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)

The paper addresses the view that many of the secondary students suspended or excluded from school for disruptive behavior may be socially/emotionally handicapped. The legal and service delivery implications of this position are discussed within the context of current Australian special education policy. (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 article reviews the literature on the effectiveness of early stimulation programs to prevent intellectual or social retardation. It summarizes findings and recommends continued use and development of early stimulation as a primary prevention strategy. Also stressed is early identification of preschoolers with potential or apparent…

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)

The article briefly examines public policy and practices concerning mainstreaming in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. Ambiguity in definitions of integration are noted, and proposed definitions are offered which distinguish between full, predominant, partial, and minimal integration. (JW)

The Instrumental Enrichment (IE) program, a set of structured pencil-and-paper exercises, is designed to modify the cognitive abilities of retarded adolescents over a 2- to 3-year instructional time span. Major concepts and goals of the IE program are discussed. A review of evaluation studies is presented in chart format. (JW)

An imitation training procedure was employed in Australia with an 18-year-old echolalic female in an effort to enhance daily functioning. One hundred sentences in the following curriculum areas were taught: domestic, vocational, community, and leisure. Results are discussed in terms of imitation across curriculum domains and grammatical types. (JW)