ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the gap between what the general public knows and what the evidence shows. The myths and misconceptions surrounding both special and inclusive education are usually highly emotive, and they are based in charitable benevolence or protective anxiety, and/or are the product of institutional resistance to change. Large-scale academic studies over almost five decades have found that inclusive education produces superior social and developmental outcomes. Research also indicates that an inclusive education is associated with improved quality of life for students with disability. The research on the impact of inclusive education on academic outcomes for students with disability constitutes a substantial body of research that draws on huge numbers of students and schools, making the findings compelling. Studies on the impact of inclusive education for students who do not have a disability have found a range of social and personal benefits.
