Lexism (the Othering of dyslexics) currently lacks a clear definition. In this conceptual article, I argue that Lexism does not require any such definition; indeed definitions generally can be unhelpful. To understand Lexism I provide examples of how we might use the concept in a series of hypothetical cases. Exemplars avoid the need for…

Individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are currently underrepresented in employment, and supported internships have been promoted to increase the likelihood of young people with SEND gaining paid employment. The SEND Code of Practice and the Preparing for Adulthood agenda emphasise the need to improve future outcomes…

People with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face discriminatory behaviours based on their condition, a consequence of prevailing negative attitudes in society. The main goal of this study was to adapt and validate the Societal Attitudes Towards Autism scale (SATA) for the Portuguese population. Additionally, we intended to examine possible factors…

Even though inclusive education is one of the significant concerns of a wide-ranging civil rights agenda, many teachers and administrators have serious hesitations about promoting the extensive placement of learners with disabilities or special educational needs in mainstream schools. However, there is widespread rhetorical commitment to…

Children with special educational needs often feel lonely in classrooms, are less accepted by their classmates and have fewer friendships. Their classmates' positive attitudes towards them are important for their social participation in inclusive classrooms. According to the theory of social referencing, children's attitudes towards peers with…

Parents'/carers' experiences of their children's dyslexia were explored in a mainstream secondary school in England. Interviews were undertaken with the parents/carers of young people at Hilltop View School, a secondary school in south-west England. Bourdieusian concepts of field, habitus and practice were powerful in underpinning analysis using…

This article briefly discusses the long history of violence towards disabled people which sets the context for an analysis of the modern-day form of violence known as disability hate crime (DHC). People who look or behave differently to others often find themselves victims of violent crimes. The language used to describe disabled people…

In this article I mount an attack on the problematic conceptions of literacy that lie behind the Standards and Testing Agency's 2015 "Interim Teacher Assessment Frameworks at the End of Key Stage 2" and the "Key Stage 2 English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Tests." I employ an object of comparison (a philosophical method),…

The portrayal of characters in children's literature can be a very powerful influence on young children. Teachers have a responsibility to expose children to characters of all types, including those with disabilities. The goal of this study was to explore how third and fourth grade students responded to characters with disabilities in children's…

In the process of educational reforms for promoting equity and inclusion in education, pre-service teacher preparedness has been identified as a vital factor that has an impact on the success of inclusive education. Bangladesh, like other parts of the world, has taken various initiatives to promote inclusive education in the country context. This…

This study, carried out by Bernadette Cairns, principal officer for Additional Support Needs and Early Education in the Highland Council Additional Support Needs Team, and Kirstie McClatchey, a research assistant in the Highland Council Psychological Service, explores children's attitudes towards disability, making a comparison between a school…

The UK coalition Government's call to end the "bias" towards inclusion represents a shift in "policy speak" as the new administration attempts to re-narrate special education by putting forward a "reasonable and sensible" solution to the "problem of inclusion". However, implicit in the call is the assumption…

This article explores the possible contributions that children can make in educational settings that aim to move towards greater inclusion. In constructing her debate, Kyriaki Messiou, lecturer in education in the Centre for Educational Studies at the University of Hull, draws on understandings gained through an ethnographic study carried out in a…

An investigation of actions to promote positive attitudes to disabled pupils among their secondary peers revealed that classroom simulations of disability, lesson content, use of outside speakers, and off-site community service were employed. Problem areas are noted as well. (CL)

This survey of 53 students (ages 13-15) at a Leeds (England) secondary school found confusion between mental and physical handicap, confusion between mental handicap and mental illness, and confusion about causes of mental retardation. Most students felt that persons with mental handicap belonged in the community. (JDD)