Exceptional Learners and the Inclusive Classroom

This thesis includes a brief history of special education and how individuals with disabilities were previously treated both in and out of the classroom. The identification process is then described along with different categories that students can be placed into. After the discussion about special education and individuals with disabilities the importance of Inclusion and the effects that it has on those students is described. The final section of the paper discusses strategies that can be implemented in the classroom to support students with disabilities while in the classroom. Some of the strategies that are discussed are accommodations, modifications, Universal Design for Learning, and HLP’s. Throughout the entire paper the idea of social emotional learning and its importance for students with disabilities is discussed. Through teaching social emotional skills to students with disabilities teachers are increasing the students’ quality of life. Social emotional skills are not only beneficial for students with disabilities, but they can also benefit students in the general education classroom as well by teaching them ways to be successful in the outside world. Overall teachers are trying to give their students the best possible education allowing them to be as successful as possible as they transition into post secondary life