Difference between mainstreaming and inclusion classroom

Hi, I was under the impression that mainstreaming happened when a child was previously placed in a special education room or resource room. When the teacher felt that the child was ready to return to the regular classroom, then it happened. Many times the special ed teacher told the teacher what and how to handle the child and what academic needs the child had. It always seemed to me to be a promotion to the child…do this and you will return to the regular classroom. Of course, we know that being mainstreamed back to the regular classroom is not a reward.
Inclusion on the other hand is when the special needs child is included totally in the regular classroom and recieves services there. Your teacher is right, they are both different. I am taking a course right now in graduate school and had to do a paper on the pros or cons of inclusion. I have taught children without IEP’s in classand it was extremely challenging but workable.
Good luck on the xam…would love to hear how you do.
S. Santa

Mainstreaming refers to an older practice wherein students with disabilities are included in general education classes *if* they may participate at the same level as their non-disabled peers. Often Art, Music, or PE were the only subjects available for mainstreaming. Its purpose was allegedly more social in nature.

Inclusion refers to the current model wherein students of differing abilities work and learn together in both academic and non-academic general education classes.

That being said, for everything in education, there is more than one defintion. You had best know what your instructor’s definition is before the final…

My daughter was mainstreamed in all of her classes. She didn’t have a special ed teacher in her classes, but she had a resourse room. This was a very poor practice because the regular ed teacher was responsible for her accommodations and they didn’t like it even though she had her own strategies for learning and didn’t need much help from them. They just resented the fact that she didn’t have to take notes, these were given to her, and that she had tests read to her. It was a nightmare. Her tests were given to her in the resourse room.

Hi!
The difference in mainstreaming and inclusion is this:

Inclusion: Students are in the classroom for an extensive part of the day, if not all day.

Mainstreaming: Students are in the classroom when appropriate, for example, P.E., recess, lunch.