Describes the changes in mathematics classrooms since the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards have been proposed and the difficulties those changes pose for students with reading and writing problems. Offers specific suggestions for preparing students for mainstreaming into regular math classes and for providing the supports…

Describes how one school-publication adviser integrated two students who were Educable Mentally Retarded into the yearbook staff. Discusses the students' success at learning photography, photo development, layout, and caption writing. Notes how the whole staff benefitted. (SR)

Adapted physical education (APE) makes whatever adjustments are needed to allow students with disabilities to participate in regular physical education classes. APE at Beaverton School District (Oregon) is described, as well as the individualized special physical education classes provided to children with severe disabilities. (SV)

This book review of "Creating Collaborative and Inclusive Schools" by Lorna Idol summarizes the factors the book sees as critical in the development of such schools but raises concerns about the author's distinction between inclusion and mainstreaming and the lack of attention to specific skills needed for effective communication and…

Examined the feasibility of integrating children with mild disabilities into mainstream preschool centers in Singapore. Results after nine months of implementation found positive effects for the children, both disabled and nondisabled, their parents, and teachers. (Author/KB)

The study examined perceptions of issues associated with inclusive education of 437 parents from a midwestern state in the United States who have a child with a mild, moderate, or severe disability. Parents responded to a modified form of the Opinions Related to Mainstreaming (ORM) Scale (Antonak & Larrivee, 1995) and provided additional written…

Inspired by Johnston's thought-provoking article, this article reports from the current Norwegian scene to make two main points. First, Norwegian Sign Language paradoxically appears to be better protected as well as more threatened than ever. Second, success in bilingual deaf education is not logically incompatible with a placement primarily in…

In schools today inclusion involves a challenge to attitudes and expectations within educational communities. "The New Zealand Disability Strategy" (Minister for Disability Issues, 2001), is a guide for government action to promote a more inclusive society. Out of its 15 Objectives, Objective 1 encourages and educates the community and…

In South Africa we had an education system that was content-based, inflexible, oppressive, and segregated in terms of disability and race. It was determined by time, calendar and by failing and passing at the end of the year. Learners had to "fit into" a particular kind of system or were integrated into an existing system. A shift is now…

The use of paraprofessionals in all areas of special education has grown tremendously in the past decade (N. French, 2003). For the student with a visual impairment in the general education classroom to receive 1-to-1 assistance from a paraprofessional has become almost automatic (E. Forster & C. Holbrook, 2005). Although well-intentioned, this…

Friends play a significant role in mental and physical health; however, individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities, even those who are included in general education programmes, have not developed friendships as hoped. After a decade of inclusion and structured school programmes to facilitate friendships, many parents…

In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rededicated the provisions of PL 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, providing that all children with disabilities be afforded a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment. In 2004, it was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities…

This study measures the effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Assessment through Dialogue (CLAD) on reading achievement in inclusive classrooms in the USA. The CLAD process involved students collaboratively completing multiple-choice quizzes, using dialogue and critical thinking to reach consensus and receiving immediate feedback on their…

In this article, a former principal at Falk Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin, describes his school's shift as it sought to create an inclusive school for all students and establish an authentic sense of belonging. Nationwide, schools and districts from Concord, New Hampshire, to Whittier, California, and from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to…

The last decade has seen a groundswell of developments in educational policy in the UK relating to inclusive education for students with special educational needs (SEN). However, whether government policy has been fully implemented in schools remains a concern. The experience of students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) provides an…