The search for "quality" has been the driving force behind general and special education programs; and rightly so! This search has led to incessant demands for scientifically proven and evidence-based methods, both in research and practice. However, this search has frequently ignored "fluffy" words and actions that make up the…

Changes are occurring at a startling fillip in our society and our world. One of the changes is the need to revamp how persons with disabilities are treated and educated. In the United States of America, laws have been promulgated to reduce the plight of learners with disabilities. As a result, myriad intervention strategies have been instituted…

Our world is changing and also getting smaller. We now know what is happening outside our narrow confines -- this means that we must all be involved in solving educational, societal, community, and global problems in inclusive fashions. For example, in education, we must be collaborative, consultative, and cooperative in solving school problems…

Children with disabilities are made to be invisible, excluded from school, hidden by their families, and abandoned by their governments, especially in developing countries. These children are less likely to start school; and if they do, they are unlikely to transition to secondary school. Access to quality programs or schools for children with…

Transition planning is an important part of special education. It is a process that helps to individualize instructions and assists students in maximizing their fullest potential. Transition planning for students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) should mirror the regular transition process. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) describe causes,…

Young children under the age of five are particularly overrepresented in traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to accidents and falls. To remediate the problems, confronting young children with TBI, is critical that they are introduced to opportunities to be placed in general education classrooms at the earliest possible point. The purposes of this…

Individuals with special needs encounter multidimensional experiences in identification, assessment, labeling/categorization, placement, and instruction/intervention. These experiences call for multidimensional strategies that require different educational practitioners and professionals. These individuals must bring with them different ideas on…

Evidence-based programs and interventions targeting special education programs fall within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) which consists of increased instructional time, interventions, and improved educational outcomes for students in general and special education. The NASP Position Statement, "Appropriate Behavioral, Social, and…

For decades, James M. Kauffman has been a reputable scholar in the field of special education. While his contributions to the field cannot be doubted, his ideas about special education have been somewhat controversial and even devastating to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners with and without disabilities.…

This article discusses culturally responsive frameworks, principles, pedagogy, and curriculum for general and special educators who work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students with learning disabilities (LD). Culturally responsive teaching has critical features that could benefit CLD students with LD. For example, culturally…

Special education and related services began in Nigeria, the most populous nation of Black people in the world, only a couple of decades ago courtesy of the efforts of missionaries from Europe and America. Although the government took over the responsibility of providing special education and related services to individuals in the late 1970s,…

The goal of any educational program is to help its students to maximize their fullest potential in inclusive environments. For many students with disabilities, having an inclusive environment seems to be an ideal policy. Ironically, this policy continues to be debatable and controversial. Sometimes, the controversy or debate dominates the real…

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students often are not overtly aware of their cultures until they find themselves in a different one. The cultural capital students may have accumulated, at times, does not necessarily contextually match the culture of the classroom or school, possibly resulting in diminished returns academically and…

Nigeria has made some efforts to educate all of its citizenry, including those with disabilities. And, it has struggled to make sure that programs are available to those who need them. However, its traditional, sociocultural, and educational problems have prevented some programmatic consistency and progress. As a result, the special education…

Teacher education programs (TEPs) are consistently challenged to respond to individual and collective growth. In addition, current demographic changes have forced these programs to address issues of quality and equity in measurable ways. As an African immigrant to the United States, I have been fortunate to be involved in these programs,…