Fifty mainstream teachers in grades 3-12 were surveyed concerning their experience and educational background, their attitudes toward teaching effectiveness, and their mainstream classes. Both teacher attitudes toward personal teaching efficacy and class size predicted variance in the teachers' selection of educational strategies for their…

The deaf community in the United States is a distinct subcultural group that is bilingual, diglossic, and trimodal. The deaf should be considered a legitimate cultural and linguistic minority, and entitled to educational programs reflecting this. Inclusion of information on deaf people in multicultural education programs is advocated, and…

Parents of 23 Alberta, Canada, children with mild to severe mental handicaps were asked to describe their parenting experiences. Parental concerns were analyzed in terms of severity of the handicapping condition and dealt with education and social integration, emotional stresses, future prospects, impact on the family, support systems, and…

Described are five ways to coordinate resource room and regular education programs: (1) consultation services, (2) collaborative teaching/co-teaching, (3) structured recess program, (4) work completion groups, (5) and daily check-outs for contract monitoring. (DB)

British educational policy on inservice training has established as a priority the training of classroom teachers to meet special educational needs of their students, using a curriculum-focused, whole-school approach. Three issues require consideration in the policy's implementation: academic organization, social climate of the school, and…

The article presents historical background and prevalence data on the population of visually impaired and blind children of India. The establishment of government sponsored and private programs is discussed. Integrated education, research, and priorities for the future are also addressed. (Author)

The article reviews the history of special education in Australia over the last 30 years and identifies issues including the efficacy of early intervention programs, legislation and other governmental acts, the move to integration, attitudes toward integration, and establishment of a multidisciplinary center providing training, resource, and…

Advocates ecological and normalizing approaches for teaching art to disabled students. Argues against a medical model by stressing that art education should not be designed to compensate for the behaviors and characteristics of a diagnosed disability. Refers to several programs which are based on these beliefs. (KO)

Reviews 100 lower court decisions since the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandated access to education for handicapped students. Concludes that the courts have remained willing to support parents in obtaining services for their handicapped children. (FMW)

Describes the development, implementation, and implications of a speech-pathology-based language intervention program originated at the Children's Place, Ltd., day-care center. The program combines individual speech and language therapy by a speech and language pathologist with speech and language intervention by teachers in the classroom, thus…

Criticizes an anti-inclusion article by Smelter, Bradley, and Yudewitz in the September 1994 issue of "Kappan" for its misguided conclusions. In light of today's heterogeneous classrooms, the authors' assumptions about regular-education teachers' capabilities are both faulty and insulting. All children learn best in regular classrooms…

Observations of interactions in a day care center serving deaf and hearing children focused on eight children (either deaf or hearing and with either deaf or hearing parents). Although deaf and hearing children interacted with those of other hearing status, there was a stronger tendency to initiate communication with same hearing status peers.…

Mainstream teachers (n=127) in grades one through eight completed a self-evaluation concerning the instructional strategies they used and their attitudes toward their own efficacy and toward mainstreaming. Analysis indicated that teachers with less positive attitudes toward mainstreaming tended to use effective mainstream instructional strategies…

This study investigated effects of social interactive strategies (such as, contingent imitation, natural reinforcement contingency, and time delay) in promoting early social-communicative skills of a preschool child with developmental disabilities during daily classroom activities. Results indicated that the child's eye contact, joint attention,…

Describes results of including students with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Highlights a decrease in fear of human differences, an increase in self-esteem, growth in commitment to personal moral and ethical principles, and an increase in responsiveness toward others needs among students. Suggests ways to create an inclusive…