Recent court decisions indicate a movement towards supporting more integrated educational settings for students with disabilities. Recent legal decisions are discussed with regard to least restrictive environment, benefits of self-contained or regular education placement, supplemental aids and services, curriculum modifications, continuum of…

This article describes the development of collaborative partnership throughout the first year of a primary grade team including a classroom teacher, a graduate student providing special education services, and a university coordinator. It describes how collaboration allowed team members to meet the individual needs of children with learning…

Presents a way to help English as a Second Language (ESL) students make the transition to mainstream English classes that mitigates many of the problems these students encounter. Suggests that high school English teachers need professional development to relate their instructional and assessment practices to what is known about second-language…

General physical educators can take advantage of the skills and knowledge of adapted physical education consultants in order to provide instruction for students with disabilities in mainstream classes. This article describes student assessment, development of the Individual Education Plan, program recommendations, transition planning, and…

Examines recent developments in Malta's inclusive education policy, discourse, and practice, noting the influence of United Nations policies, local political developments, parent associations, a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and a nongovernmental organization for persons with developmental disabilities. Discusses the…

Analysis of placement and exit data on students with mental retardation (MR) found in annual reports on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act indicated an upward trend in educating students with mental retardation in general education classrooms, a decline in graduation rates with a diploma or certificate, and a greater…

This article chronicles a teacher's journey from resource teacher for students with learning disabilities (LD) to novice inclusion teacher and then expert inclusion specialist over a 7-year period. It concludes that the teacher's interpersonal and communication skills are most important, although skill at anticipating student difficulties and…

Discusses the release of a British government Green Paper supporting the principle that children with special needs should, wherever possible, be educated in mainstream schools. Notes concern that the Green Paper will actually threaten children's legal rights to the provision required to meet their needs. (CR)

Examined attitudes of 76 Singaporean preschool teachers and supervisors regarding integrating young children with disabilities into mainstream preschool centers. Findings indicated that the majority of teachers were willing to consider integrating but voiced concerns about their abilities to cope on a daily basis without relevant information about…

Surveyed elementary principals regarding their perceptions of inclusive education. Principals spent very little time planning for implementing inclusion. They reported that their teachers, staff, and parents had substantially different opinions about inclusion. They were disappointed in assistance received from resource personnel who should have…

Background: The study is set in the context of international moves towards more inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream schools and the greater importance attached to the child's voice in decision making in education. Aims: To examine how children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) in mainstream and special schools see…

Adam Coolidge lives with his parents in the Riverdale Local School District, which is in rural northwestern Ohio. In spring 1996, prior to enrolling Adam in kindergarten, his parents met with district representatives to discuss moving him from an early intervention program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). His…

The incidence of children identified as having autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is increasing (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2003). Many of these children are enrolled in general education settings, posing an ever-growing challenge for the teachers in those settings. There is a critical need to develop…

This study investigated the nature of kindergarten children's understanding about and attitudes toward disabilities. Interviews with 77 Canadian children enrolled in inclusive classrooms showed that kindergarten children (a) conceptualize disabilities chiefly according to physical appearances and (b) possess a fairly accurate understanding of some…

Poor social functioning and limited play are characteristic of children with autism. Increasingly, education for children with autism is provided within mainstream settings, but given their particular difficulties, the adequate provision of educational services in such settings is challenging. This study presents observational data of the play…