What's your excuse? Allen and Cowdery (2012) state that 'Inclusion is not a set of strategies or a positioning problem. Inclusion is about belonging to a community – a group of friends, a school community or a neighbourhood” (p.5). The inclusion of children with disabilities in “normal” classes seems to be a widely debated topic; 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 great deal of work inside and outside the classroom. One of the most important barriers is that of communication; with lack of time, funding and negative attitudes of not only parents, but also the student body and teachers in the queue (Teaching Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Environments, 2009). Teaching Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (2009) states that it is important for educators to realize that all children face barriers to learning, not just students with disabilities. As we reflect on these issues, it is also important to consider the benefits that might accrue from including students with severe disabilities in integrated classrooms. Inclusion has had many success stories and while there is no perfect success rate; Inclusion brings more benefits and learning capabilities to all students than segregation. These benefits include opportunities for interaction, imitation, and observation with typically developing children; while promoting social-emotional, linguistic, and cognitive skills (Allen & Cowdery, 2012). Communication difficulties can arise from many situations and are multifactorial in nature (Buckley, 2002). Inclusion requires good communication skills due to the amount of com... 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). The costs of inclusion. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.Marotz, L. R. (2009). Health, safety and nutrition for the young child. Australia: Thompson Delmar Learning.Shaddock, A., Giorcelli, L., & Smith, S. (2007). Students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms: A resource for teachers. Commonwealth of Australia. Teaching children with disabilities in inclusive settings. (2009). Bangkok, Thailand: UNESCO Regional Education Office for Asia and the Pacific. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. (nd) Include students with multiple/severe disabilities in general education classrooms. Retrieved from http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_pdfs/TipSheets/tipsheet_ClassroomInclusion.pdf