Inclusive education for students with disabilities from the perspective of social exclusion

Social exclusion, in a societal context, refers to the inadequate social integration of individuals or groups. It is often a problem faced by disadvantaged individuals or groups. Among these disadvantaged groups, individuals with disabilities are at a high risk of exclusion. Social policies have started to emphasize social inclusion efforts to reduce the social exclusion of individuals with disabilities and promote their integration into society.This study focuses on inclusive education and examines it from the perspective of social exclusion. Research data were collected during the 2023-2024 academic year from the families of 15 students participating in inclusive education at the primary and secondary school levels in the Fatih district of Istanbul. Participants were asked to sign a detailed parental consent form, and the phenomenological approach, a qualitative research design, was employed. The research data were analyzed using content analysis.The findings revealed that significant problems need to be addressed during the implementation phase of inclusive education and that progress is not being made solely through regulations. It was observed that inclusive students are subjected to bullying and exclusion by their typically developing peers, many families find the special education services provided to inclusive students inadequate, and the high costs of these services place a financial strain on families with limited economic resources. xclusion Keywords: Inclusive students, inclusive education, social exclusion