[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-594891-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-594891-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","inclusive-education-the-least-dangerous-assumption-article","Inclusive Education - The Least Dangerous Assumption - Article","","Inclusive education is a model for supporting diverse learners within general education settings. Although inclusion ideals are widely endorsed, educators often resist full inclusion. Research comparing students with special education needs to typically developing peers indicates inclusive practices cause no harm and can benefit all learners. The work argues that inclusive general education programming can promote academic achievement and social development by grounding instruction in equity and shared learning experiences.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/inclusive-education-the-least-dangerous-assumption-article/594891/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/inclusive-education-the-least-dangerous-assumption-article/594891.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mary Man","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":22},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What does the least dangerous assumption mean in inclusive education?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"It means education systems must operate on the assumption that their practices, if incorrect, will cause the least harm to all students. For inclusion, educators assume it is least dangerous to educate students with disabilities in a general classroom alongside peers.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How is inclusive education defined in the article?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Inclusive education is described as supporting a diversity of student needs in a general educational setting. It aims to ensure students can belong and connect with peers while accessing the curriculum through shared educational experiences.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What evidence does the article cite about inclusive practices?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"The article reports research findings that inclusion shows no negative effects on academic or social achievement for students with and without disabilities. It also notes that many studies identify benefits for learners in inclusive programming.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},594891,1793144198,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":22,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":33,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":123},7421720224475,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Inclusive Education: The Least Dangerous Assumption  \nKaley Cochrane  \nAbstract  \nInclusive education is a model of supporting diverse learners and needs in a general education setting. While the philosophy and ideals of inclusion are supported by many governmental and educational stakeholders, the practice of full inclusion is often met with resistance by educators. Research on the academic achievement and adaptive growth for students with special education needs and their typically developing peers proves that inclusive practices offer no harm and, in many cases, offer benefits to all students. This article supports the assumption that inclusive, general education programming can support academic and social development of all learners.  \nInclusive education is the practice of supporting a diversity of student needs in a general educational setting. Inclusive models aim to provide each student with opportunities to belong and connect with peers, while accessing curriculum through shared educational experiences. The movement toward inclusion, supported by many international and governmental organizations, is based on a variety of principles including the principle of “the least dangerous assumption,” which posits that it is least dangerous for students with disabilities to be supported in a general classroom setting, rather than a special education environment (Boyle, Topping, & Jindal-Snape, 2013, p. 62) . Whether inclusion or special education programs are the least dangerous assumption depends on their academic and social influences on students. In comparison with special education programs, a general education placement is the least dangerous assumption.  \nEducational inclusion is defined as providing a welcoming and equitable educational environment that meets the needs of all learners, in the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of education (Inclusion BC, 2014; Katz, 2013; Salend & Duhaney, 1999) . Salend and Duhaney (1999) described inclusionary schools as those that “seek to establish communities of learners by educating all students together in age-appropriate, general education classrooms in their neighborhood schools”(p. 114) . Manitoba Education further defined inclusive practices as those that foster engagement, belonging and personal achievement for all students, by “engag[ing] in practices that allow students with a wide range of learning needs to be taught together effectively” and, in doing so, “enhance students’ abilities to deal with diversity”(Manitoba Education, 2016, “What Does Inclusion Mean”) . These inclusive practices are grounded in values of respect, equity, justice, and removal of “exclusionary assumptions and practices” for students with disabilities (Boyle et al. , 2013, p. 528) .  \nWhile classroom practices of inclusion often vary, common elements exist. Students with and without special education needs are educated in diverse classrooms with same-age peers. These students have shared educational experiences, with access to the mainstream curriculum, which is supported to meet students’ needs and abilities (Boyle et al. , 2013) . These elements of inclusion help to distinguish inclusive practices from other integrative approaches, such as visitation, part-time mainstreaming, physical integration, and reverse mainstreaming (Inclusion BC, 2014) . Through inclusive practices, all students are able to develop academically, while fostering growth of adaptive skills.  \nThe least dangerous assumption asserts that, without conclusive data on best practices in special education, educational systems must operate based on the assumption that their practices, if incorrect, will cause the least harm to all students (Doyle & Giangreco, 2013) . With this assumption, educators must assume that it is least dangerous for students to be educated in a general education setting, alongside their peers. Rather than assuming “student deficits,”due to their special education needs, it is less harmful to presume that st","cbCaicQfWRoHpAM4","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicQfWRoHpAM4","pdf",213449,"English","# Abstract\n# Core Definition of Inclusive Education\n## Models and Key Principles\n# The Least Dangerous Assumption\n## Rationale and Educational Implications\n# Evidence Base and Outcomes\n## Academic and Social Effects","[{\"question\":\"What does the least dangerous assumption mean in inclusive education?\",\"answer\":\"It means education systems must operate on the assumption that their practices, if incorrect, will cause the least harm to all students. For inclusion, educators assume it is least dangerous to educate students with disabilities in a general classroom alongside peers.\"},{\"question\":\"How is inclusive education defined in the article?\",\"answer\":\"Inclusive education is described as supporting a diversity of student needs in a general educational setting. It aims to ensure students can belong and connect with peers while accessing the curriculum through shared educational experiences.\"},{\"question\":\"What evidence does the article cite about inclusive practices?\",\"answer\":\"The article reports research findings that inclusion shows no negative effects on academic or social achievement for students with and without disabilities. It also notes that many studies identify benefits for learners in inclusive programming.\"}]","Inclusive Education - The Least Dangerous Assumption - Article | PDF",1792080039]