Learning as part of a group on the mat is a common experience in children's early education and socialisation. Indeed, many classrooms would have a mat, to which the children are called in addition to chairs and tables (Poveda, 2001). Nonetheless, very little research exists about activity using the mat in junior classrooms either locally or…

Inclusive classrooms are now the norm in many K-12 public schools across the United States. General education teachers have a difficult job making sure all their students are meeting state standards. With the addition of special education students in the classroom, their job becomes even more difficult due to meeting the needs of the general…

Educating students with special needs in inclusive settings has become a priority for westernized governments as they strive to create more inclusive societies. While recognizing the societal benefits of inclusion, teachers and parents question whether or not implementation of full inclusion will come at the expense of learners' individual…

This study used a multiple baseline design across subjects to investigate the effects of a self-monitoring package on the math and spelling homework completion and accuracy rates of four fourth-grade students (two boys and two girls) with disabilities in an inclusive general education classroom. Throughout baseline and intervention, participants…

Equipping youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to flourish during and after high school is central to the purpose and practice of special education. However, many students with ASD are leaving high school without the preparation and connections needed to engage meaningfully in their communities. This article reviews research-based approaches…

As an ideology, the concept of social justice has long been a worthy, if slightly volatile, companion of early childhood theorists and researchers. Whilst the majority of the literature has valorised social justice, discontented questions regarding "what" the construct entails and "how" it might be tamed to work still remain.…

As more individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities are physically included in community life, in schools, neighborhoods, jobs, recreation, and congregations, the challenge of going beyond physical inclusion to true social inclusion becomes more apparent. This article summarizes the status of the research about community participation…

Two literacy leaders acknowledge the challenges of teaching LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues in the classroom. While children come from a variety of family structures, it is necessary to acknowledge that a gay individual was once a child sitting in a classroom. An argument against marginalization and an advocacy for inclusion of…

Inclusion implies that someone has been excluded and that some are able to prevent others from participation in significant community, economic and political activities. The processes of inclusion and exclusion reflect ideas about how the world is to be seen and understood, about who is to be attended to and who ignored, and about how institutions…

This personal account from a special educational needs co-ordinator illustrates the negative impact that resourced provision has had on one school. The provision caters for children with communication and interaction difficulties and is housed in a mainstream primary school. For this school, while the provision has had a beneficial impact on the…

This article describes how a methodological memo (MM) was used in a research and development project designed to reform initial teacher education (ITE). A MM was used to explore what often remains an opaque part of the research process--the relationships between theory and practice that underpin many research studies. Yet, without detailed…

In 2010 the Education Review Office (ERO) was tasked with reporting on the progress of New Zealand schools in the inclusion of students with high needs. This paper will explore how ERO limited the concept of inclusion to suit Government policy and limit discussion of inclusion to the parameters set by the resource allocation scheme known as…

Language used in the field of special education is important; it can serve to influence both curriculum and placement decisions for students with intellectual disability. Historically, "Functional Curriculum" was used to describe curriculum adaptations necessary for students to access their environment (school and community). However,…

Access to and participation in university education is a key equity issue, with increased efforts to widen the participation of secondary school-aged students from low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds in many countries worldwide. In Australia, programmes aimed at widening university participation generally target LSES children and young…

One of the major components in the development of quality extracurricular athletic (ECA) programs that involves the infusion of students who have been classified as educationally disabled is the preparation of effective, high-quality physical educators who will assume coaching positions (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2012). These coaches…