Including Students with Severe Disabilities in Rural Middle and High School: Perceptions of Classroom Teachers

In order to document the effects of including secondary students with severe disabilities in rural middle and high schools, a study was conducted in one senior high school and one middle school in Washington School District, Utah. The schools had a total of 8 students with severe disabilities. Specifically, the study examined the beliefs of secondary educators about including students with moderate or severe disabilities in secondary schools and content area classrooms; how instructional practices are impacted when students with severe disabilities are included; and what educators have learned about including students with severe disabilities. Twenty educators were interviewed at the beginning and end of the school year to determine attitudes about inclusion, impact on students, effects on teaching practice, and needed supports. The educators felt that inclusion was the right thing to do and was working; class size and group focus was a challenge; support was needed from special education staff; both disabled and nondisabled students benefited from inclusion; specific teaching strategies had been developed, but grading and individual educational programs were a concern; and training and technical assistance were needed. The findings suggest that rural secondary educators are willing to include students with severe disabilities in content area classrooms, but that more research is needed to identify appropriate learning strategies. Contains 18 references. (SAS)