Running Head: EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS 1

Exceptional Students and Inclusive Learning Environments

Katie Weldon

Fresno Pacific University

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In the world of childhood education, and for the teachers who are entrenched in it, the

cost-benefit analysis of inclusive classrooms is a subject of high importance. While there are

certainly unique hurdles to jump in this situation, there are many benefits of including students

with exceptionalities into the general population at all educational levels. Students with special

needs help teach neurotypical and able-bodied children about diversity and tolerance (a real-life

skill that will see them through sticky situations in their adult life) as well as bolstering the skills

of the exceptional students in question by surrounding them with peers who encourage their

advancement. To properly educate both types of students in an inclusive classroom, teachers

should be aware of the many strategies available to address the needs of the entire class. An open

classroom accepting of students of all levels of cognitive, physical, and social ability encourages

consistently more evolved students in every area of their life.

In many elementary school classrooms, children are typically surrounded by children

much like themselves. In ways as unpreventable as coming from the same neighborhood as their

fellow students, to the fact that teachers can be more effective typically when teaching to a

smaller variety of skill levels, children are often taught to learn next to others who do not

challenge their own preconceived conventions of learning. By including children of varying

levels of intellectual ability, physical ability, and social adeptness, general population students

learn that the world is full of people unlike them. Instead of seeing these atypical students as a

distraction, a joke, or even a threat, the general population students are taught to respect them as

peers, different from and the same to them in many ways. In a traditional classroom setting,

children are often grouped by ability to let teachers focus on the strengths of students while

working to better their weaknesses. Not only does this ignore the rich tapestry of multicultural
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classroom settings, it denies the student population the chance to evolve naturally and should be

avoided by creating inclusive classrooms that welcome all.

Another highly advantageous facet of inclusive classrooms is the likelihood of

neurotypical students to rub off on their exceptional peers. In much the same way as Educators

scaffold students with their own knowledge to help them make small logical leaps throughout the

day, higher functioning students can act an assistance to their special needs peers. The

exceptional students surrounded by general population students have a drive to succeed to

remain on par with their fellow students that is often missing from an exceptionalities-only

classroom. Students with social disadvantages such as Autism also have the benefit of other

children modeling appropriate social interaction for them in a way that directly affects their life,

encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zone and learn to cope with their world in a

more developed way.

For educators to properly reap the benefits of an inclusive classroom, they must be

willing to stay current on child psychology and adapt their teaching methods to support the

newest research. In the last century, the views of exceptional students in the classroom have

changed dramatically, along with division based on race, gender, and the like. By continuing to

seek out new information and remaining open to learning, professional development, and

constant reflection, teachers open the door to evolving as a professional and better serving their

own students for a lifetime.

It is no longer acceptable to separate students by simple differences such as social

withdraw, physical disabilities or emotional disturbance. Popular psychology has shined a light

on benefits of multicultural, inclusive classrooms that develop the tolerance and diversity of their
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student population. By promoting inclusive of exceptional students in the average classroom, all

parties benefit from the chance to grow together, learn from each other, and rise as a group.