or each student and guide adaptations needed in the regular classroom. Inclusion is the goal whenever possible since it provides an opportunity for all students to learn in a real-life situation and share experiences with same-age peers. Special needs students and non-disabled students both benefit from understanding each other. As the students move from class to class together, they share an additional common bond and have friends that ease the pain of transition. This social network is important for all students and it is particularly important for the disabled student (Neary & Halvorsen, 1995).
Cheney and Roy (1999) presented statistics regarding the types of disabled students that are being placed in inclusive schools. According to the U.S. Department of Education the distribution of 5,235,952 special needs students in the U.S. public schools from 1996 to 1997 were as follows: specific learning disability (2,676,299; 51.11%); speech/language impairment (1,050,975; 20.07%); mental retardation (594,025; 11.35%); emotional disturbance (447,426; 8.55%); multiple health impairments (99,638; 1.90%); hearing impairments (68,766; 1.31%); orthopedic impairments (66,400; 1.27%); autism (34,101; .65%); visual impairments (25,834; .49%); traumatic brain injury 910,378; .49%); and deaf-blindness (1,286; .03%).
Kennedy, Shukla, and Fryxell (1997) noted that special needs students in regular classrooms show substantial social benefits compared to special needs students in special education classrooms. General classrooms provide more interaction with non-disability peers, higher proportions of social support, greater networks of non-disabled peers, increased information and assess to new people, improved physical assistance and emotional support, and increased companionship. Carlson and Parshall (1996) pointed out the alternative view, that teachers report special needs students require continued special education services.
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