Although Nordic countries are committed to developing inclusive education, a gap often exists between policy, ideals, and the realisation of inclusion in practice. In Finnish schools, part-time special education is an important tool for promoting inclusive education in the three-tier system. In this study, our research questions were: (1) What…

As important decisions are being made with regard to educational legislation, policy and provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), it is critical that the views of these key stakeholders are heard and considered. This article reports the perspectives of 38 children and young people with special educational needs on their…

Over the past decades significant changes have occurred throughout all aspects of the field of Special Education in Spain. One of these changes is related to appropriate and effective instruction for students with disabilities and diverse educational needs in inclusive classroom placements. All of these change efforts have created the need to…

The main objective of specially adapted teaching in upper secondary education in Norway is to help students attain vocational or academic competence. However, a contested issue is whether it is conducive to place students with special educational needs in regular or special classes. Another question is whether boys and girls benefit to the same…

A survey conducted with 385 families of gifted children concerning their perceptions of their children's experiences in school indicated that most parents do not perceive their school's present curricula as meeting their child's intellectual needs. Further, there is substantial belief among these parents that special full-time classes for high…

Followup and tie in between regular classrooms and gifted programs are essential for quality programing. "Ownership" of the program by the entire school community, including counselors, librarians, and administrators, is also important. (CL)

The author cites advantages of separate classes for gifted students, suggesting that they should be protected from teachers who do not understand them and school environments with which they are bored. (CL)

Argues that if mainstreaming is to be effective, specialists ans classroom teachers must combine efforts and work cooperatively to provide the most appropriate education for all children. (BF/JH)

The characteristics and functions of effective special education and integrated programs are evaluated in the light of current educational trends toward integration. (GW)

The educational needs of 73 children who exhibited characteristics associated with autism were studied. Ss were children clinically diagnosed as autistic and having severe communication and behavior disorders. Trained observers completed behavioral observations, teacher interviews, student record reviews, and behavior and language questionnaires.…

Data from the 1985-86 Annual Survey of Hearing Impaired Children and Youth indicated that fewer students are enrolled in special schools. This article discusses possible consequences of movement of deaf students into the local schools and questions whether local schools can provide the educational resources and special services needed by these…

The paper traces the apparently conflicting trends toward elimination of special classes for handicapped students (mainstreaming) and the movement toward special programs for gifted and talented students. Issues related to identification and labeling are examined, and the importance of flexible definitions for both retardation and giftedness is…

Senior citizens can perform as well as their younger counterparts when in a classroom. (MF)

This book provides an internationally comparable set of indicators on educational provision for students with disabilities, learning difficulties and disadvantages (DDD). It highlights the number of students involved, where they are educated--special schools, special classes or regular classes--and in what phases of education--pre-primary,…

There has been serious confusion between the terms "infantile autism" and "emotional disorders" in Japan, especially as pertains to special education classes. Special classes for emotionally disturbed children began in Japan in 1969 with a rapid increase to over 2000 classes by the 1980's. However, most of the children…