Breaking Barriers to Successful Inclusion: Addressing the Stigma Surrounding Students with Cognitive Impairments
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Authors
Kati Garrison
Issue Date
2025-12
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Language
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Abstract
Description
Abstract: Inclusive education focuses on providing all students, regardless of their ability, with the opportunity to learn, grow, and participate in the mainstream classroom curriculum. This capstone project will explore the key barriers to inclusion for students with cognitive impairments (CI). Students with CI continue to face the obstacles to successful inclusion, including societal stigma, inadequate teacher training, and misconceptions about their abilities in the general education classroom. One of the biggest barriers students with a CI face is the misconception from teachers, peers, and even parents that a CI student cannot learn at the same level as their grade-level peers. As a result, of these misconceptions, many CI students experience isolation, academic struggles, and limited opportunities for engagement in their educational environments. Through research, this capstone explores the importance of advocacy, teacher training, and peer engagement in achieving true inclusion and ensuring CI students thrive in mainstream classrooms.
Keywords: advocacy, classrooms, cognitive impairments, successful inclusion, stigma