The terrain of inclusion studies in discussed in this paper from the perspective of policy discourses and teachers' constructions on student diversity. We start by discussing the concept of inclusion from normative and analystic perspectives. We then look at the kinds of discourses that can be found in the Finnish and Norwegian curricula, as well…

Background: Schools in New Zealand do not normally include students with intellectual disability in their sports programmes. This study examined regular students' attitudes towards the possible inclusion of students with an intellectual disability in an integrated sports programme within their school. Materials and Methods: A total of 170 school…

This article reports on a small piece of teacher research that examined the preconceptions held by pupils in mainstream and special schools about themselves, each other and their educational setting. A "circle time"-style interview was used in both educational settings to access the opinions of sixteen pupils with moderate learning…

Sam is 18 years old and has Down syndrome. He achieved a grade in the standard assessment of mathematics (GCSE) at 16 years of age. This paper describes the part played in his success in school by the Kumon method of teaching mathematics, identifies the benefits of the small steps and lots of practice built in to the method and illustrates the…

To what extent are students with intellectual disabilities included in regular education classrooms in the United States? Although inclusion is an accepted best practice in special education, little progress has been made in including students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Using historical and the most recent available…

Throughout the past two decades there has been a move away from educating children with disabilities in segregated schools to adopting a more inclusive approach within mainstream schools in all jurisdictions in Australia. This research identifies the concerns of 228 regular class teachers in Western Australia who have all been involved with the…

For the purpose of moving towards more inclusive practices, the research literature argues that we have to investigate in greater depth the way in which universities respond to inclusive education. This paper investigates the nature of inclusive education through the practice of student teachers and sees how so-called inclusive education manifests…

Many schools and school districts are implementing sheltered instruction to help serve the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in mainstream content-area classes. Sheltered instruction is a research-based instructional framework that provides clear and accessible content and academic language to ELLs in pre-K-12 grade-level classes. Programs…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have influenced an increase in the numbers of students who receive special education services in general education classrooms. The (IDEA) emphasizes the general education setting as the initial and natural setting for all students to be educated in the…

Professional development that focuses on supporting teachers' abilities to work with diverse families is keenly needed. This article outlines three instructional strategies and how they were used with undergraduate students in an inclusive early childhood teacher education program: (a) involving diverse family members as instructional supports;…

Since 1998 there has been a dramatic increase in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150 children. Federal law requires schools to educate children with ASD in the least restrictive environment, increasing the number of children with ASD in regular classrooms. Teacher preparation…

Because the Supreme Court has not interpreted a case pertaining to the least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Supreme Court cases interpreting the Act's other requirements guide any analysis of LRE. In addition, federal appellate court decisions related specifically to LRE are…

This special issue examines inclusive education, the movement to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms, focusing on the situation in New Jersey. The issue begins with an editorial by Ethan B. Ellis titled "Inclusive Education: Time To Pay Up." In "The Terms of the Debate," Marc Mercer notes that inclusive…

This paper examines the first educational placement and current placement for 1068 New Mexico students who graduated from special education preschool programs, 1987-1989. All subjects met eligibility criteria for the developmentally disabled and were divided evenly between rural and urban districts. With regard to initial placements, 9% of…

Social skills instruction and appropriate individualization of instruction can help mainstreamed handicapped children become accepted by their peers. Modeling (practicing demonstrated behaviors), prompting (correcting behavior when signaled), and feedback (giving corrective guidance) are used to teach the handicapped student such important social…