Inclusion: Considerations from social validity and Functional Outcome Analysis

Inclusion and particularly full inclusion has become a hotly debated topic. While proponents of inclusion believe that social, behavioral, academic, and developmental benefits occur for children with disabilities as well as for other, nondisabled, children in the classroom, research into inclusion provides equivocal results. This paper (a) describes inclusion, highlighting the inconsistencies in definitions and research; (b) discusses the importance of social validity in making inclusion decisions; and (c) presents an approach to inclusion using Functional Outcome Analysis (Noell & Gresham, 1993). While inclusion may be philosophically desirable, the research does not support its application as an all-inclusive approach. Inclusion decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis after a functional analysis of the student's behavior has been conducted.