 7000 academic articles on this topic and they found no adverse effects on pupils without disabilities on inclusion of children with disabilities, and in fact 81% of the studies reported positive effects on those without disabilities. With this weight of evidence for the last 40yrs all pointing to a better outcome across the board with inclusion, it's time Christian schools see full inclusion as the most appropriate response, not only for the educational outcome of all, but also from the perspective of Christians setting an example and loving and including those society may reject, as Jesus did.Alisonnoreply@blogger.com