Jayda C.

Ziegler

Educating Grayson: Are Inclusive Classrooms Failing Students

The reason that Grayson's mother wanted him to attend their local school was that she

believes that he has the same rights to an education that a child without autism has. With him

being expelled from the school he is being stripped from his peers along with his chances to

develop, both socially and academically. If the schools are attempting to provide truly inclusive

education, then why would they be sending a seven-year-old home for reasons that should be

handled by the trained staff.

Although the school tried their best to have Grayson included as much as they could, it

became a matter of safety for their staff and other students that caused his expulsion. Their

reason for expelling Grayson is they are concerned for the wellbeing of both adults and children

who are attending the school.

The needs that Grayson has are complex but will help him drastically. He would benefit

from having one single aid that would work with him throughout the day. I believe that Grayson

would do best with one aid because it is said that a child with autism can become overwhelmed

with changes and transitions. Therefore, the child having to move from one aid to another is

providing added stress to Grayson. It is also best that for Grayson both his mother and the school

examine what triggers him to act out. This way they can eliminate the causes and help him get

through the day with ease.

Where I stand on this issue is quite simple really. I believe that the school and Grayson's

parents need to work together in order to provide the most effective care for Grayson. Providing

an inclusive classroom is hard and I understand the school sending him home due to safety issues

but if they were to understand first why these events are occurring, I believe that the problems

would diminish. Grayson's mother makes an excellent point when she says that all children have
 Jayda C. Ziegler

the right to an education and pulling him from his classes for more than half the day is denying

him that right. I think that we need to meet whatever means necessary to provide each and every

one of our students with the best care possible.

The main reasoning behind an inclusive school not being beneficial to students is because

teachers either lack the knowledge on how to provide one or they just have no motivation to do

so. I believe that the best way to make inclusive classrooms work begins with the teacher getting

to know everything they can regarding their students so that they can truly understand what their

needs are. Talking to parents and getting help from colleagues are all ways to do so. The staff

and parents all need to be on the same page regarding the children in order for them to have the

best school experience. Communication is the key to their success.