Over the past few decades, an increasing number of schools across the U.S. have adopted inclusive education models in which students with disabilities (SWD) attend classes with their nondisabled peers. This Information Capsule summarizes the research on the academic and social outcomes of inclusion on students with and without disabilities. Most…

An important area of emphasis on educational research over the past several years has been the impact of classroom placement on students with disabilities. Although recent research has indicated that students in substantially separate classrooms often perceive their teachers and classmates as significantly more emotionally supportive than students…

Typically, child characteristics such as IQ and severity of autism symptoms are thought to determine educational placement. The present study examines external factors, including state of residence and state funding formulas, to determine their potential influence on placement outcomes. Findings reveal that considerable variations exist among…

A significant proportion of Canada's school-age population requires special educational provisions. Statistics Canada reports that 4.6% of 5- to 14-year-olds had some kind of disability in 2006. As well, recent data from the British Columbia and Ontario ministries of education indicate that students with designated special educational needs…

As any parent of a child with autism knows, your life changes and you take on new roles after your child receives a diagnosis of autism. Ready or not, you are now expected to be an expert on interventions, support professionals, and special education. Suddenly, your concerns and worries are different from the parents around you. While they may be…

This study was conducted with school personnel in Yun-Lin County, a rural school district of Taiwan, to identify and compare the attitudes of school administrators, regular education teachers, and special education teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in the regular classroom and to identify the extent to which inclusion is…

A model for teaching physical education classes to handicapped children emphasizes individualized instruction in self-contained classrooms. In the two-stage developmental paradigm, one stage focuses on program organization with each class having its own physical education instruction. The second stage allows for the varying physical and…

The paper examines state policies relevant to current alternative educational environments in each state's continuum of services for handicapped children. The analysis resulted from a review of information about program models in state special education regulations and state annual program plans. State descriptions of available program models fit…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 has placed a renewed emphasis on the importance of the regular classroom, the regular classroom teacher and the general curriculum as the primary focus of special education. This book contains over 100 topics that deal with real issues and concerns regarding the regular classroom and…