Children with vision impairment (VI) and blindness are largely educated in mainstream schools in Australia. Specialist itinerant support teachers--vision (ISTVs) travel from school to school to facilitate the education of these children. The purposes of this study were to examine the barriers that ISTVs face in this role, and to identify…

Constructivist literature has become increasingly prominent in the area of special education. The nature of constructivism and its relevance and limitations for students with special needs is discussed, as is the importance of appropriate research in determining the efficacy of instructional interventions. A search of the literature into the…

Constructivist literature has become increasingly prominent in the area of special education. The nature of constructivism and its relevance and limitations for students with special needs is discussed, as is the importance of appropriate research in determining the efficacy of instructional interventions. A search of the literature into the…

The article raises misgivings toward recent proposals to require standardized literacy testing for 10- to 14-year-olds in Australia. Three other papers on the dangers and possibilities of literacy assessment are reviewed. It is concluded that the teacher parent partnership and learning are threatened by an increased government role in assessment.…

The article describes the Parent and Child Tutoring (PACT) program in Adelaide, Australia, with children (ages 7 to 14) having severe reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, and attitudinal problems. Both parents attend group workshops and one parent participates in tutorial sessions. The program has been positively received by both parents and…

Attitudes of 29 special education teachers, 15 regular teachers, and 78 parents toward an integration program involving two special schools for primary and junior secondary aged moderately and severely intellectually handicapped or developmentally delayed children were assessed. Findings affirmed the need for clear objectives, adequate resources,…

Developments in curriculum content and method for severely handicapped students are reviewed. Curriculum domains, environment, and functional and age-appropriate skills are noted as are the methodological effectiveness of maximizing instructional time, task analysis, applying levels of assistance, management of consequences, and generalization…

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…

The paper describes a model of teachers' attitudes toward integrating children with moderate learning difficulties based on interviews with 550 teachers in Arizona and the United Kingdom. The model has four factors: traumatic experiences with the handicapped, class size, the "what-happened yesterday" factor, and leadership. (Author/DB)

Recent research on effective classroom management practices is summarized. Effective practices include organizing classroom space, establishing rules, developing classroom procedures, maintaining the learning environment (e.g., matching instruction to individual needs and monitoring pupil performance), and assessing the effectiveness of management…

The study evaluated the psychometric properties of reliability and construct validity of the Attitude Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) in an Australian context. It was concluded that the scale is both reliable and factorially valid in an Australian context. (Author/DB)

The survey of the prevalence and needs of exceptional students in Queensland (Australia) Catholic primary and secondary schools (N=235) had such findings as 3.13 percent of school children had disabilities, 12.8 percent had learning difficulties, more support services were needed, and principals and teachers expressed positive attitudes toward…

The article examines issues in classroom discipline with emphasis on policies in Victoria (Australia) over the last six years. The article challenges the Education Ministry's support of suspension as an intervention with disruptive students and encourages development of a school climate which sees discipline as an educational rather than…

The article examines definitions of behavioral disorders and summarizes recent literature. Issues raised relate to prevalence data, increasing classroom disruption, stability of behavioral disorders into adolescence and adulthood, and the increase in teacher stress attributable to children with behavior disorders. Management approaches including…

An historical overview of events leading to the passage of Public Law 94-142 (The Education for All Handicapped Children Act) precedes a discussion of positive and negative outcomes of this legislation since its enactment in 1975. (JW)