Much of current inclusive education provision in Australian secondary schools relies on "specialist" support from outside the classroom. Students with diverse abilities are placed within the regular classroom and additional specialist services such as therapy, counselling, psychological assessment and special education teaching are required to…

Many students approach the transition to secondary school with feelings of both excitement and apprehension, but it is excitement that usually prevails. For students with Asperger's Syndrome, however, those aspects of secondary school that most students anticipate with great enthusiasm, such as being in a new and larger environment, having…

This qualitative study used focus groups and interviews to investigate the inclusion of students with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) into secondary education from the perspectives of: general teachers; special education teachers; students with AS; and their parents (N = 122). Across the four cohorts, five main themes emerged, however, different cohorts…

This paper reports on processes employed at a secondary state high school in Australia, where students directed inclusive school development. The procedures used in the study were developed from the Index for Inclusion and included a student forum; a student presentation to parents, principal and teachers and a focus group interview with members…

In Western Australia (WA), similar to practices elsewhere, there has been a strong focus on the need for schools to reconsider their practices to increase opportunities for more equitable and inclusive access for all children. Subsequent to a major review of service provision for students with disabilities in WA (Department of Education and…

Children with disabilities are increasingly being included in mainstream classes in Australian schools. In addition, many children with disabilities who are currently enrolled in primary school will be moving to secondary school in the next few years. For secondary schools to meet this challenge, it is important that the reasons for their…

This paper investigates the literature pertaining to the professional reading habits of teachers. Particular attention is given to those teachers working with students with special education needs. The value of professional reading is considered along with the quantity of professional reading of teachers from Australia and overseas, the types of…

Students with vision impairments in Singapore are educated in segregated settings from an early age. On completing primary school these students continue their education in mainstream secondary school settings. This transition requires considerable adjustment on the part of students with vision impairments. The present research explored the social…

An important contemporary issue in special education is the extent to which students with a disability are included in all mainstream educational activities, including educational accountability. In line with other Western countries, the extent of national testing conducted by Australian schools will increase in the near future. At the moment, the…

This article analysed 44 studies between 1991 and 2003 which report on the effectiveness of self-monitoring in improving academic, behavioral and social skills of students with a range of disabilities. Using prior reviews by Reid (1996), and Webber, Scheduermann, McCall and Coleman (1993) as a model, study variables were tabulated and analysed.…

In a 1999 paper Gersten and Chard proposed that number sense might be to mathematics what phonemic awareness is to reading. They explained the role of phonemic awareness in reading acquisition and its influence on reading research and argued that an understanding of the concept of number sense could be equally influential in the field of…

This mixed methods study employed comparative, case-study methodology to explore influences affecting the development of musical interests and achievements in eight female and eight male young adults with Williams Syndrome. Components of the "Schoolwide Enrichment Model"; (Renzulli & Reis, 1997b) were used to guide the study. Caregivers completed…

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…

The employment status and social adjustment of hearing-impaired young adults (N=38) of whom 10 had graduated from residential schools for the deaf in New Zealand and 28 from special classes in regular schools was reviewed. There was some evidence that residential school graduates experienced more difficulty in coping following graduation. (DB)