Inclusive School Integration

INTRODUCTION

Children with Down syndrome, who go to regular schools have the opportunity to interact with their non-disabled peers and have the chance to improve the quality of their lives both in the short and long term (Masoudi & Queen’s University of Belfast, 2008). Furthermore, according to Burgoyne (2012), parents of disabled children expect their children to develop friendship and be more socially competent when they partake regular education together with the non-disabled peers, despite others expressing fear that their children may be socially isolated in such environments. Nonetheless, the concept of social inclusion of children with has been described in many different ways and has consequently been challenging to describe in a single language (Kumin, 2012). In fact, in a study by Webster & Carter (2007), the researchers were unable to conclusively describe the relationship between disabled and non-disabled children as the variables of ‘inclusive’ education.

Ideally, students with Down syndrome are more likely to be socially isolated compared to their non-disabled counterparts and less frequently interact with their peers (Masoudi & Queen’s University of Belfast, 2008). With this regard, previous research has attributed the weak interaction to personal characteristics such as behavioural problems, language difficulties, and inability to understand other people’s feelings, intentions, and behaviour (Burgoyne, 2012). Due to the condition of having Down syndrome, as well as the complexities that come with the syndrome at childhood, students find it challenging to interact with their peers during their middle childhood and in their later years.

Aim of the Study

Researchers have used various sociometric scales to measure peer interaction between noon-disabled and intellectually disabled children. For instance, literature by Dolva et al. (2010) indicates that children with Down syndrome between the ages of eight to eleven have equal popularity with their non-disabled peers in being chosen as partners in various classroom activities. Besides, Kemp & Carter (2002) suggest that peers generally accept mild to moderate intellectually disabled children despite their inability to form special friendships with those peers. However, scholars in the field of intellectual disability argue that such measures may not depict the actual shared friendship and activities between the disabled and non-disabled pupils, and therefore there need to be further observations in real-life situations to ascertain the interactions (Dolva et al., 2010). Consequently, the main aim of the proposed study is to explore the enabling and barring conditions for inclusive education for children with Down syndrome in mainstream education.

Research Methodology

The study will take a qualitative approach, whereby interviews and observations will be carried out within a classroom setting to establish factors that enable or hinder the interaction between non-disabled pupils and pupils with Down syndrome within a classroom setting. The researcher will visit a selected school for a period of none year to conduct field observations and conduct interviews with the children. The visits will primarily help in observing various activities within the classroom setting in which the pupils interact. Hence, the observational focus will be on how the interaction between the non-disabled students and students with Down syndrome is initiated, who initiates them, how they behave, and what they jointly participate. The field notes taken during the interaction will facilitate a conclusion on factors that promote or hinder inclusive education for pupils with Down syndrome.

REFERENCES

• Burgoyne, K. (2012). A reading and language intervention for children with Down syndrome: Teacher's handbook.
• Dolva A., Hemmingsson H., Gustavsson A., & Borell L. (2010). Children with Down syndrome in mainstream schools: peer interaction in activities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, August 2010.
• Eredics, N. (2018). Inclusion in action: Practical strategies to modify your curriculum.
• Kumin, L. (2012). Early communication skills for children with Down syndrome: A guide for parents and professionals. Bethesda, MD: Woodbinehouse.
• Masoudi, N., & Queen's University of Belfast. (2008). Inclusive Education for Pupils with Downs Syndrome in Northern Ireland: Indicative Cases and Current Issues. Queen's University Belfast.
• Webster, A., and Carter M. (2007). Social relationships and friendships of children with developmental disabilities: Implications for inclusive settings. A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability 32(3), 200–213.