In examining the continuing problem of the disproportionate number of minority students in special education, this article urges implementation of experimentally validated interventions including: (1) early detection, primary interventions, and prereferral procedures and (2) academic as well as social competence, resiliency, and self-determination…

Identifies specific content that teacher trainers in special and general education should consider incorporating into preservice training programs in an effort to address the over- and underrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education programs. The fields of multicultural education and bilingual education…

Respondents from 49 state education agencies completed a survey describing state-level implementation of transition services for youth with disabilities. All states used technical assistance and cross-disciplinary training as their primary systems-change strategies and the majority of states viewed these strategies as effective. Relatively few…

This study examined factors associated with better employment outcomes for young people with disabilities, especially young women. Factors predicting better outcomes included having two or more job experiences while in high school and having used the self-family-friend network to find their postschool job. Some factors, such as low household…

Identifies challenges in lifelong education of British citizens with intellectual disabilities in the coming century, including the necessity for changes in services, more individual-centered education, increased emphasis on basic skills needed for community living, more engagement with the community, and better opportunities for productive work.…

Explains the "circle of friends approach" as one strategy aimed at using peer group support to promote the inclusion of children with autism into mainstream schools. It describes use of the approach with six autistic children in years 3 to 10 of British mainstream schools. Evaluation comments by the circle leaders, circle members, and parents are…

This report describes the process of changing one British special school for children with physical disabilities to an inclusion service providing support services to children attending local mainstream schools. The process involved such steps as developing a mission statement, major changes in the personnel structure, involvement of parents, and…

Discusses the development of Conductive Education (CE) in the United Kingdom in the context of social models of disability. It argues that CE can provide the basis for an educational model of disability in which disability is seen to result from a complex interaction between the environment and the individual. The model is seen as particularly…

Examines special education services in Zimbabwe including issues of policy, facilities, and human resources and analyzes the opportunities and difficulties in providing special education in a developing country. Also addressed is the trend for integrated services for children with disabilities and learning difficulties. (DB)

Discusses teachers' assessments of special educational needs in light of the massive changes introduced in the United Kingdom during the last decade. It describes teachers' understanding of the nature and purpose of assessment and examines how judgments about children's learning needs are made. (DB)

This study examined effects of providing "mood calming" background music in a special class for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Findings indicated a significant improvement in behavior and mathematics performance for all 10 of the children, with effects most noticeable for children with problems related to constant stimulus…

Examines issues in the assessment of the special educational needs of children for whom English is a second language, and identifies notions that actually prevent good practices. Urges more attainable practices that focus assessment on the learning environment, including the "where,""with whom,""from whom,""when,""what," and "how" of the child's…

Describes the use of imaginative reconstruction and empathy to teach historical perspective to British students (ages 13 and 14) with severe learning difficulties. Lessons focused on writing (or dictating) a story describing the feelings of a sailor about to be involved in the battle with the Spanish Armada. Examples are provided. (DB)

Examines art in the curriculum of British students with special education needs. Distinguishes between art as therapy and the therapeutic aspects of a good art curriculum within the context of both the national curriculum and the broader "whole curriculum," which seeks to promote the student's total development in an integrated fashion. (DB)

Explains the Dimensions Model, an approach to target setting in British schools for special-needs students, which reflects both national requirements and the particular nature of special education. Details application of the model in a special school for primary-age pupils with emotional and behavioral difficulties. (DB)