Mandy Leary

Extensive research conducted and supported by the NIH (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9620685/) indicates that what is needed is more support and education (professional development) for teachers and support staff, including paraprofessionals, whom directly provide 1:1 support to this this category (intellectually disabled) of students. Although this research article highlights Autistic individuals the same can be true for all students including "typical" students, especially since many students haven't even been identified with learning challenges or intellectual disabilities due to the identified lack of knowlege present in educatiors and administrators. Time and resources need to be allocated towards supporting the current system of inclusion that is recognized and supported globally. Time and resources need not be spent on studies with the focus of debunking and rearanging a system in a way that will impose further hardships on the children families who will be impacted if this change goes through.