Interviews conducted with 30 teachers of hospitalized children in Britain, and observations of children in British and American hospitals showed that in addition to teaching roles, teachers served as liaison with children's home schools. Provision of a teacher seemed to be therapeutic; children without a teacher appeared bored and restless. (JDD)

Discussed is a report of a British government advisory group concerning programs of study in mathematics education, as related to students with special education needs. Described are the progression of levels, the spread of levels normal for particular age groups, and the notion of age determining the work of students. (JDD)

Stories were read daily at school and home to 32 children, aged 3-10, with severe learning difficulties. After eight months, almost all of the children showed improvements in verbal comprehension greater than gains of a comparison group, and the older children showed improvements in verbal expression. (Author/JDD)

British educational policy on inservice training has established as a priority the training of classroom teachers to meet special educational needs of their students, using a curriculum-focused, whole-school approach. Three issues require consideration in the policy's implementation: academic organization, social climate of the school, and…

The article raises misgivings toward recent proposals to require standardized literacy testing for 10- to 14-year-olds in Australia. Three other papers on the dangers and possibilities of literacy assessment are reviewed. It is concluded that the teacher parent partnership and learning are threatened by an increased government role in assessment.…

The article describes the Parent and Child Tutoring (PACT) program in Adelaide, Australia, with children (ages 7 to 14) having severe reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, and attitudinal problems. Both parents attend group workshops and one parent participates in tutorial sessions. The program has been positively received by both parents and…

The employment status and social adjustment of hearing-impaired young adults (N=38) of whom 10 had graduated from residential schools for the deaf in New Zealand and 28 from special classes in regular schools was reviewed. There was some evidence that residential school graduates experienced more difficulty in coping following graduation. (DB)

Attitudes of 29 special education teachers, 15 regular teachers, and 78 parents toward an integration program involving two special schools for primary and junior secondary aged moderately and severely intellectually handicapped or developmentally delayed children were assessed. Findings affirmed the need for clear objectives, adequate resources,…

Developments in curriculum content and method for severely handicapped students are reviewed. Curriculum domains, environment, and functional and age-appropriate skills are noted as are the methodological effectiveness of maximizing instructional time, task analysis, applying levels of assistance, management of consequences, and generalization…

The article reviews the history of special education in Australia over the last 30 years and identifies issues including the efficacy of early intervention programs, legislation and other governmental acts, the move to integration, attitudes toward integration, and establishment of a multidisciplinary center providing training, resource, and…

The paper describes a model of teachers' attitudes toward integrating children with moderate learning difficulties based on interviews with 550 teachers in Arizona and the United Kingdom. The model has four factors: traumatic experiences with the handicapped, class size, the "what-happened yesterday" factor, and leadership. (Author/DB)

The paper addresses the view that many of the secondary students suspended or excluded from school for disruptive behavior may be socially/emotionally handicapped. The legal and service delivery implications of this position are discussed within the context of current Australian special education policy. (DB)

Recent research on effective classroom management practices is summarized. Effective practices include organizing classroom space, establishing rules, developing classroom procedures, maintaining the learning environment (e.g., matching instruction to individual needs and monitoring pupil performance), and assessing the effectiveness of management…

The study evaluated the psychometric properties of reliability and construct validity of the Attitude Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) in an Australian context. It was concluded that the scale is both reliable and factorially valid in an Australian context. (Author/DB)

The article reviews the literature on the effectiveness of early stimulation programs to prevent intellectual or social retardation. It summarizes findings and recommends continued use and development of early stimulation as a primary prevention strategy. Also stressed is early identification of preschoolers with potential or apparent…