What is your excuse? Allen and Cowdery (2012) state: “Inclusion is not a set of strategies or a placement issue. Inclusion is belonging to a community – a group of friends, a school community or a neighborhood” (page 5). The inclusion of children with disabilities in “normal” classes turns out to be a widely debated subject; although there are valid arguments on both sides and benefits for both inclusion and segregation, inclusion has become law (Holdheide & Reschly, 2008). Inclusion requires a lot of work in and out of the classroom. One of the biggest obstacles is that of communication; due to lack of time, funding and negative attitudes not only from parents, but also from the student body and teachers who bring up the rear (Teaching children with disabilities in inclusive settings, 2009). Teaching Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Contexts (2009) mentions that it is important for educators to realize that all children face barriers to learning, not just students with disabilities. In thinking about these questions, it is also important to consider the benefits that might be gained from including students with severe disabilities in integrated classrooms. Inclusion has seen many success stories and while there is no perfect success rate; Inclusion has more benefits and learning capabilities for all students than segregation. These benefits include opportunities for interaction, imitation, and observation with typically developing children; while also promoting socio-emotional, language and cognitive skills (Allen & Cowdery, 2012). Communication difficulties can arise in many situations and are multifactorial in nature (Buckley, 2002). Inclusion requires good communication skills due to the amount of communication...... middle of paper ......Hultgren, S. (n.d.). Inclusion – What does it really mean? Retrieved from http://www.ct-asrc.org/docs/inclusion.pdfMacBeath, J., Galton, M., Steward, S., MacBeath, A., & Page, C. (2005). Inclusion costs. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. Marotz, L.R. (2009). Health, safety and nutrition of young children. Australia: Thompson Delmar Learning. Shaddock, A., Giorcelli, L. and Smith, S. (2007). Students with disabilities in regular classrooms: a resource for teachers. Commonwealth of Australia. Teaching children with disabilities in inclusive settings. (2009). Bangkok, Thailand: UNESCO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. (nd) Including students with multiple/severe disabilities in general education classrooms. Retrieved from http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_pdfs/TipSheets/tipsheet_ClassroomInclusion.pdf