The aim of this study was to acquire in-depth understanding of parental experiences and encounters with the school system relative to having a child with dyslexia or experiencing difficulties with reading and writing (dyslectic difficulties). Mothers of seven children who attended lower or upper secondary school were interviewed. The interviews…

The applicability of Klein's "Mediational intervention for sensitizing caregivers" (MISC) to adolescents and adults with intellectual disability (ID) was examined, and the quality of paraprofessionals' interactions with these populations in special education schools and in vocational rehabilitation centres was compared. Interactions were video…

A key role in the development of inclusive practices in schools and classrooms is that of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), a role that has changed most radically since the introduction of the Code of Practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Through interviews with SENCOs in primary and post-primary schools in Northern…

On the assumption that the successful implementation of any inclusive policy is largely dependent on educators being positive about it, a survey was undertaken into the attitudes of Greek teachers to inclusion. The 155 respondents were general education primary teachers drawn from one region of Northern Greece, with a proportion deliberately…

Dropping out of school is a universal problem, concerning fairly similar target groups in all countries. Several action plans to prevent dropping out and to activate the dropouts have been developed worldwide. The object of this study, the Activity School of East Finland, is an exceptionally comprehensive entity, within which alternative…

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of competence among adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) who participated in a virtual supported self-advocacy programme within the risk and protective paradigm. The sample consisted of 374 adolescents with and without learning disabilities, students of the 7th to 9th grades, at 15…

This paper focuses on parents' perspectives of combining special and mainstream services for their children in the early years, offering insights into: how parents came to make this choice for their children's education; what parents expected from the combined provision and how their expectations were being met in practice. The data presented…

This introductory article to a special issue of case studies shows the diversity of students with severe reading disabilities. It notes that poor readers often have difficulties in one or more of three areas: decoding, recognizing words automatically, and reading text fluently, all linked to weaknesses in rapid naming of visually presented items.…

This paper presents the case study of a student with deficits in phonemic awareness, rapid naming, and word finding. The student's response to instruction during elementary, middle, and high school is described and implications for the educational and research communities are discussed. The case study demonstrates the importance of early…

This paper presents the case study of an 11-year-old girl with a deficit in phonological awareness without difficulties in naming speed. It describes a successful phonologically based remedial program as well as the collaboration and involvement of the child's mother, who provided daily practice sessions. Follow-up 7 months after therapy indicates…

This paper presents a case study of a reading disabled 9-year-old student with a profound single naming-speed deficit without a phonological deficit. It explores how a naming-speed deficit affects reading performance and theoretical assumptions regarding the role of naming speed in reading. A reading program specifically designed to address…

This study examined the cognitive and motor functioning of 52 survivors of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at age 5. Ten percent were diagnosed with mental retardation, while an additional 12 percent presented other disabilities. A common pattern of specific vulnerabilities in cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, and motor…

This study examined the effect of a self-evaluation intervention using audiotaped samples of 20 teachers' instructional behavior on the rates of praise in classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Results indicated the intervention had positive short-term effects on teacher praise and correct academic responses by students.…

This study defined and validated three constructs of parents' expectations about future outcomes for children with mental retardation in Kenya: adult responsibilities, community membership, and educational attainment. An interaction was found between the child's gender and parents' expectations about the child's adult responsibilities and…

Twenty middle school students with reading-related learning disabilities were interviewed concerning: (1) their reading ability, (2) procedures used to assist with reading instruction and the extent to which these were perceived as useful, (3) purposes for involvement in explicit reading instruction, and (4) reading instruction that might improve…