Supporting the inclusive education of students with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties

Abstract

One of the challenges to the success and effectiveness of inclusive education is the education of pupils with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties (SEBD). Teachers frequently express concern about students’ behaviour and their major reservations about inclusion are usually related to challenging behaviour. This is the only group of students for whom punitive, exclusionary practices are permitted by law, practices clearly in conflict with the principles of inclusive education. The Author of this Chapter argues that as in the case of other individual educational needs, schools need to make the necessary changes to enhance the goodness of fit between the students’ individual needs and their learning environment. Listening to what the students themselves have to say about their school experiences is one way of moving the inclusion project forward for these students.