Although inclusive education seeks to integrate students with disabilities with others, it does not mean placing students with disabilities into regular programs without preparation or support. Support should be given to both special and general education teachers so that they can handle an inclusive class. This may come in the form of ongoing training and collaboration between administration, teachers, and parents. Developing instructional strategies that reach out to both the disabled and regular students is important for the sake of inclusion. These teaching strategies should aim at meeting individual needs and learning styles of all students in a classroom.
Inclusion is best promoted when schoolwide activities are designed for both regular and special students. These may include sports, eating at the dinning hall, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. Special-needs students must be encouraged to participate in these activities together with their fellow students. Active participation is effective in eliminating unnecessary assistance and learned helplessness. Students' needs should be based on their individual skills and interests, and no activity should be imposed on them without considering their interests first.
Inclusive education is guided by the principle of universal educational values for all. In a school setting, this means that curricula for regular students should not be different from those for students with disabilities. This will ensure that all students learn the same values and acquire knowledge on an equal basis. Students with disabilities require the same skills and knowledge as regular students in order to make a transition from the classroom to the real world. However, the regular or universal curriculum can be modified accordingly to meet the IEP (Individualized Educational Program) goals of the special-needs students. Importantly, all students ought to take part in assessments and evaluations. To accommodate learning styles and needs of students, assignments and evaluations can be modified as well.
Inclusion requires that regular and disabled students are naturally represented in a classroom setting. This ensures that there are not too many special students in a certain class compared to other classes. Placement of special-needs children in a class takes into consideration the age and the grade of the student. It is not considered to be inclusive when students are put in grades that they don't belong in or when age-sensitive considerations are not taken into account.