The purpose of this article is to examine the disproportionality among racial/ethnic groups and states for the disability category of "Autism" as reported to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Over the past decade, a variety of sources indicated a dramatic increase in the number of…

This article reviews the historical context in which Canadian legislation and policy for children with special needs has evolved. The potential for the rights of students with special needs in light of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is outlined. The role of the Federal and Provincial governments in legislation and policy vis-à-vis…

The purpose of this study was to describe the roles and responsibilities of the special education teachers, and challenges they encounter in supporting the inclusion of learners with special educational needs (SEN) in regular primary schools of the south central regions of Botswana. Thirty-eight Senior Teacher Advisors Learning Disabilities…

Cultural background influences one's understanding of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. More specifically, the cultural perspectives of parents and special education professionals may affect decision-making in providing appropriate services for children with disabilities. Therefore, cultural distinctions may present a unique…

This study examines and presents a discussion on school psychology services available to students with special needs in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. An in-depth case study was conducted to describe the professional development experiences of a Hong Kong school psychologist named Cindy (pseudo name). Using the case-study method with…

As a society, we are looking to schools to be or become settings where our children learn the skills for successful adulthood. We are asking educators to teach an increasingly heterogeneous population of students, some of which face additional learning challenges. Many of these students have--or will have--a significant need to develop not only…

This study investigated pre-service general education teachers' views about including children with special education needs (SEN) into general classrooms in Singapore. While attitudes towards inclusion have been studied widely in other countries, little research in this area has been done in Singapore. In this study, the pre-service general…

The goal of any educational program is to help its students to maximize their fullest potential in inclusive environments. For many students with disabilities, having an inclusive environment seems to be an ideal policy. Ironically, this policy continues to be debatable and controversial. Sometimes, the controversy or debate dominates the real…

This paper explores how parents of children with hearing impairment access counseling services in Zimbabwe. A survey design was used in which a sample of 300 parents of children with hearing impairment completed a multi-item questionnaire. Interviews were then conducted with the 300 parent-participants in order to cross-check questionnaire…

Inclusion of students with disabilities into the mainstream educational system continues to be a major issue and concern faced by many developing nations. Many individuals with disabilities face the challenge of exclusion from any form of education and failure by society to recognize their capabilities and rights. The educational system in Ghana…

Student outcome data were examined for 35 teacher education candidates working toward special education certification who used an iterative differentiated instruction process over a 5-week period. Data were analyzed across a range of content areas and ages. Results indicated statistically significant and noteworthy effects across students…

Reading disability is the most common disability. At least one in five children has significant challenges learning to read. This study focused on the oral reading performance of 30 Year-Three students. The students were identified as less proficient readers from two randomly selected primary schools in Brunei Darussalam. The oral reading…

As the need to train more teachers to work in inclusive classrooms increases, college instructors should identify and implement course assessments measuring their effectiveness in training practices. Skills in managing the challenging behaviors of students with disabilities, such as autism and emotional disturbances are important for teachers…

Collaboration seems to be an almost inherent theme in most current trends and theories shaping early childhood special education reform; so much so, that we possibly reference these theories only in terms of their collaborative nature, without fully understanding them. Response to Intervention is currently getting a great deal of attention, not…

Successful inclusion is directly related to collaboration success between the special education specialist and the general classroom teacher. The role of the special educator has undergone steady change ever since students with exceptionalities were intentionally included in regular classrooms. This role now requires effective collaborative…