When education initiatives set out to help those who have been "historically disadvantaged or historically marginalized," they perfectly describe students with disabilities. Yet too often, these students have been excluded from conversations about equity in education. Congress opened public school doors for millions of children with…

Recognition of the need for students with disabilities to receive free and appropriate education was brought to the forefront with the passage of Public Law 93 - 112, Rehabilitation Act in 1973. In 1975 Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted requiring all schools to develop and provide a free, appropriate…

This case study uses an institutional ethnography approach to investigate the experiences of the parents of a son who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they engaged in meetings related to his progress and placement with school personnel over the course of one school year. Through an analysis of the discourse used in these meetings and…

This article explores trends in research since the 1975 passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), notes gaps in the literature, and offers suggestions for future directions music education researchers could take in exploring the needs and experiences of music teachers…

During the 1970s, an estimated 3 million children with disabilities received inappropriate or inadequate educational services, and an additional almost 1 million children were excluded from the educational system (U. S. Department of Education as cited by Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2004). Most of the programs that existed were limited…

The history of special education in the United States and Thailand has followed a similar path in many ways. Both countries made compulsory education mandatory to move in a positive direction in providing special education services to children with disabilities including the provision of services for children with ASD or Autism. In Thailand,…

June 22, 2007, was the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley (hereafter Rowley; 1982). In Rowley, the Supreme Court interpreted congressional intent in requiring that public schools provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with…

Prior to the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 (PL 94-142), the educational experience of disabled children and youth was varied and uncertain. Many children and youth with sensory, physical or cognitive impairments received minimal skill development training in institutions, separate day classes, church basements…

This brief overview discusses the rationale for measuring teachers' attitudes toward the mainstreaming of handicapped students into regular classrooms, as well as research findings on teacher attitudes. Two attitude tests, Berryman and Berryman's Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale and Hall's Stages of Concern Questionnaire, are also briefly…

As a result of the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, school systems are required to provide a free and appropriate education for all children with disabilities. This legislation was further supported by The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), which guarantees all students with…

The purpose of this study was to increase the comfort level of teachers toward inclusion of students with learning, behavioral, and physical disabilities in general-education classrooms for one high school. Participants included 3 focus groups of teachers with 2 groups consisting of 6 teachers and 1 group consisting of 7 teachers. One…

Federal legislation has influenced the practice of physical education for students with disabilities for over 30 years. The purpose of this article is to create greater awareness and understanding relative to the laws concerning the assessment of fitness and motor skills of students with disabilities. The article reviews the intentions and…

This study compared the portrayal of children with disabilities in 15 children's books published prior to and 30 children's books published after 1978 (roughly after implementation of Public Law 94-142, which encouraged mainstreaming of such children). Four teachers rated each book according to a set of 10 statements concerning portrayal of…

The purpose of this study was to gain a student's perspective on the differences between alternative and traditional educational settings. Specific objectives were to (1) identify obstacles students perceived in transitioning from alternative settings to traditional school settings and (2) hear the authentic voices of students to determine what…