Do you think inclusion of mentally challenged children in normal classrooms helps the education process?

Helps the education process? I'm not sure I understand your question, but children with disabilities here in the USA have a right to be educated in the least restrictive environment. They have a right to be in the classroom with their peers. Accomodations are made for them as needed. My son has autism, he is in a regular first grade classroom with a full time assistant to help him. It is important that children with disabilities are not marginalized, they are entitled to the same educational experience as any other student.

Certainly it can't always be easy for his teacher, even with a full time assistant, but it isn't so easy being his full time mother who has no assistant.

I think it is also important for the "typical" children to be exposed to kids that are "different."

Yes I think they should have normal classrooms. Preferably separate from the "brighter" kids.

I foresee problems if they're all lumped in together. They'd have to learn at a different pace, so you'd either need more teachers, or everyone would be held up. Wouldn't that just be inefficient?

I think it would only be a hindrance to the educational process. It would be a distraction to the other students. It doesn't make much sense anyway. They can be educated separately in a classroom better suited to their needs.

I don't think it would be fair to the challenged kids or the kids without challenges...

I agree with dubiosone. Kids should be grouped by ability, just like adults are in the work place.

As a classroom teacher of almost 15 years I can tell you that it does not. Despite the trend in American education to "equalize" students' educations, it completely fails to address the very simple fact that we are not all created equal. It isn't fair to any of the students and none of them are being given the opportunity to soar to their own academic potentials. Bring back tracking for the benefit of all!!! (But do it right this time -- not to discriminate but to provide the best education for all children!)

No. And that's not an admonishment of the mentally challenged. It's just not a practical solution, it's counter productive.

depends.... you dont want those kids to feel any less than the other kids around them... this will lead to low self esteem and also they might not be on the same level as the other children thus holding their lessons back.... at my old high school the mentally challenged had their own classroom for lessons but did PE and ceramics with non mentally challenged kids ... i think that in a way it made them feel more included in the school

No, it would not help the education process, just hinder it. Mentally challenged children belong in Special Ed so as to get the extra time & attention they need. Meanwhile allowing mainstream children to stay at the faster pace (without abruptly stopping or shifting gears) and be able to advance to accelerated classes.

Yes

Oh god YES!!...........Why not!

IMHO it is one of the few things in public education that is being done correctly. I would like see a change in paradigm where we redefined the so called "education process". It seems that as it is currently practiced we have produced a bunch of passive students who are good test takers, but can't work together in a cooperative way to complete a project whether it is put up a large tent, figure out how to change the oil or tire on their cars or whatever. It is not their fault...all they have been trained to do is sit at desk with their mouths shut and wait for instructions. At least with being exposed to the "mentally challenged" students they are learning that these are members of our society and we have to learn how to work with them and help them out now and then. When I was in public school we didn't have kids on campus with Down Syndrome, closed head injuries, or visual impairments. For all I knew they didn't exist. If one of our friends caught polio, they disappeared and no one ever talked about them again. Later on if a girl got pregnant, she moved off "with relatives in another state" and if you started asking questions the teacher would shush you very quickly. We were protected from a lot of life's dirty little secrets. On the other hand, we did have very good shop and vocational classes though. It seemed that back then the educational system recognized that a lot of us weren't suited for the university. We usually didn't have a lot of homework and after school, we would play a lot of sand lot baseball and have awful fights with each other until we figured out how to get along. Maybe we should try to pick the best of both systems.

Yes I do think it helps the educational process all around. Not only will it help the mentally challenged integrate into "normal society", but it will help "normal" children at a young age realize there are differences and simliarities to all people, and everyone should be accepting of each other, because we are all equal and human.
School is not just learning book smarts, but also learning about other people, themselves and learning to socialize.
I think separating children in classrooms based on mentally challenged versus "normal" can create prejudice in the children. By not being exposed to different people, they could end up scared or fearful, and intolerant of those not like them.
On the other hand, I do think that the children that excel should be able to advance in the educational system based on their intellect.

I'm sorry but no i don't think so.

With the high ratios of today it takes away from the learning process.

I worked with an ADHD autistic child EXCLUSIVELY and that worked much better.

then it doesn't take away from the "normal" children

My little sister is in the 2nd grade. During the first week of school a girl was brought in mentally AND physically disabled. Some children were not affected by this while others couldnt deal with it at all, because they were scared of the way she looked/talked etc. A parent of one of the scared children took this matter to the school and had the disabled girl moved to the other second grade. I think that was unfair to the disabled child. Although, they may not learn as adequetly as the other children in the class who are not mentally challenged, I think it is a step in the right direction integrating them with children who do not have disabilities or challenges. They can not be separated their whole lives because of the way they were born. I think, if a mentally challenged is integrated into a class of normal children, they should at least have a one on one aid with them at all times.

I agree with division according to ability especially for core subjects...language/ Math./science

Not enough attention is given to the needs of the bright children who need extending.

I agree all children should interact and accept mentally challenged children but it can be done in the "fluff" subjects.....like craft and PE

No teacher should have to be distracted from teaching core subjects to mainstream by mentall/behaviourally challenged children in the same room.

I've had to do it and I can tell you the bright kids are always the first to suffer from lack of focused attention.

If I were a parent of some of the brighter kids
I'D DEFINITELY BE COMPLAINING !!!!
/

No it does not help the kids both ways, and also kids tends to be cruel- sounds like a recipe for disaster for many reasons.