The legal treatment of disability affairs carries in itself an inherent contradiction due to the nature of modern society and free-market economy. On the one hand both the historically developed notions of essentialism and on the other the particular-functional definition of manhood drawing its roots from the established democratic order and…

Inclusion in Canadian schools, both academic and social, is explored through the historic legislative structures that have resulted in a diversity of approaches to meeting the educational needs of Canadians. Innovative programmes that have been developed which showcase Canadian commitment to inclusive academic and social practices are described.…

Emerging policy in South Africa has had a marked impact on delivery of service by speech-language pathologists, particularly in the field of aphasia. This article describes major policy influences in the areas of language use, health, education, disability, and the elderly, which have had an impact on service delivery. Aphasia assessment and…

States are increasingly using value-added approaches to evaluate teacher effectiveness. There is much debate regarding whether these methods should be employed and, if employed, what role such methods should play in comprehensive teacher evaluation systems. In this article, we consider the use of value-added modeling (VAM) to evaluate special…

What do we know about young children with delays and disabilities, and how can we help them succeed in prekindergarten through third grade? To begin with, Kathleen Hebbeler and Donna Spiker write, identifying children with delays and disabilities to receive specialized services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act poses several…

This article examines current policies and early intervention services for children with disabilities and their families in Canada within the principles of the Developmental Systems Approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2005, 2011). The article considers the sociopolitical context of Canada, especially with respect to diversity and equity. Applying the…

The University education is a very important step in the process of growth of each person. During this period we acquire a specific professional preparation and also have many opportunities to develop skills that are essential for adult life. In recent years the access opportunities for disabled persons to academic education in Italy have greatly…

While conversations around the inclusion of individuals with disabilities often focus on the educational rights and needs of children with disabilities during their school years, there is a growing recognition that the period of transition from secondary school to adult roles is a critical time in the lives of individuals with disabilities. For…

This article takes up the question of equity, access, and cyber charter schools from the perspective of disability studies in education (DSE). DSE positions inclusion and educational access as social justice concerns. In doing so, we assert the importance of making visible the social justice implications of the current laws that impact cyber…

This article aims to analyze early intervention programs in Israel according to the Developmental Systems Model (Guralnick, 2001), in an attempt to identify strengths and areas for further development for service delivery for young children with disabilities in Israel. Early intervention in Israel is part of a comprehensive healthcare model…

Without question, servicing the needs of incarcerated youth can be challenging. Not only is the average juvenile a complex individual with multiple needs but the facility itself is a composite of trained professionals that must work together to produce a juvenile able to successfully reenter society. Policies enacted to achieve this goal cannot be…

The current study examined parents' perspectives of services within a community-based childhood disability program in the process of enhancing the family centeredness of its services. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 mothers and 22 fathers approximately 18 months after entering the service delivery system. Parents reported that…

Over 6.5 million youth and their families are eligible for early intervention or special education services (Data Accountability Center, 2011) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). The principal mechanism by which goals, objectives, services, and placements are determined for Part B of the IDEA are Individualized…

The provision of consistent high quality home- and community-based services to children with disabilities living in rural and frontier areas is a challenge. Distance, weather, geographic terrain (mountains, canyons), and shortages of pediatric early interventionists are among the challenges to ensuring appropriate and equitable services.…

Background: Care and service trajectories for people with intellectual disabilities are routes within the health care delivery system that consist of all the steps that people with intellectual disability and their families have to take in order to realize needed care and services. In contrast to the growing body of system-orientated knowledge…