Inclusion is a way of thinking--a deeply held belief that all children, regardless of ability or disability, are valued members of the school and classroom community. Inclusive classrooms are places where all students "are integral members of classrooms, feel a connection to their peers, have access to rigorous and meaningful general education…

Attitudes about inclusion are extremely complex and vary from teacher to teacher and school to school. This article explores the attitudes of teachers about inclusion of children with special needs in their secondary schools in general education. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design, with 60 teachers as participants from…

With the large number of students with autism entering the educational system, the need for empirically supported treatment (EST) in the classroom and special education teachers with training in autism and ESTs is necessary now more than ever. This paper describes a collaborative model between 2 universities aimed at providing teacher-candidate…

This study emerged out of a year-long narrative ethnography that investigated the first year of ESL teachers. It describes key personal, contextual, and structural factors that influenced the teachers' professional beliefs and practices. The focus of this study centers on the conversations of three middle school ESL teachers during new teacher…

The position paper of the Grand Island, Nebraska, schools supports the assumption that when a pupil's handicap affects his ability to learn and perform, appropriate special education should include guidelines for special grading. The paper identifies grading obstacles such as differing perceptions of various participants in the grading process.…

Forty-two principals completed an inventory on attitudes toward mainstreaming handicapped students. Principals responded to each of 40 statements on a five-point scale. Among findings were that one-third supported the special class model as the best placement for handicapped children, yet approximately three quarters believed that normal Ss profit…

This case study focuses on a deaf education program for elementary students. Four deaf classes categorized as Kindergarten, Primary I (paralleling first grade), Primary II (second and third grades), and Elementary (fourth, fifth, and sixth grades) are described, and one student from each of the classes is focused upon to illustrate the program's…

One of a series of case studies on mainstreaming programs, the report describes a pre-kindergarten program serving disabled children. Interviews with program participants and classroom observations focus on the total learning environment and the experience of five mainstreamed children. Initial comments address the program's physical setting and…

The final report describes the 3-year project CRITERIA (Chesterfield/Richmond Inservice Teacher Education for Regular Instructional Areas) designed to provide inservice training to regular elementary teachers dealing with mildly handicapped students in the mainstream. Goals and objectives for each of the 3 years are listed, along with…

The bibliography of 90 items lists books and journal articles for professionals and parents on the topic of integration of early intervention programs. The list encompasses publications on program models, parental expectations, financial concerns, effects on development of handicapped and nonhandicapped children, social behavior, and educational…

The presentation of Patricia McGill Smith of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services reviews recent activities of this office to improve educational services for the disabled. Among topics covered are the Regular Education Initiative and research activities concerned with the regular education setting as the primary context of…

The experience of a mainstreamed program for children aged 4 months through 5 years is reviewed and factors involved in serving children with specific handicapping conditions are examined. The importance of viewing children from a developmental perspective is stressed. Among issues discussed are determining program needs for children with…

The study of disabled children attending ordinary schools in Pakistan reports that 1.9% of the 43,416 pupils in urban primary and secondary schools in the Northwest Frontier were reported by their teaches to have a perceptible disability. The breakdown of specific conditions varied from 32% with speech impairments to 8% with hearing loss. Details…

A survey of 112 regular classroom teachers (primary-junior high) examined their attitudes toward mainstreaming handicapped students. The majority of teachers had a favorable attitude towards mainstreaming and expressed the need for inservice training and supportive assistance, but stated less desire for participation in the individualized…