The number of handicapped children receiving special education in Zimbabwe is very limited and there appears to be no national policy for special education. However, the Swedish International Development Agency in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Zimbabwe has conducted a national disability survey and is developing a special education…

The Special Needs Action Program (Coventry, England) endeavors to support special needs students in regular primary and secondary schools by providing resource information, a variety of inservice courses, dissemination of materials, and advice and help. Early identification, teacher involvement, practical content, and staff support are major…

Special education in Malaysia now involves 4,220 handicapped children in four categories: visually handicapped, hearing impaired, mentally retarded, and physically handicapped. Needs such as more special education teachers, early diagnosis, modified curricula, special equipment, and parent counseling are discussed. (Author/DB)

Three models of intentional therapeutic communities for troubled youth are described: psychiatric communities, communities with a spiritual orientation, and collectives inspired by A. Makarenko. Applications of the Makarenko model with adolescents having problems of substance abuse and serious social maladjustment in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark…

The study compared the effectiveness of an interactive videodisc curriculum incorporating principles of instructional design with a traditional basal curriculum to teach basic fraction skills to 28 high school students, including 17 mildly handicapped students. The videodisc curriculum's superiority at posttest and at two-week maintenance were…

Results of a survey of 298 special education/teacher education programs indicated that: (1) the institutions were not utilizing available technology; (2) there was no relationship between systematic planning and success of new technology; (3) and the most common technology adopted was microcomputers used for computer-assisted instruction and word…

The paper offers a model for the design and evaluation of computer-assisted instructional programs. Components of a diagnostic prescriptive instructional model are delineated, along with use considerations. A sample software program is evaluated according to criteria for the diagnostic function, the prescriptive function, and user considerations.…

The paper presents a framework for studying the use of computers in special education. The framework consists of two dimensions, one describing the service delivery areas that comprise special education and the other, general questions concerning educational innovation. Examples of the framework's application are offered. (Author/DB)

The paper details advantages of microcomputer-based assessment with moderately and severely handicapped individuals over conventional print instruments. Noted advantages include improved accuracy, less time-consuming, greater flexibility, and the potential for information database development and regional systematic programing. One such…

A review of 25 epidemiological studies of behavior disorders from 16 foreign countries indicated prevalence rates for children in other countries were much higher than those in the United States and were more in harmony with the incidence figures for adult populations both in the United States and in other countries. (Author/CB)

A review of research on Direct Instruction in the United States and Australia indicates that the model consistently extends skills across the range of gifted to severely retarded learners. The demonstrated effectiveness of the model provides educators with a body of empirical data on which effective teaching strategies can be based. (Author/CB)

In South Africa, the policy of separate development means that there are four educational systems (for Whites, Blacks, Asians, and "Coloureds"). The disparities among these systems clearly favour the dominant minority group. Reflecting the same disparities and inequalities, special education is a matter of separating rather than integrating the…

Research relating to handicaps and handicapping conditions form the content of the discipline of special education in Hungary. While early research focused mainly on pedagogical, psychological, and pathological factors, environmental factors related to the successful rehabilitation and socialization of handicapped persons is the current major…

The British government's proposals for planning and funding inservice teacher training are reviewed and their implications for local and national efforts are described. (CL)

A teacher of 15- and 16- year-old boys with moderate learning difficulties and behavior problems describes how a school drama activity improved the boys' self image and motivation. (CL)