The author, a professor and former student at Harvard, was intrigued by how much the percentage of students with disabilities at that college has increased in recent decades. He began simply asking certain students, "How did you get here?" Drawing from in-depth interviews conducted with 16 Harvard attendees who had disabilities that…

"Self-Determination" concept is based on the simple assumption that human beings ought to be in a position to intrinsically influence their life outcomes. The concept as well avails people with the right to control positive life outcomes by managing the Decisions and Choices they make. Typically, the concept revolves around the approach…

In this article, the authors illustrate how the practice of number strings--used regularly in a classroom community--can simultaneously support computational fluency and building conceptual understanding. Specifically, the authors will demonstrate how a lesson about multi-digit addition (CCSSM 2NBT.B.5) can simultaneously serve as an invitation to…

The WHAT'S UP? strategy is a type of interactive writing between a student with social, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges and an adult. The written exchange serves as a technique for involving a student in "talking" about what can be better and engaging the student in a problem-solving process. The strategy encompasses…

This article aims at exploring various strategies for coping with the auditory processing disorder in the light of foreign language acquisition. The techniques relevant to dealing with the auditory processing disorder can be attributed to environmental and compensatory approaches. The environmental one involves actions directed at creating a…

Reports on school bullying of students who are different suggest that teachers need to be intentional about implementing strategies that promote inclusive attitudes and behaviors in diverse classrooms. Literature offers much to education in general, and it provides the pedagogic space to address issues of inclusion and exclusion, particularly of…

In this short piece Stephanie Klein, a final-year teacher trainee at a college in the USA, talks about dyslexia as seen through the context of her family experience. She provides a highly personal and uplifting account, which accentuates that there is a range of straightforward strategies which students can invoke to address their learning…

The essence of teaching is, in fact, creating new memories for your students. The teacher's role is to help students store the correct information (memories) in ways that make recall and future access and use likely. Therefore, choosing techniques to enhance memory is possibly the most critical aspect of instructional design. COMPOSE is an acronym…

This article describes an online database of evidence-based learning strategies for students. The database is a quick resource written in user-friendly language for teachers of all students but may be especially useful for teachers of students with disabilities.

Understanding disparities in school readiness among America's children when they begin kindergarten is critically important, now more than ever. In today's 21st century global economy, it is expected that the great majority of children will complete high school ready to enter college or begin a career, and assume their civic responsibilities. This…

By understanding the benefits of play as a learning activity, principals can support teachers in their effort to maximize learning in classrooms serving children receiving special education services.

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to raising levels of achievement in education. SSAT has a membership of over 5,500 schools and growing numbers of affiliated universities, colleges and local authorities. This paper presents SSAT's plan which sets out its…

Paraprofessionals are an important part of the instructional team for students with disabilities. The primary job duties for most paraprofessionals included making copies, monitoring students during lunch, and taking attendance. Today, their jobs look more like those of teachers: Paraprofessionals help with instructional tasks and sometimes teach…

When students are engaged in learning environments that allow for the practice of problem-solving skills, they are able to connect the classroom to the real world. Students with disabilities need to develop the skills of problem solving, and they need to know how to identify a problem, find the answer, and evaluate their choice. This article…

"Good" schools are typically defined as environments in which good students attend, good teachers teach, good parents participate, and good communities exist. This definition suggests that students maintain high test scores with the focus on going to college. In other words, good schools are typically exclusive in maintaining high…