This study evaluated 4 types of assessment with 74 fourth-grade students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in general education classrooms. Students with and without LD performed more strongly on the hands-on tasks than the paper-and-pencil measures; the facilitative effect of hands-on assessment was greater for students with LD and…

The Individualized Education Program of an 11-year-old boy with severe disabilities was written to emphasize development of social skills and friendships. Opportunities to develop friendships were created, classmates examined their feelings about the meaning of friendship, and parents' and teachers' reactions were assessed. (JDD)

Following a brief discussion of legal and academic statements on mandatory bilingual education and mainstreaming, three models of the Planned Alternation of Languages (PAL) approach are described as a way to prepare students for mainstreaming. PAL allows for both languages to have feasible functions and support learners through acquisition of…

Maintains that educational integration assumes that heterogeneous grouping will increase the extent to which the learning disabled are accepted by peers. Reports on a study of 128 adolescents in integrated and nonintegrated schools. Finds that the frequency of contacts, not the type of school attended, led to more positive expectations. (CFR)

Describes a full-time mainstreaming program that was recently implemented in a public elementary school. Discusses the changes in the role of the special education teachers participating in the program and how they perceived those changes. (HB)

This response to EC 605 995 (on trends in education of individuals with disabilities) contends that constructivist teaching helps students make meaning of their experiences, that active participation in general education activities is a legitimate educational outcome because of its inherent functionality, and that educational funds should be used…

Based upon recent research, this article provides an update of best practices for inclusive education in the areas of program options, curriculum design, classroom environment, social interaction, communication, family inclusion, and support services that will help preschool teachers more effectively serve both normal and developmentally disabled…

This article reports on the activities and interactions of a highly gifted 9-year-old boy working in a fifth grade classroom with students of mixed ability levels. School modifications to manage gaps between the boy's intellectual development and his social and emotional development took little account of his affective needs, and resulted in…

Examines the question of whether to make computers a part of the early childhood curriculum. Discusses the contribution of computers to children's development, focusing on the role of computers and related technology in benefiting children with disabilities and facilitating inclusion. Discusses ways of adapting technology to make it…

Twenty-four abused children, judged unable to participate in a public school setting due to developmental delays and abnormal behaviors, attended a therapeutic preschool for physically and sexually abused children from 1985-88. Most children made developmental gains at a faster-than-expected rate, and over 79 percent were staffed into the public…

The Mediated Learning Program (MLP) is a comprehensive preschool curriculum for children with and without disabilities, based on theories of mediated learning, with a mediator facilitating children's thought processes and problem-solving strategies. MLP includes 19 curriculum units broken into specific daily principles or objectives used to teach…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is described as an assessment system that can facilitate individualized instruction and accommodate student diversity. Topics addressed include: features of CBM, its use in special education, research that extends CBM to mainstream settings, and the combination of CBM and peer-mediated instruction. (SW)

Tools and approaches to promote the development of social skills among students who are deaf are presented. Social skills assessment inventories are described, and six commercially available curricula are identified. Examples of goals and objectives are provided, as well as suggestions to facilitate social integration of deaf and hearing students.…

This article presents a teacher collaboration model called curriculum-based collaboration (CBC), which utilizes the differing expertise and perspectives of general and special education teachers. CBC includes several steps: (1) identify key content; (2) hold a planning meeting; (3) deliver instruction; (4) conduct an interim assessment; (5)…

Describes a pocket reference that can help regular physical educators stay abreast of students with disabilities' individual education program goals and objectives. The reference is designed to quickly identify appropriate ways to incorporate those goals and objectives as well as alternative movements, instructional techniques, and equipment needs…