High School Students Attitudes about and Recommendations for Their Peers with Significant Disabilities

Abstract

The present study addresses the impact that placement and service models have had on nondisabled high school student attitudes. Negative attitudes have been a frequently identified barrier to participation, interactions and acceptance. 1413 typical students from two high schools, one inclusive and one traditional self-contained, were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward peers with disabilities and their recommendations for inclusive education. Results suggest that experiences in school significantly impact students' recommendations about the implementation of inclusive education.

Family and Volunteer Partner Opinions on Young Athletes Project

“…Because, it is important for a variety of reasons to understand the opinions on integration of the families of disabled children. The first reason is that families of disabled children play a deciding role in the evaluation, placement, formation of the education programs of their children and the inspection of the provided services (Fisher, Pumpian, & Sax, 1998). Secondly, families play an informative and supportive role in the education of their children .…”

Inclusive Education for High School Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities: Supporting Communication

“…Benefits also occur for high school students without disabilities, such as enhanced appreciation for human diversity, personal development, greater tolerance, and friendship (Fisher et al, 1998;Helmstetter, Peck, & Giangreco, 1994;Hendrickson, ShokoohiYekta, Hamre-Nietupski, & Gable, 1996). Not only does inclusive education reflect best practices for students with severe disabilities, but it also addresses their legal rights within the USA to have access to the core curriculum and to learn in the least restrictive environment.…”

“…Developing effective means of increasing general education ''ownership'' of students with significant disabilities is another needed focus for research, especially given the competing demands most general educators face. Furthermore, while the use of peers and peer tutors to support students with severe disabilities in inclusive environments has been reported (Fisher et al, 1998;Hughes et al, 2002b), determining efficient and effective ways of using this resource to best meet the communication needs of students with severe disabilities is still needed, in order to answer the following questions: What should their role be and is it possible to be both a conversational partner as well as an instructor of communication skills? Which role(s) are high school peers most comfortable assuming?…”

“…Each student's schedule is unique. Inclusive education for high school students refers to the full and active participation in a variety of 60 -90-min classes (block scheduling) throughout the day (Fisher, Pumpian, & Sax, 1998). Depending on individual needs, students may balance taking certain high school classes with time spent in the community learning about vocational opportunities, accessing community facilities, and learning leisure activities.…”

Early Exposure to People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities and Later Attitudes Toward Social Interactions and Inclusion

“…However, only the extended contact experimental condition showed significant post-intervention increases in positive attitudes toward disability and behavioral intentions toward people with impairments. Fisher, Pumpian, and Sax (1998) assessed the attitudinal differences toward people with disabilities in a high school that included students with disabilities and a demographically similar high school that did not. Although the researchers found no significant differences between the students at the two schools in terms of behavioral and social intentions toward students with disabilities, they did find that students in the integrated high school had less negative attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in general education classes.…”