Teacher educators are always looking for instructional strategies that are easy to create and use but are powerful for promoting learning among preservice teacher candidates. Content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) is an example of an instructional strategy that embeds evidence-based instructional design principles to package and deliver critical…

Inclusive education is a global phenomenon expressed differently in various countries, and different contextual realities support or constrain the process of making education more inclusive. This column reports on an international conference on inclusive education in Johannesburg, South Africa, which provided the opportunity for delegates to share…

Recent legislation has increased the emphasis on including students with disabilities in the general education classroom. However, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit a wide range of behaviors that make inclusion difficult. To date, there has been little research to identify best practices in reducing problem behavior and…

Designed to enhance the completion of math tasks, high-preference strategy consists of presenting math tasks that students prefer, to enhance their interest in completing difficult math tasks. In this article, a brief review of the literature related to the use of the high-preference strategy is provided along with directions on how to implement…

For many students who have a mild to moderate learning, emotional, social, or mental problems, the school librarian is an unparalleled resource, and the library becomes a refuge and an important support system outside of the general classroom. This article provides a brief review of literature and concrete information on creating a supportive…

The number of children with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in schools is increasing drastically. Included in this number are young children with LEP and developmental delays. This article provides information on second-language acquisition, details the type of programming used to educate children with LEP, and offers strategies to use when…

Since passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, professionals and parents have disagreed concerning how to define and implement the related services requirement of the law. Some states have enacted statutes or regulations establishing eligibility criteria; however, many have not. Although a number of due process and court…

The author analyzed the effects that Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) had on the number of words in a spelling test that students with learning disabilities in reading and writing spelled correctly. By means of an ABAB design, she investigated using CWPT in relation to the amount of correctly spelled words. The results indicated that the number of…

This article provides the American Psychiatric Association's definition of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and then gives an overview of ADD by considering the three types of ADD, the developmental impact of ADD, factors contributing to ADD, identification and assessment of students with ADD (emphasizing multimethod and consideration of…

A review of the research on pharmacological interventions for students with attention deficit disorder finds that psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) are effective in improving focus and impulse control, but should be used in conjunction with psychosocial and behavioral interventions. Comprehensive medical screenings and guidelines…

This article outlines how educators can provide appropriate resources for encouraging the love of reading, support strategies that motivate reading, promote the joy of reading across the curriculum, provide a balanced curriculum representing both lifetime literacy and skills instruction, and foster lifelong literacy in students who struggle with…

This article discusses legal requirements for developing functional behavioral assessment and behavioral intervention plans, especially as they pertain to disciplinary actions. This discussion is followed by an outline of elements related to behavioral intervention planning with specific guidelines for school personnel who seek to put such plans…

Explores the implications of an increasingly diverse school population for the process of teacher collaboration. Focuses on the competencies for collaboration as pertinent to diverse exceptional learners, the role of the special education teacher, and the concept of collaboration across disciplines. (Author/CR)

Reviews the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act relating to short-term and long-term suspension. New protections for students with disabilities and the new tools for administrators to be used in addressing behaviors are discussed, including placement of students with disabilities in interim alternative-educational…

Review features of nonverbal learning disabilities in terms of personal, social, and academic manifestations, including deficits in reading comprehension, graphomotor coordination, mathematics, and science. Examines the neuropsychological and learning components associated with developmental right-hemisphere brain syndrome and outlines effective…