| Over the past half century, education in America has changed drastically for all students, especially for students with disabilities. These students, who were once unable to attend their neighborhood schools, are now entitled to the same educational advantages as their non-disabled peers. These changes are a result of many legislative laws such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Individuals with Disabilities Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act implemented by Congress throughout the years. An ever-increasing reform that is becoming more popular in this country is inclusion. Inclusion does what its label implies: includes all students regardless of their disabilities in general classrooms. It appears to be successful in many situations. However, few studies have been conducted to provide information on how teachers feel about these changes, and after all, they are the ones responsible for making such changes happen at the ground level. In their 1991 study, Mainstreaming: Perspectives on Education, Semmel, Abernathy and Lesar, noted that the most negative aspect of shifting toward general education inclusion is the lack of input from general education teachers. Teachers who do not view these changes favorably are more likely to have negative views toward students with disabilities. With research suggesting that negative attitudes have adverse effects on students with disabilities in the general classroom, it is quite imperative that teachers have positive attitudes toward the students they teach. |
