Education of physical education (PE) teachers is important to the successful integration of students with disabilities into regular PE classes. The article describes such integration in the United States and Germany and discusses teacher training in Germany. It presents suggestions for making teacher training easier. (SM)

Describes the movement toward integrating the instruction of English as a Second Language (ESL) into mainstream education in Australia. Challenges of mainstreaming for teachers, students, and policymakers are described. ESL learners must have a carefully integrated program of language-conscious teaching and content-based language instruction. (SLD)

Examined general and special-education student teachers' and cooperating teachers' perceptions of the importance, and use of, various instructional strategies needed in diverse and inclusive classrooms. Surveys ranked 45 instructional strategies on actual use and from most to least important. Results indicated an overall agreement among groups…

This study assessed 575 students with mild mental retardation in three educational settings. Their loneliness, depression, and social skills were assessed through student self-reports and peer perception of social status. Among findings were that preadolescent students in self-contained classes in regular schools exhibited more loneliness and…

At the Bridge School (Hillsborough, California), children with severe speech and physical disabilities are trained in the use of augmentative and alternative communication technologies, transitioned back to their home school districts, and given continuing support. Outreach and research endeavors keep the broader community informed and educated…

A survey of 114 institutions of higher education with early childhood education programs found that approximately a fifth of associate, master's, and doctoral degree programs and approximately a third of bachelor's degree programs required coursework in preschool mainstreaming. Less than 25% of the programs required field experiences in…

Overviews background of the movement toward full inclusion of special education students into regular classrooms, including legal issues and successful educational practices. Suggests that full inclusion does not benefit all students and that inclusion should be one of several alternatives to meeting students' educational needs. Of approximately…

Explores two principles of educational policy--appropriate education and least-restrictive environment--within the context of the current debate about integrating students with disabilities into public education. Reviews the origins of exclusion, and traces the foundations of inclusion back to the civil rights movement. Explains three approaches…

Discussion of the principle of least restrictive environment (LRE) in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reviews sociopolitical, legal, and educational data. The article suggests that concerns about LRE placement have obscured the preeminent issue of free and appropriate instruction, another IDEA principle. Some principles of…

Illustrates how applied semiotics can uncover common assumptions about particular teaching practices for students with disabilities, examining microtechniques that purport to fully integrate children with disabilities into regular education programs but that can empower or disempower them. Quality inclusion requires teachers to focus on social…

This study focused on the perceptions of paraprofessionals regarding the roles they fulfill while working with children with disabilities in special education and inclusive settings. Students were in grades K-12 and represented a range of disability categories (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, serious emotional disturbance, development…

Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person's social, communication, and behavioral skills. Social deficits are noted by the child's lack of interest or inability to interact with peers and family members. This article highlights some of the successful methods and techniques used to include an autistic middle school child in a general…

Much work on school bullying focuses on developing our understanding of the various factors that contribute to bullying and its management. This case study focuses on the possible connections between parts and offers a metaperspective of one mainstream secondary school. Demonstrating that bullying and its management is embedded within the network…

Why are students who have special educational needs at greater risk of bullying than their peers when educated in mainstream settings? This case study of one mainstream secondary school describes the various facets of the peer group dynamics that underpinned social aggression and exclusion towards students who were hearing impaired. These students…

It is now almost ten years since the Salamanca Conference on Special Needs Education endorsed the idea of inclusive education. Arguably the most significant international document that has ever appeared in the special needs field, the Salamanca Statement argues that regular schools with an inclusive orientation are "the most effective means…