MIT Assistive Technology Design

The debate over inclusive versus segregated classrooms for students with cognitive disabilities was brought to my attention when I volunteered at an outreach session at Edgerton last week. In alignment with an inclusive environment, the class incorporated two students with cognitive learning disabilities who mingled freely with the other students. However, I noted that the two students had difficulty advancing at the same rate as the rest of the class.

Arguments for a segregated classroom highlight the challenge of keeping pace with the class and the need for additional resources and attention for students with cognitive disabilities. Such students often require extra time and assistance to complete the same tasks. At Edgerton, I observed that the two students took longer to process the information presented and communicate their thoughts. One of the TA’s had to constantly check on them and keep them on track. When I was asked to guide them at one point, I discovered that I had to re-explain the classroom activity, pause and repeat myself as needed, and dictate the worksheet answers for them. The environment and pace was not well-suited for their learning.

While this anecdote presents an argument for segregated classrooms, it is also important to consider the negative effects of cutting off students with cognitive disabilities from the rest of society. Segregating a sector of students can be an alienating social experience for them. By being confined within a bubble, students with cognitive disabilities will not learn to interact with the rest of the world, perpetuating the vicious cycle of feeling alienated from society. Rather than learning to integrate themselves into society, they may grow up with the notion that they do not belong there.

The reasons for an inclusive classroom are compelling from a social standpoint, but implementing this system in practice is very resource-heavy. Nonetheless, I believe that this is a very important challenge to address, and that the situation can be improved through creative approaches to resource allocation.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2015 at 8:06 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.