Federal law requires students with disabilities to spend as much time as possible in general education classrooms, but a has found that鈥檚 not happening in Ohio, or the rest of the country.
The 1975 requires students with disabilities be placed in general education classrooms with their nondisabled peers 鈥渢o the maximum extent appropriate鈥� to encourage social learning.
But says across the country, that鈥檚 not the case. In a recent study, Brock found that the number of students with disabilities who were placed in general education classrooms increased in the 1990s and early 2000s, but have since stagnated.
鈥淭he other things I was surprised to see is that in any year for the past 40 years, the overwhelming majority of kiddos with intellectual disabilities have spent most or all of their time in segregated settings," Brock says.
And he says segregating students prevents learning.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have opportunities to practice social skills in authentic settings, you don鈥檛 have opportunities to build friendships with people without disabilities," he said.
Brock says nondisabled students also miss out on important lessons about acceptance and inclusion that have an impact on entire communities.
