An inclusion model for children with language learning disabilities: Building classroom partnerships

The purpose of inclusion for children with language-learning disabilities ( LLD) is to provide integrated educational opportunities within the general education classroom. Inclusion and practices related to inclusion require c ollaboration among regular educators, special educators, speech-language pa thologists, and families. This article distinguishes between full inclusion and optional inclusion, reviews studies on the outcomes of inclusion, desc ribes a university-school partnership model for educational restructuring, and outlines six reasons why innovative changes, such as inclusion and inte grated learning, are often difficult to sustain. This background frames the experiences of an educational team with a continuous progress, inclusion m odel for students with a LLD. The team consists of a regular educator, a sp eech-language pathologist, and a teacher of specific learning disabilities. Their story demonstrates the importance of flexibility in adapting inclusi on models and the necessity for maintaining classroom partnerships for unit ing research with practice.