Inclusion

Inclusion: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices delineates timely strategies that address teachers’ concerns regarding the inclusive environment. Prior research is amalgamated with author Faith Andreasen’s investigation to arm the reader with a variety of appropriate student supports with the goal of strengthening inclusionary practice. Multiple educators clarify why they prefer particular methods when addressing various situations, thus detailing how inclusive classrooms can be established and sustained. The participants herein work with various age groups in assorted settings and have diverse years of experience. Informative and compelling, the reader completes Inclusion: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices armed with a variety of ideas and easy-to-implement applicable strategies that were gleaned from those who practice it every day.

When reflecting on her book, Exceptional People: Lessons Learned from Special Education Survivors, Dr. Faith Andreasen noted that some of her now-adult participants reported an awkward inclusive environment while others described accommodations that were accepting and supportive. This dichotomous information led Dr. Andreasen to pursue further research by examining inclusion from the teachers’ perspective. The result is a litany of situational and environmental factors that influence how inclusion is ultimately executed. In her passion to improve learning for exceptional students who have previously not been included, Dr. Andreasen has documented findings of best practices that, when integrated with her own research, create a book that provides excellent, practical approaches., Inclusion is a fact of life in American K-12 schools. Many students with individual education programs (IEPs) are programmed into traditional education courses with the expectation that their teachers have the requisite skills to accommodate their exceptionality. General educators, who are sometimes ill-equipped to provide specialized education, often feel overwhelmed when trying to provide an excellent learning experience for their diverse student population. To this end, Dr. Andreasen provides an excellent guide with great bullet lists at the conclusion of each chapter. This book can help all teachers, even those who are not in a classroom where inclusion is mandated, provide a positive educational experience., Dr. Andreasen has taken a cross-section of teachers from around the country and ascertained the innate qualities of inclusive education for students with disabilities. The insights and strategies found throughout Inclusion: Teachers Perspectives and Practices can be viewed as a proverbial roadmap for improving the quality of instruction for all students., Dr. Faith Andreasen, the prodigious offspring of respected North Carolina educators, has created a wellspring of seasoned observations and recommendations from special and general educators on how to successfully implement "inclusion" best practices….Overwhelmed teachers - with little time, few resources and increased demands - can quickly access her bulleted chapter summaries that act as a clearinghouse for detailed programs and teacher recommendations contained within each chapter. Uninformed parents and administrators will have a deeper understanding of special education jargon, of the valuable contributions that support specialists perform and of the numerous programs that have been utilized with varying degrees of success in different parts of the country. Hesitant and receptive general education teachers will be encouraged by peer suggestions. Special education teachers will increase their repertoire of solutions in meeting student needs. Most importantly, Dr. Andreasen's research pinpoints the critical factors of good interaction and clear communication between general and special educators, both of whom are equally responsible for the success of their charges.

Dr. Faith Andreasen has over twenty years of educational experience teaching elementary through college level students. Formerly an Associate Professor of Research at Northcentral University, she is currently an adjunct professor at Morningside College.