The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act in Ireland advocated the development of individual education plans (IEPs). However, this section of the Act has never been fully implemented and there is no obligation upon schools to develop IEPs. Research conducted across the country by Richard Rose and Yu Zhao of the University of…

The relationship between mental health and special educational needs is both complex and misunderstood. In this article, Richard Rose, Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, Marie Howley, Senior Lecturer, Ann Fergusson, Senior Lecturer, and Johnson Jament, a PhD student, all from the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research directed…

This paper presents the findings from research conducted with two samples of teachers from Estonian Vocational Schools. The first sample comprised a group of teachers who had received professional development directly related to the management of students with special educational needs in vocational education settings. Their attitudes and…

Provision for pupils with special educational needs in Ireland has undergone considerable change and review in the first decade of the twenty-first century. In response to international demands for a more equitable education system that recognises diversity and considers how schools might address the needs of pupils who have been previously…

Enabling pupils with special educational needs to participate more fully in the assessment, planning and evaluation of their own learning has become a principle enshrined within the legislation of many countries in recent years. Educational policy in both England and the Republic of Ireland has recognised the desirability of increased pupil…

This article reviews aspects of the relationships among teaching, special education, and research. It is argued that educational research, and consequently policy making, has too often taken insufficient account of teachers' professional credibility and expertise. Teachers are encouraged to become more involved in research activities. (Contains…

A study involving 10 British teachers and 6 primary students with disabilities found the teachers saw the provision of learning support assistants as a critical factor in enabling students to be included in classroom activities. The importance of teamwork and effective communication was seen as essential. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This paper describes a one-year small-scale action-research project to identify the skills required by pupils (and teachers) to participate in individual program planning in a school for children with severe learning difficulties. A procedure was developed for the assessment of pupil readiness for full involvement in the target- setting process.…

A British project examined the involvement of pupils with special educational needs in assessing and managing their own learning processes as the 1994 Code of Practice legally requires. Teachers surveyed at 41 schools (mainstream or specialized for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties, and moderate or severe learning difficulties) found…

A strategy called "jigsawing" is described for promoting group work, while ensuring that individual needs of pupils with severe learning difficulties are met. A group activity is broken down into smaller components and each child or group is assigned tasks toward achievement of the overall activity aims. (PB)

A program was developed to ensure that teacher and institutional self-evaluation would become an integral part of staff development and curriculum development. A science curriculum module was taught to students with severe learning difficulties and videotaped for use in evaluation and inservice training. (JDD)