Case studies of two students with pervasive developmental delays illustrate the conflict between belief-based versus measurement-based approaches to planning educational services for students with diverse abilities. The doctrinaire view embraces inclusion as an end in itself. Placing students with diverse abilities, even severely handicapping…

Teaching students who receive special education services in integrated settings requires intensive staff development and on-going training. Region 16 Education Service Center in the Texas panhandle serves 65 rural school districts covering 25,000 square miles and 80,000 students. In 1996, with direction and funding from the state legislature,…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Building Friendships project, which developed, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated an intervention to improve the social integration of students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The project used an ongoing, informal team approach to bring together and mobilize key people in a…

Over 10 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in public schools and more than 18 percent of AI/AN students in Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal schools are eligible for or placed in special education programs. This digest addresses four selected issues in the education of AI/AN students with disabilities. First, the 1997…

This report discusses the outcomes of an intrinsic case study of the implementation of inclusion in a North Louisiana parish and the placement of special needs students within this parish. The case study was undertaken in an attempt to better understand the meaning and effect of the experience of teaching in an inclusive setting and of the…

This proceedings contains 57 presentations and presentation summaries concerned with rural special education. The papers are arranged in 11 sections: impacting governmental policy, at risk, collaborative education models, early childhood education, gifted, multicultural, parents and families, preservice and inservice teacher education, technology,…

This introduction to a reference guide for early childhood special education personnel in North Dakota discusses the purpose of the guidelines, the North Dakota philosophy on the importance of early intervention programs, and quality indicators of early intervention programs. The highlighted quality indicators of early childhood programs include:…

This ERIC digest provides highlights of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17). Changes to general provisions of the law are explained, as well as changes in other areas, such as outcomes and standards, evaluations and curriculum, procedural safeguards, discipline, early intervention, and teacher training…

This workbook helps paraprofessionals, general educators, and special educators better understand one another's roles and work together effectively in the classroom, offering activities, personal stories, objectives, and planning guides that they can use as a team. Based on reader feedback from the first edition, this edition includes updates on…

This digest describes a research and development program being carried out in transitional bilingual education programs at five elementary schools in the Los Angeles area. Researchers have been collaborating with teachers and project advisors to develop, implement, and describe instructional strategies that improve the chances of students in these…

Researchers examined health educators' and special educators' perceptions of disabled students' health education needs and teacher roles in health education classrooms. Surveys indicated that most health teachers and one-third of special educators taught health to students with disabilities. Teachers were not all adequately trained to teach health…

Describes the programs of St. Lucy's Day School, which focuses on maintaining a special facility for children with visual impairments. Emphasizes early intervention, qualified teachers, mainstreaming, social support for family, pooling of resources from colleges and vendors in the community, and the use of advanced technology to improve education.…

Special and general education elementary teacher educators nationwide completed surveys examining their perceptions of the actual and the ideal emphases placed on specific collaborative roles in teacher preparation programs. Results found significant differences between participants' perceptions of the degree of emphasis actually and ideally…

Examined the role of mainstream pupils in the integration of students with special education needs (SEN), based on accounts from both groups. Found that mainstream pupils control the experiences of pupils with SEN in both positive and negative ways. Results suggest ways schools might guide mainstream pupils' understanding of disability and promote…

This paper reexamines the logic supporting ideas of differences and inclusion for students with disabilities, critiquing a range of perspectives on special education and suggesting that people consider the ways that the symbiotic relationships between regular and special education constrain theory making. (SM)