A study interviewed 46 teachers who were teaching in inclusive settings regarding academic achievement, social relationships, and classroom behavior of students with mild disabilities. Teachers perceived students were benefiting from inclusive placements both academically and socially. In addition, fewer students with disabilities manifested…

Special education teachers (N=22) monitored the mathematics progress of 42 students (grades 2-8) with mild to moderate disabilities (mostly learning disabilities) for 20 weeks using curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Evaluation of instructional adjustments based on individual CBM results found that students whose instruction had been individually…

This article discusses cooperative learning as a strategy for increasing academic achievement for students with mild disabilities. Factors for successful cooperative learning groups include: heterogeneous grouping, tasks cooperative in nature, the existence of positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal opportunities for success,…

This article examines the need to consider social interactional processes in the development of interventions to address the adjustment of aggressive and disruptive youth with mild disabilities. Misconceptions surrounding peer rejections and problem behaviors are identified, and are considered in relation to research on the social relations of…

Qualitative methods were used to examine teacher perceptions regarding curriculum and instructional changes made as inclusive programs for students with mild disabilities were developed and implemented in six elementary schools. Teachers reported fundamental changes had occurred related to curricular requirements, instructional methods, methods of…

With suitable supports, including differentiated instruction, students ranging from gifted to those with significant disabilities can receive an appropriate education in general education classrooms. A multilevel lesson planning system is presented here that is manageable in a standards-based instructional context, along with a variety of helpful…

Educators from 41 high schools and middle schools in south-central West Virginia were surveyed regarding their use of curriculum modifications for inclusion of students with mild disabilities. Educators were asked to identify modifications that they use, do not use, or would consider using. Findings indicate that respondents were employing only 6…

This study examined the differential effects of two instructional strategies, an explicit schema-based strategy and a general cognitive strategy, on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of mathematical word problem solving by students with mild disabilities and at-risk students. Twenty-three second, third, fourth, and fifth graders…

This paper reviews the characteristics and needs of students with high functioning autism. First, it lists 18 common characteristics of autism, then it stresses that autism is defined by the general pattern of characteristics. Next, it discusses how people with high functioning autism differ from those with autism. These differences include higher…

Project RETAIN (Retention in Education Technical Assistance and Information Network) is a Florida project that assists school districts through identification and dissemination of effective practices that keep students with mild disabilities in school. One part of the project was the development of a database of school district efforts in the area…

This study is a background paper aiming to provide a review of current practice in the assessment of students in further education who have special educational needs, in particular those students with moderate learning difficulties. The study examines the content, method, and aims of assessment and its relationship to the course curriculum. It…

This guide describes the development and implementation of a functional/vocational program for self contained severely and mildly handicapped students in grades K-12. The model emphasized instruction in skills needed by students to live as adults in the least restrictive way. Elementary children receive instruction in self contained classrooms and…

The report summarizes the Preschool Demonstration Project for the Handicapped which served 3- to 5-year-old children with mild handicaps. The project was designed to reduce the influence of handicaps on regular school entrance through structured intervention; integration with nonhandicapped children; and training for teachers, parents, and…

Research indicates that severely physically handicapped infants and toddlers are limited in the amount of interaction they can have with their environment, and that this might limit the amount they can learn from it, causing secondary handicaps and thus creating an even more handicapped individual. It is suggested that this cycle can be broken by…

This study evaluated whether slight decrements in hearing sensitivity are associated with other communicative deficits. Data from the 38,497 students included in the National Speech and Hearing Survey (NSHS) were used to partition students into three categories of hearing sensitivity, and the prevalence of other communicative problems was computed…