This practical guide for including students with special needs is divided into three main sections. The first section provides fundamental background knowledge of the field of special education and current knowledge of how students with disabilities are served within inclusive school environments. Chapter 1 presents a brief history of services to…

This collection of issue papers addresses the inclusion of students with disabilities who are labeled disruptive in general education classrooms. The publication begins by summarizing new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. The provisions make it clearer that students with disabilities must be…

Young children with special needs should be served within inclusive early childhood programs. Quality Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs provide a model to use when developing inclusive programs for children of all ages. This theme issue of "Coordinator's Notebook" focuses on the development of inclusive ECCD programs.…

Prior to 1975, children with disabilities had no federally guaranteed right to public education. In 1975, Congress passed public law 94-142, which guaranteed that all students regardless of their handicapped condition be taught in the least restrictive environment. In 1990, it was re-named the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Teachers…

This study was designed to improve spelling performance of 17 mainstreamed elementary special education students by developing self-regulatory mechanisms and by training the regular classroom teacher and parents in ways to meet the handicapped student's learning needs. A variety of intervention techniques was employed including homework…

The study described here investigated the training and employment experiences of educators with disabilities. Participants included 25 educators (17 female and 8 male) with a variety of disabilities (physical disabilities, health impairments, or medical conditions; learning disabilities; acquired brain injuries; visual impairments; hearing…

This project developed and tested a computer-based instructional program designed to increase the number of positive, academic student/teacher interactions exhibited in mainstreamed regular classrooms by mildly handicapped elementary students. The program, called Teacher Net, integrated a microcomputer-controlled videodisc system, a system of…

The Cooperative Elementary School (CES) model involves the use of cooperative learning across a variety of content areas and full-scale mainstreaming of academically handicapped students. Teachers use peer coaching and plan in a cooperative manner. The model emphasizes teacher involvement in site-based management and parent involvement in the…

Tennessee data were analyzed longitudinally from 1979-80 to 1987-88 to compare statewide special education practice associated with two student-based formulas for funding disbursement: "flat" versus "weighted.""Flat" grants, used from 1979-80 to 1982-83, provided a fixed amount of funds per child, teacher, or…

This paper identifies issues confronting early childhood educators who want to integrate young children with special needs with other children, and the implications of such integration for the design of outdoor play settings. The main thesis of the paper focuses on the ambiguity involved when developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood…

The Southern Child Care Support Program was established in 1986 to help children with disabilities gain access to child care services. The program consists of a team of four Integration Support Workers who are able to provide support in 27 child care centers in the region of Adelaide, Australia. The program's model of child care focuses on three…

This study evaluated the special education program of the Hawaii State Department of Education including identification of those program concerns, issues, and problems which need policy or administrative changes or further study. Data collection included document review, onsite interviews with stakeholders, and a questionnaire survey of school…

This paper addresses issues identified in a survey of regular teachers needing to implement classroom-based remediation programs for children with language and/or learning disabilities. Sixteen teachers from two states completed open-ended surveys and participated in follow-up interviews. The survey examined their opinions concerning the inclusion…

This monograph provides a review of the literature on the transition of students with disabilities into the adult world and an analysis of various models of transition that have emerged in western Europe in comparison with those in the United States. An introduction identifies key definitional issues in transition: defining the population,…

The Regular Class Participation System (RCPS) project attempted to develop, implement, and validate a system for placing and maintaining students with severe disabilities in general education classrooms, with a particular emphasis on achieving both social and learning outcomes for students. A teacher-based planning strategy was developed and…