Teachers are uniquely positioned to mitigate ableism and address disability in the classroom; however, many hesitate to do so. This silence perpetuates bias and may teach children that difference is negative. Situated within the field of Disability Studies in Education, this investigation of PK-12 teachers (n = 256) aims to broadly characterise…

Parenting a child with a disability can be stressful, and research has shown that burdens related to that care may overload parents and have negative effects on their quality of life. Thus, it is important to support families beginning early in their parenting experience and provide them with a strong foundation of tools and information. This…

Population-based research can identify eligibility patterns across e disabilities and cultures, and the Head Start ECLKC gathers relatively controlled data of students in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, providing an opportunity to directly compare cultures. We compared preschool diagnostic eligibility categories in the U.S. and Puerto…

Children with disabilities are considered to be the group most excluded from basic education. While disability remains the strongest barrier to accessing education, studies have shown that appropriate policies can help to reduce barriers to education. This paper examines the determinants of school status for children with disabilities in four…

This document provides a combination of analysis and links to the key data sources on children and young people with special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND). This is a collated product from data published throughout the year. As such, trends across sections might not be directly comparable.

The annual National Deaf-Blind Child Count is the world's first and longest running count of children who are deaf-blind. Begun in 1986 on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, it represents a collaborative effort between the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) and state deaf-blind projects throughout the country, including those in the…

The attitudes towards inclusion and the terms used related to special needs by pre-service teachers in three Finnish universities were studied. Inclusion is the main educational policy in Finland, and special solutions are avoided when possible. With a questionnaire and a brief survey, data from 488 pre-service teachers (PSTs) were collected and…

This study analyzed how disabilities were portrayed in picturebooks with the Américas Book Award to address the intersectionality of LatinX racial identity and disabilities. The pool of 41 picturebooks recognized by the Américas Book from 1993 to 2020 was used as the data for our systematic content analysis. Then 22 picturebooks developmentally…

Teachers and parents often find special education law complex and confusing. As one step for a basic foundation in special education law, a previous "TEACHING Exceptional Children" article (Zirkel, 2005) provided a snapshot of the "top five case concepts" based on 10 decisions from the Supreme Court. Each of these decisions…

Engaging, focusing, and persisting in the completion of tasks are among the skills needed for school success. Tracking whether a child is learning cognitive problem-solving skills is essential in knowing if they are acquiring skills important for development and school readiness; and if not, how they are responding to early intervention. Use of…

This study reports data on early childhood teachers' perspectives of early childhood inclusive education in New Zealand. A qualitative method was employed for this research. The process included an internet survey questionnaire which was sent out to early childhood teachers across New Zealand. The results indicated that though early childhood…

Early care and education (ECE) experiences shape children's developmental trajectories, particularly for children who have or may have disabilities. However, caregivers of children with disabilities have faced considerable challenges finding care for their children, which have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from nearly…

Families raising young children diagnosed with multiple disabilities encounter experiences that are often unique and extend well beyond the early childhood years due to the intensity and severity of their child's needs. The contexts of these families must be understood to provide meaningful services and supports, particularly during the child's…

This report is the 34th edition of the annual National Deaf-Blind Child Count, the first and longest running count of children who are deaf-blind in the world. Begun in 1986 on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, it represents a collaborative effort between the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB), its predecessors, and state…

In educational contexts, including early childhood settings, ableism and racism circulate interdependently to define normalcy and deviance. Book reading offers an important platform for dismantling these interlocking ideologies with young children. In this article, we examine dis/ability and race talk in the context of picture-book reading,…