How come educators refer inclusion and mainstreaming the same thing when it is different?

by ArmyStrongPA

Question by Dakota Fanning Fan: How come educators refer inclusion and mainstreaming the same thing when it is different?

Mainstreaming is the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills.

Here is the link: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/Mainstreaming.html

Inclusion is the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes for all or nearly all of the day instead of in special education classes.

Here is the link: http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861620664/inclusion.html




Best answer:

Answer by Colette H
They are used interchangably because to a person teaching a regular ed classroom, the effect is the same. The child is in the regular ed classroom with the teacher. Generally, once a child is mainstreamed, it feels like inclusion.

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