The MAP Center State Education Agency Self-Assessment and Preplanning Tool was created as a joint venture between national and regional TA Centers, educational thought leaders, and an extensive convening of stakeholders from the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP) 13 state region. The purpose of the tool is to advance integration…

The science and practice of early childhood development now stands ready to address the needs and ensure the rights of infants and young children with disabilities and their families, among the most underserved and marginalized in all regions of the world. Synergies in global policies such as the "United Nations Convention on the Rights of…

Inclusion in school clubs affords students with severe disabilities learning opportunities as well as a natural context for addressing curricula. These learning opportunities expand the number of settings in which students can practice, master, and generalize skills associated with priority IEP objectives. Teaching skills within natural activities…

This publication focuses on special education inclusion. Inclusion is a term that expresses commitment to providing specially designed instruction and support for students with special needs in the context of a general education classroom. All students in the school are full members of the community, participating equitably in the opportunities…

The project conducted research and developed a demonstration model aimed at helping schools and families plan transitions for young children moving from special preschools to less specialized settings including regular preschools and kindergarten. The model's target population consisted of 40 handicapped children (ages 3-5) enrolled in three…

A project was designed to develop guidelines which would give direction to local school personnel in the implementation of supportive services for the special needs population participating in regular vocational education programs. Following a literature search, telephone interview instruments were developed and administered to school…

A test for the evaluation of the motor ability of the hearing impaired is described, and illustrations of selected sign language directions used in its administration are presented. Among the skills assessed are running speed and agility, balance, and coordination. (JN)

The final report documents a 2-year project which trained volunteers to help preschool disabled and non-disabled children work together as part of a transitioning and mainstreaming effort. The report describes project development, implementation, and dissemination. Specific objectives included the following: form an advisory council; orient staff,…

This paper presents a scale to evaluate the social interactions between students with severe disabilities and nondisabled students in integrated settings. The Educational Assessment of Social Interaction (EASI) was developed to be used with relatively little training but still be sensitive to the following major dimensions of interactions: (1)…

A special project was designed to develop and implement an inservice training strategy for community and school recreation on the inclusion of visually impaired children into existing community recreation programs. The project resulted in inservice workshops for 90 trainer/consultants, a book, and a self instructional study guide. Listed among…

The Minnesota Research and Development Center for Vocational Education (MRDC) has a major program of research focused on the education of special needs learners. The research study described in this report was a response to the lack of understanding and knowledge about special needs programs and evaluation activities related to these programs. The…

A description is given of three workshops developed to assist school administrators in implementing programs in adapted and developmental physical education for mainstreamed students. The first workshop included information regarding services for the handicapped and approaches to program change in adapted physical education. The curriculum of an…

The report focuses on the objectives of the Preschool Instruction for the Exceptional (PIE) program, an early intervention program designed to help handicapped children function more effectively and help parents understand their child's special needs. It is explained that the primary goal of PIE is to have each child enter the mainstream of…

The Social Observation for Mainstreamed Environments (SOME) checklist evaluates handicapped preschool children's social skills and readiness for mainstreamed environments. Checklist items represent social behaviors important to successful preschool integration, such as initiating interactions appropriately, obeying class rules, and respecting…

A descriptive study reports on attitudes of 24 special day class teachers toward mainstreaming of learning handicapped students and toward practices used to implement mainstreaming. Questionnaires were completed concerning factual, attitudinal, and process information for placement and monitoring in the least restrictive environment (LRE).…