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Effects of inclusion on the academic achievement and adaptive behaviour of children with intellectual disabilities
Author(s) -
Dessemontet R. Sermier,
Bless G.,
Morin D.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01497.x
Subject(s) - inclusion (mineral) , psychology , special education , intellectual disability , developmental psychology , academic achievement , mathematics education , literacy , special needs , learning disability , intellectual ability , pedagogy , cognition , social psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience
Background While an extensive body of research has examined the outcomes of inclusion for pupils with special needs, in particular learning disabilities, its effects on the development of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have been less explored. As inclusive practices tend to be more common for this group of children, it is important to acquire more knowledge on this issue. Methods A comparative study with an experimental group of 34 children with ID fully included in general education classrooms with support, and a control group of 34 comparable children in special schools has been conducted. The progress accomplished by these two groups in their academic achievement and adaptive behaviour has been compared over two school years. Results Included children made slightly more progress in literacy skills than children attending special schools. No differences were found between the progress of the two groups in mathematics and adaptive behaviour. Conclusions Inclusive education is an appropriate educational option for primary pupils with ID who require extensive support in school.