In 2002, people with disabilities in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) expressed their vision "that all people with disabilities are valued as full and equal members of the ACT community" (Australian Capital Territory Government, 2004). Despite the ACT being regarded as a very fortunate and prosperous place to live, some Canberrans with…

In this article, the author gives an overview of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights convention that sets out the fundamental human rights of people with disabilities. The Convention sets out general and specific obligations for…

In this address, the author examines what it means when one uses phrases like "evidence-based practices" and "evidence-based policies." She suggests that there is a need to re-think the meanings attached to these terms and she presents a rebuttal of the reliance on a single conceptualisation of evidence. The author then argues for a re-making of…

In her Des English Memorial Lecture, the author provides some commentary on the changes that have occurred during her career in relation to the field of special education. In the 25 years that she has worked as an educator and been involved in special education in one way or another, there have been very significant and fundamental changes of…

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 describes the use of drama with severely socially challenged children, especially children with autistic spectrum disorders. This approach stresses the importance of early make-believe and the use of drama to help children explore social narratives from the inside and thus improve social competence. (Contains references.) (DB)

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'…

This article presents testimony before the Senate Appropriation Committee on the future of educational technology. Assistive technologies for students with disabilities are explained, and the need for Congress to support continued development of assistive devices, digital curricula, and universal design for learning technologies is stressed. (CR)

A discussion of implementing the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classes in Britain considers: teaching techniques, the appropriate use of learning support assistants with special needs students and a proposed framework for inclusive classroom practices. The framework emphasizes the integration of teaching techniques, various…

The paper presents an analysis of aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) as it relates to individual differences in special education. Stressed is the importance of heterogeneity of participants and interventions, of psychological interactions, and the need for applying multivariate and transactional approaches to ATI concepts. (DB)

The effective teaching literature is reviewed in relation to selected approaches to individualization of instruction with handicapped children. The instructional setting, as a salient variable in instructional adaptations for individual differences, is questioned. Educators are encouraged to emphasize the function, not the form, of instructional…

The paper suggests that the current aptitude-treatment interaction approach to accommodating individual differences in special education has not been proved instructionally useful. Formative evaluation is offered as a promising alternative that addresses individual uniqueness rather than dimensionalized individual differences. (Author/DB)

The article addresses minority assessment issues, describes a Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-- Revised (WISC-R) re-norming (for Inuit children) project, examines usefulness of the re-normed WISC-R and reports results of a study comparing gifted and average Inuit children on the WISC-R, Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, and the Goodenough…

The speech by the Assistant Secretary of the Special Education Division of the Department of Education and Science explains the options for flexibility possible in meeting the needs of handicapped students under the new British National Curriculum. (DB)

Parents of a 21-year-old son with Down's Syndrome address aspects of the cooperative partnership of school, home, and community, focusing on the dangers of labeling, the importance of communication, the need to express appreciation of the individual as he/she is, the value of full participation, and the importance of developing authentic…