Describes the development of a set of video-based training materials designed to present information on the availability and use of assistive technology. The instructional materials are described along with the processes used to make the materials accessible to persons with disabilities, and recommendations for increasing accessibility of the…

Addresses the various issues associated with friendship and conversational skills in youth with externalizing and internalizing behavior disorders. The need for assessment techniques and intervention programs to encompass measures and training strategies targeting conversational skills and the type and nature of the dyadic relationship are…

A study of a 12-year-old boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder investigated the effectiveness of a token economy incentive program implemented in the home setting to increase attention to task while doing homework assignments. Results found the boy's percentage of time spent on-task increased markedly. (Author/CR)

Provides an overview of childhood leukemia. The causes, the survival period, different types (acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and hairy cell leukemia), symptoms, treatment, side effects of treatment (including learning problems), and the expected future direction of…

Discusses a partnership between Northern Arizona University and a local school district that enables preservice teachers to practice innovative strategies for facilitating inclusion of students with disabilities into general classrooms. Strategies such as cooperative learning, collaborative teaming, peer tutoring, student empowerment, and creative…

Discusses the need to redesign the preservice training in educational administration to include more content and practice in issues related to special education, such as: (1) attitudes; (2) laws/regulations; (3) instructional/curricular issues; and (4) staff/family/community interaction. Ways to incorporate special education into preservice…

This article examines and evaluates the various ways school personnel can assist and work effectively with children with attention deficit disorders. Classroom management procedures and behavioral interventions are outlined, such as setting clear rules, using a token economy, contingency contracting, applying consequences, teaching self-management…

Argues that special needs education in Britain has lost sight of the relationship between children's difficulties in school and wider patterns of socioeconomic disadvantage and inequality, and suggests that special needs education is incapable of addressing basic inequities in our education system and within society as a whole. (Author/CR)

A study of 25 British students (ages 11-12) found that children with identified special needs did appear to be potentially at risk of being bullied through their social isolation. The most effective way of avoiding being bullied was to ensure there was someone lower down the pecking order than themselves. (CR)

This article describes how one British school is using subject department Special Educational Needs (SEN) reviews to improve their educational practices. The school's commitment to inclusive education and the ways in which the strategy of using subject department SEN reviews focuses upon teaching and learning styles are discussed. (Author/CR)

This article describes what is involved in electronic communication, how British Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) feel about using it, and the conditions under which it can be used effectively. SENCos felt that electronic communication supplemented other sources of support and provided access to information sources beyond local…

A study of 191 school-based British speech-language therapists and 165 based in health centers investigated the context in which collaborative working practices exist between teachers and speech-language therapists. Collaboration was most likely to occur in a special education setting and focus on intervention, rather than on assessment or…

Data on the placement of over 3,389 English and Welsh children with Down syndrome (born between 1980 and 1992) were collected over the 12-year period studied. Analysis showed an increase in the proportion of children attending mainstream schools and a disproportionate number of boys in special schools. (Author/CR)

Six Hong Kong preschoolers with Down syndrome who attended a center-based educational intervention program were assessed and matched on age, mental age (MA), and IQ. Three of the preschoolers also attended regular preschools two days per week. After a year, the children who also had attended regular preschool had higher MA and IQ. (Author/CR)

Uses classroom vignettes to examine reasons why schools in the United Kingdom are not yet generally successful in including students with disabilities and suggests simple ways that ordinary teachers can implement inclusive practices. These include the importance of teamwork, a school climate which encourages inclusive practices, and teacher…