This article examines the pattern of placement of students with significant special educational needs at Statement and School Action Plus levels in English secondary schools, comparing sponsored and converter academies, maintained schools and the newly created free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges for 2013 and 2014. The…

This article, by Jon Olav Myklebust from Volda University, Norway, presents analyses of social security dependence among students with special educational needs in Norway who at the start of upper secondary school had various disabilities--of a somatic, psychological and/or social nature. They were all educated in ordinary schools, in special or…

This article, written by Meng Deng of Beijing Normal University and Kim Fong Poon-McBrayer of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, reviews and analyses the reform of special education in China, the challenges confronting Chinese special education provisions, and how the Chinese inclusive education model, namely "Learning in Regular…

In this paper, Katherine Runswick-Cole, a researcher at the Research Institute for Health and Social Change at Manchester Metropolitan University, engages with parents' attitudes to the placement of their children with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. She sets her review of parents' views within the current policy and…

In this article, Brahm Norwich, Professor of Education at the University of Exeter, examines the roles that special schools can play within inclusive educational systems. He notes that the percentage of young people in special schools in England has remained broadly stable over a number of years, despite inclusive policy initiatives. Brahm Norwich…

This article, by Jackie Lambe, lecturer in education, and Robert Bones, lecturer in psychology, both from the University of Ulster, provides a useful review of the current state of policy, practice and teacher education relating to pupils with special educational needs in Northern Ireland. The authors use this review to launch their account of…

A Scottish study of 615 pupils in 49 alternative day and residential schools found that over a two-year period, only 21 were successfully returned to the mainstream. Reasons for this finding include resistance of mainstream schools to reintegration; lack of financial support; family attitudes; sex differences in student placement; and the presence…

Information collected in Sheffield (England) showed that all preschool-age Down's syndrome children were integrated in mainstream educational settings, while 70 percent of the secondary students (ages 13-16) were placed in special schools. Reasons for the trend are explored, including the structure, organization, and curriculum of primary as…

This paper reports on the "de-segregation" of students with disabilities, focusing on processes occurring before pupils actually enter the mainstream. De-segregation involves identifying target children, discussing the situation among staff members, evaluation by educational psychologist, discussing with parents and the child, selecting a…

This article summarizes findings of research into decision-making processes leading to residential special school placements in England. Results suggest the needs of individual children are not central to these decision-making processes and that local authorities who make such placements do not pay sufficient attention to protecting and promoting…

British teacher ratings of self-esteem were measured for three groups of children: 23 children with dyslexia attending mainstream schools, 34 children with dyslexia attending units for pupils with specific learning difficulties (SpLd), and 26 typical children. Findings indicate the children attending the SpLd units generally had the lowest…

A survey of 104 pupils (ages 5-19) with Down's syndrome in northern England revealed a dramatic increase in mainstreaming following implementation of the Education Act (1981) and subsequent integration strategies. Eighty-one percent of Down's syndrome students were placed in their local primary school at five years, with a gradual decline in the…

Data on the placement of over 3,389 English and Welsh children with Down syndrome (born between 1980 and 1992) were collected over the 12-year period studied. Analysis showed an increase in the proportion of children attending mainstream schools and a disproportionate number of boys in special schools. (Author/CR)

A study of 85 English children (ages 8-13) whose behavior had prompted placement in a school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders found an overall rate of psychiatric disturbance in the group was 86 percent, and, in particular, the rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was 70 percent. (Author/CR)

A self-contained class for elementary-age students in England with emotional and behavioral problems is described, including admission and assessment, length of placement, social and educational contact with regular students, and parent-school interactions. Results of a follow-up study of the first 40 children admitted to the program are also…