This article offers guidelines for developing and using countoons as recording strategies with young children in special education and inclusion classrooms to help them monitor and change problem behaviors. Countoons are simple cartoon representations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, a contingency for meeting criteria, and counting…

This article provides guidance on the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) techniques to identify the function of problem behaviors by recording antecedents and consequences of each behavior. It includes a case study illustrating application of FBA as well as a sample form for recording observations, developing a behavioral hypothesis,…

This article describes how two young children with moderate/severe mental retardation were taught functional counting skills by helping with a snack delivery activity. Instruction involved a task analysis, use of pictures to represent objects and numbers, self-monitoring to increase student independence, and ongoing evaluation. The importance of…

This article describes how one inclusive middle school addressed needs of students with significant disabilities for functional community-referenced skills including clothing purchases, buying groceries, eating out, crossing the street, doing laundry, and using a microwave. Program development, program organization, and involvement of peers…

Strategies to help students with disabilities succeed in inclusive classrooms are explained using several mnemonics. These include 14 steps to modify the learning environment by using a SHE WILL SUCCEED mnemonic and examining the classroom by using a CRIME mnemonic (Curriculum, Rules, Instruction, Materials, and Environment). (Contains…

This article describes a service learning project for students with emotional and behavioral disorders attending a special education day treatment program. Students worked with senior citizens to beautify a senior housing complex. It describes the project's structure, student characteristics, and quantitative and qualitative data collection, both…

This paper reviews progress made since a Council for Exceptional Children Commission in 2000 identified three outcomes fundamental to ensuring learning results for every exceptional learner. It concludes that the special education field will continue to lose its workforce without the active engagement of state and local policymakers, educators,…

This article discusses disability as one aspect of diversity in inclusive early childhood classrooms and offers a framework for evaluating children's books that address disability as a part of diversity. The nine criteria are explained and discussed: illustrations, story line, lifestyles, relationships, self-image, author/illustrator backgrounds,…

This article offers guidelines for writing interagency agreements between inclusive Head Start programs and school districts. Guidelines address what an interagency agreement should be, how to recognize existing "phantom" agreements, the purpose statement, program mandates, key interagency process sections, and closing components. Insets and…

This article offers suggestions on enhancing emotional vocabulary in early childhood education settings. A schematic of children's emotional literacy is followed by ways to build emotional vocabulary by teaching directly, teaching incidentally, or utilizing special activities. Suggestions also address teaching children to recognize feelings in…

This brief article describes eight resources for using assistive technology to support the development and participation of young children with disabilities. Resources include fact sheets, guides, Web sites, organizations, videotapes, special projects. (DB)

This article describes teaching mathematics to students with disabilities using "My Math," a three-component software program consisting of "shells" into which students or teachers insert content. The three components include computation problems, arithmetic word problems, and arithmetic story problems. The content of the program is discussed,…

This article describes an inquiry-based science project, presents the professional development that supported it, gives recommendations to teachers of inclusive classrooms, and provides a practical checklist for program assessment. A list of teacher characteristics recommended for the inquiry approach is also provided, along with classroom design…

This article discusses how professionals can recognize learning opportunities for students with severe disabilities within general education activities. It also includes examples of additional learning opportunities that provide ways for students to work on their individualized objectives in various settings. Recommendations are provided for…

This article takes a brief look at the research on using letter-sound blending and word-family reading instruction for teaching word recognition to students with reading difficulties. It then examines the effectiveness of combining these two methods. Ideas for implementing both methods in the special education setting are included. (Contains…