Inclusion - Not Segregation or Integration Is Where a Student with Special Needs Belongs

Abstract

This paper will ask the question "Where does Katie belong in the school system?" Should she be educated in a segregated or an integrated classroom? Or should Katie be included in a classroom of students, students with typical abilities as well as disabilities? What do we mean by segregation, integration, and inclusion? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Can one approach be justified for all students or should the severity of a student's disability determine the approach? Other factors that have been cited when arguing in favour of one approach over another include costs, training, effect on typical students, and so forth. I will argue from a philosophical perspective that the underlying reason for choosing one approach over the others is a philosophical one, having to do with what it means to be human and to belong in a civilized society.