Conflicted

This is my first year teaching in a program for students in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade who have multiple and/or severe disabilities. While I could write a novel already on the rapid learning I have had to experience (because no one ever thinks to provide you with necessary information until after you manage to screw up - not with the kids, with curriculum guidelines, classroom organization, unwritten rules, etc.), I am currently very conflicted about one hot button issue. Inclusion is the hot topic in our district. You would think it was a new invention the way it is being talked about and handled instead of a practice that has been demonstrated beneficial and successful at all grade levels and at all ability levels (based upon what criteria you are assessing). We are not actually anywhere near full inclusion, and I don't think anyone mentions that, but we have inclusion committees at every school and we dance prettily around the issue to keep everyone happy (or at leas amused). My class is in a general education elementary school but my students are primarily self-contained, if not entirely self-contained (the most inclusion any student receives is up to 2 hours per day). I can argue both sides of this issue convincingly after hearing all of the debates since I was in high school and am not conflicted over that. What I am conflicted over is a long-standing "tradition" at my school. Apparently it is traditional to have each and every class at each and every grade level come into my classroom to "meet" my kids, to be "introduced" to them, and to "ask any questions they may have" - all in the name of promoting acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion. While I agree that information is power and I support a climate that welcomes diversity and is accepting and appreciative of all students I do not feel like this is right. Having four or five classes at 6 grade levels come into the classroom (over 600 students) to sit in rows and stare at my kids just feels wrong. My kids deserve the same dignity, respect, and integrity that is offered to all of the other students. They are not tools t be used in an object lesson. They are incredible individuals with unique thoughts, unique spirits, with unique desires, with unique likes and dislikes - but they do not have the ability to speak for themselves and say whether or not they want to be used in a lesson on disability, inclusion, tolerance, acceptance, and being different but still the same. So I feel that it is my job to speak for them, and my voice in my heart is screaming "NO!", it is screaming that this is degrading, that it is dehumanizing, that it is only further separating my children from everyone else in an "us and them" mentality, that instead of creating inclusion it will create a "school mascot" situation where they will be patted on the head and talked to as if they are cute little pets. Yet this has supposedly been done for years with tremendous success. Am I overreacting and reading too much into this? Or am I the first person in a while to consider that perhaps my children deserve a little more dignity and respect? Please share your opinion!!