Inclusion is when everyone can be who they are and together you form a community. But that is not how inclusion seems to work in today’s world. It seems more to be about ‘participation’ which is like ‘adapt to our way of life so you can join us’. I am 54, and only since the past 7 years have I sought professional help (beyond psychologists, which I have had since I was 15). And in those 7 years I have noticed a disturbing pattern of something I can only describe as victim-blaming. It’s like they say “we have methods and systems, if they don’t work; well, that’s because of you.” The system seems built around avoidance of responsibility; pushing consequences down instead of up. They keep moving the goalposts and gaslight when you confront them. I don;t know how to deal with it anymore.
Seen this in schools. Everyone is included. Lots of neurodivergent kids in class. Or not. Because many kids (and staff) are overstimulated by being in a modern classroom, the schools end up with pockets of kids dotted around in “safe spaces”, and “quiet areas” or running round not “engaged in their learning”.
None of this was ever planned. It’s a case of “we’re a lovely school, we love and care for everyone so we’ll stick you all in together and then none of us will cope when it all goes wrong.”
Then, if there are meltdowns or other… “challenging” behaviours, the blame for this is shifted to the child and/or parents, paperwork had to be produced to enabled institutional changes etc etc.
Modern education is not working all that well from this perspective (IMHO).