Inclusive practices: How accepting are teachers?

Abstract

This research addressed the question of educators’ beliefs about the rights of children with a disability to be included in regular schools. Principals and teachers from Education Support Centres (ESCs) and attached primary schools in Western Australia rated whether they considered children with either a physical or intellectual disability should be integrated full-time or part-time depending upon the degree of the disability (severe, moderate, mild). Acceptance of integration was lower for the child with an intellectual disability than for the child with a physical disability. Acceptance decreased as the degree of severity increased. Educators were more accepting of part-time integration, b..