Teachers-in-training (N=160) were asked to make decisions about a student after reading a file containing personal data, referral information, and test results. Results indicated that Ss were significantly influenced by specific student characteristics in decisions concerning all dependent variables except likelihood of needing special education…

The Warnock Report was the result of a five-year deliberation by a British Government Commission to investigate provisions for the disabled in the United Kingdom. This comprehensive document was the major influence shaping the special education amendments included in the British Education Act of 1981. Salient features of the Warnock findings which…

Results of questionnaire responses by 100 special education teachers suggest that teachers, regardless of level or area taught, are experiencing moderate stress and that Time Management and Parent/Teacher Relations created significantly more stress than the other categories. Such local concerns as little input into decision making and job security…

"English for Ages 5 to 11," a report prepared by the English Working Group (England), is presented as a positive step toward improved English instruction for special education students, as it returns to a pupil-centered view of teaching/learning, supports entitlement to a full English curriculum, and integrates assessment into curriculum. (JDD)

This paper explains forms of child abuse (neglect, emotional, sexual, and physical), outlines recommended school procedures for dealing with suspected child abuse in students with special educational needs, and emphasizes the need for increased teacher training and teacher action in reducing child abuse. (JDD)

A retrospective survey was conducted with 47 school leavers with moderate learning difficulties. The survey, involving individuals who left a Midlands (England) special school in 1976, 1981, or 1983, examined their difficulty in finding and keeping employment, training opportunities available, and the ways in which they spent their leisure time.…

A total of 274 British youth and adults with handicaps were administered the National Independent Living Skills assessment. Cluster analysis suggested that handicapped persons could be classified into four groups from lowest functioning to highest functioning, using independent living skills variables relating to living, work, and educational…

An investigation into the integration of child with moderate learning difficulties in secondary schools in four Welsh counties found that two authorities had effectively mainstreamed considerable numbers of children, while others showed lack of clear policy statements, lack of planning, and less than full commitment to integration. (JDD)

This article examines an in-service project undertaken by a British local education authority (LEA) in order to encourage a sense of shared responsibility for special needs by its secondary teachers, to foster the LEA's whole school approach. Issues arising from the in-service course and lessons learned from it are described. (JDD)

Four subtypes of family climate were identified through analysis of the Sense of Coherence Scale, Family Environment Scale, and Global Measure of Satisfaction from Family, using 77 mothers of disabled children in Israeli kibbutzim. The four subtypes emphasized personal growth orientation, conflict orientation, nonsupportive disorganized…

Examined are the political, historic, and economic influences in England and Wales affecting the categorization and labeling of pupils with special educational needs. The paper concludes that adoption of a non-categorical classification system has been unsuccessful in abolishing labeling, but has obfuscated statistical information reported by the…

This paper reviews the education system of Swaziland, as its democratization results in unprecedented expansion of services. The paper focuses on types of schools, educational developments from 1970 to the present, issues and concerns, movement towards finding solutions, the need for practical skills in the curriculum, and special education…

This overview of Soviet developmental psychology and its influence on special education focuses on dialectical materialistic interpretations of behavior, socio-historical determinism, zones of proximal development, realization and enhancement of children's cognitive potential, influence of Jean Piaget's work, linking of mental retardation with…

A program was designed for early detection and treatment of cognitive and emotional disabilities of preschool children in day care centers in low-income areas of two cities in Israel. After 10 months of treatment, the 53 children showed improvement in social emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, and competence. (JDD)

The Harlow Project is a special education teacher-training program established by the Department of Educational Psychology of Memorial University of Newfoundland. The project places student teachers in British schools for professional training. This paper describes the program's practicum experiences, student placements, field trips, guest…