Including Samuel: Rebecca Simpson

Our government is moving towards complete inclusion, but is this really the best choice? The benefit of including disabled children in normal classes is that the “normal” kids are introduced to kids with disabilities. These kids will be more accepting of people with disabilities when they become adults. Being around “normal” kids will also (usually) help the disabled child learn how to interact socially.

However, the disabled child almost always needs extra help, either physically, emotionally, or mentally. Often, the disabled child will need a personal aide, or the teacher must devote extra time to a single child. Most teachers, however, have not been trained in special education. How can a teacher be expected to know how to work with every type of disability she encounters in an integrated classroom?

Including Samuel did not show just the positive side of every person with disabilities, which I appreciated. For example, when the cameraman shot a scene of an integrated classroom, a disabled girl was staring out the window, completely uninvolved in the lesson and ignoring all attempts from her aide to make her pay attention. I really enjoyed the range of disabilities presented in this movie and the way Samuel’s father presented the benefits and drawbacks of integrated classrooms.