Inclusion vs mainstreaming: what each means for your child
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
In inclusion, your child's home base is the regular class, and support comes into that room. In mainstreaming, your child's home base is a special class, and they join the regular class for some subjects when they can keep up. Ask one question: where does my child belong by default, and who moves, the child or the help?
Inclusion and mainstreaming both put children with disabilities in regular classes. The difference is the starting point. In inclusion, the regular class is home and help comes to the child. In mainstreaming, a special class is home and the child visits the regular class for some subjects.
Neither word appears in the federal special education law. The law uses the term least restrictive environment. It says children with disabilities should be taught with children without disabilities as much as appropriate, and moved to special classes only when the regular class cannot work, even with aids and services.[1] The least restrictive environment guide explains that rule in full.
The deciding question
Ask: "Where is my child's home base, and who moves during the day?"
- If your child's name is on the regular class roster and teachers, aides or therapists come into that room, it is inclusion.
- If your child's name is on a special class roster and your child goes out to a regular class for certain subjects, it is mainstreaming.
A second clue is how time in the regular class is decided. In mainstreaming, a child often has to show they can keep up with less help before getting more regular class time. In inclusion, the child starts in the regular class and the team adds support so they can stay.
Side-by-side table
| Inclusion | Mainstreaming | |
|---|---|---|
| Home base | Regular class | Special class |
| Who moves | Support comes to the child | Child goes to the regular class |
| How regular class time is decided | Child starts there; team adds supports | Child earns time when ready to keep up |
| Typical supports in the regular class | Co-teaching, aide, modified work, in-class therapy | Often fewer; child joins with little added help |
| Basis in law or practice | A practice that fits the LRE rule | An older practice term; not used in federal law |
| Who decides | The IEP team, including you | The IEP team, including you |
| Where it shows up on paperwork | Placement page: regular class, with services in class | Placement page: special class, with time in regular classes listed |
| Example | 3rd grader in her class all day with a co-teacher in reading | 3rd grader in a special class who joins 3rd grade for science and art |
How each one usually looks in the IEP
Neither word is likely to appear on your child's IEP. Look instead at two things. First, find where most service minutes are delivered. Second, find the percent of the day your child spends in the regular class. The percent of time in general education guide shows how schools count it.
A child in inclusion usually has a placement like "general education with special education support in class." A child who is mainstreamed usually has a placement like "special class, with participation in general education for science, art, music and lunch."
Three scenarios
Leo, 2nd grade, reading below grade level
Leo is in his 2nd grade class all day. A special education teacher comes in for 40 minutes during reading and works with him and 3 classmates. His speech therapist visits the class once a week.
Answer: inclusion. His home base is the regular class, and the help comes to him.
Sofia, 5th grade, intellectual disability
Sofia spends the morning in a special class for reading and math. After lunch, she goes to the 5th grade class for science and social studies with modified work and an aide.
Answer: closer to mainstreaming, with inclusive supports. Her home base is the special class. She joins the regular class for part of the day, but she gets real support there. Many schools mix the two like this.
Marcus, 8th grade, autism
Marcus is on a special class roster. He was told he can join 8th grade history once he stays in his seat for a full period in the special class 5 days in a row. No aide goes with him to history.
Answer: mainstreaming in its older form. He must earn regular class time, and there is no support planned for when he gets there. Ask the team what supports would let him try history now, since the law does not require a child to earn the right to be with peers.
Which one is better for your child
The law does not pick one word over the other. It asks the team to start with the regular class and to add aids and services before deciding the child needs a separate class.[1] In practice, that starting point is closer to inclusion.
For some children, a special class for part of the day is the right fit. The question is whether the team tried supports in the regular class first and has data showing what your child needs. The resource room vs self-contained vs inclusion guide compares the settings in more detail. If your child has significant support needs, inclusion for students with severe disabilities shows how teams make it work.
When your child may have some of both
Many children spend most of the day in the regular class and part of the day in a smaller setting. That is fine if the time apart is based on data and the IEP lists it in minutes. Lunch, recess and clubs count too. Your child should join peers in those as much as is right for them.[2]
Questions you can ask:
- "Is my child's home base the regular class or a special class?"
- "What supports will my child have in the regular class?"
- "Does my child need to earn more time in the regular class? If so, why?"
- "What would it take for my child to spend more of the day with classmates?"
For free help preparing for a meeting, contact your state's Parent Training and Information Center through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.[3] The inclusion entry in the glossary gives a short definition you can share with family members.
Frequently asked questions
Is mainstreaming still used?
The word is still common, but schools now plan around the least restrictive environment rule. Many schools say inclusion for any time a child spends in a regular class, so ask what the school means when it uses either word.
Is inclusion required by law?
The law does not use the word inclusion. It requires children to be taught with peers without disabilities as much as appropriate, and to be moved to a separate setting only when the regular class cannot work even with aids and services.
Can my child be included without an aide?
Yes. Many children are included with co-teaching, accommodations or in-class therapy and no aide. An aide is one support the team can add if the data shows your child needs one.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Inclusion in the IEP glossary
- Resource room in the IEP glossary
- Self contained classroom in the IEP glossary
- Goals for the general education setting
- Goals for the General education teacher role
Related guides
- Least restrictive environment, with examples
- Resource room vs self-contained classroom vs inclusion
- The continuum of special education placements
- Inclusion for students with severe disabilities: what works in practice
- Push-in vs pull-out services
- ESY vs summer school
- ESY eligibility: regression, recoupment and critical skills
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.114: LRE requirements, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.117: Nonacademic settings, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.