Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the most common non-genetic cause of learning disability, affecting around 1% of live births in Europe, and costing an estimated $2.9 million per individual across their lifespan. In adulthood, non-reversible brain damage is often compounded by secondary disabilities in adulthood, such as mental health…

This paper reviews inclusive education research evidence and needs of British students with disabilities, considering the development of inclusive practices, special educational needs and disability models, and the values underlying inclusion. It urges rigorous research to inform policy and practice on the rights of children and the effectiveness…

This paper identifies themes of a July, 2002, seminar in the United Kingdom on the role of leaders in special schools in the development of inclusive policies and practices. These include: the need for enriched dialogue between school leaders and academics; the national context for inclusion; starting points for school leaders; and emerging…

This study examined the impact of the SENCo-Forum, an e-mail group concerned with students who have special educational needs (SEN) in Britain. The study addressed characteristics of Forum users, how often people send messages, a comparison of "enthusiastic" and "light" users, qualifications of Forum users, ways in which the Forum provides…

This article explores key differences between special education legislation in England and Scotland and their implications for delivering consistent anti-discrimination policies. It is argued that close monitoring of the implementation of Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act in English and Scottish schools is necessary. (Contains…

This article summarizes findings of research into decision-making processes leading to residential special school placements in England. Results suggest the needs of individual children are not central to these decision-making processes and that local authorities who make such placements do not pay sufficient attention to protecting and promoting…

This paper reports on efforts in Hull, England, to better train teachers to manage bereaved children. Evaluation following training shows an increased level of trained staff in schools, more use of policies and procedures, and a higher level of individuals in schools having responsibility for responses to bereavement. (Contains eight references.)…

This paper reports on several studies of gender mix among staff in ten schools for students with severe, profound and/or multiple disabilities. Headteachers' perceptions of the impact of women's dominance in these positions are explored, and a series of proposals for future recruitment and staff development is put forth. (Contains seven…

This article describes an Irish video program that prepares mainstream students to meet incoming peers with severe, profound, and multiple disabilities, finding that students reacted positively to the video and found it helped relieve their anxieties at the prospect of contact. Implications for further development of structured contact sessions in…

This article offers an overview of the development of practical approaches to professional development that, by deepening teachers' insight into emotional and social factors in children's learning, have been shown to supersede the need to exclude the disaffected. It discusses moving towards a more nurturing connective school culture. (Contains…

This article argues that an investigation into parents' expectations could lead to a greater understanding of how parents of children with disabilities respond to their new-found situation. It discusses how people develop their understanding through interaction with their social environment and relates this framework to parents of children with…

This article draws on postmodern research approaches and Michael Foucault's views of "discourse" to examine theoretical perspectives previously applied to collaboration, and argues for the value of further theoretical diversity and methodological plurality. It introduces discourse analysis as a tool for helping to understand the notion of…

This analysis of current trends in special educational needs in the United Kingdom, especially Scotland, examines five ways in which the notion of disability and responses to it are being unhelpfully removed from the educational arena. It suggests that no one's interests are served if, in fostering inclusion, the implications of students'…

A British study examined relationships between dyslexia and the ways in which students perceive themselves as learners, specifically their personal constructs and attributional styles. Results indicated that dyslexia has negative consequences for students' individual development. Suggestions are offered for making schools more "dyslexia friendly,"…

This article argues that across the three main British service systems of education, health, and social services, professionals need a shared perception of what it means to have an intellectual disability; shared means of addressing the challenges it raises; and a shared agenda of research and personnel training. (Contains references.) (CR)