Three encouraging trends in special education are greater focus on instruction, emphasis on positive approaches to problem behavior, and greater reliance on scientific evidence. Next steps involving instruction should include research on modifications of instruction needed to accommodate learners with disabilities and on the place in which these…

This article critiques the treatment of disability as cultural difference by the theorists of the "social model" and "minority group model" of disability. Both models include all of the various disabling conditions under one term--disability--and fail to distinguish disabilities from cultural differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, or gender…

Diversity of instructional needs requires diversity in instructional groups. Teaching all children well requires that they be grouped homogeneously for instruction. Instruction must not be secondary to placement in special education. The ideology of full inclusion works against good instruction in some cases. The ultimate test of special education…

In this article, the practical aspects of clothing are compared to effective practices in special education. Actual competence is more important than the appearance, or cloak, of competence. It is argued that speaking openly about disability will do more to reduce its stigma than will euphemisms. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article explores different viewpoints on special education reform, including conceptualizations of disability, the purpose of special education, beliefs about the expected outcomes of special education, and understanding of the current state of knowledge. How these different views can be bridged by focusing on early detection and prevention…

This paper addresses issues of sameness and differences in the context of the history of special education and current themes of inclusiveness. Urges educators to confront differences as scientists and helpers, neither denying their existence nor caricaturing their idiosyncrasies. (DB)

Microcomputer simulation of pupils offers one means of addressing some of the practical problems of teacher training. A simulation is described and general findings to date are summarized. Anticipated developments and potential benefits are discussed. (Author/CL)

In response to previous articles concerning needs in educational research, the article notes that interventions with handicapped children are inappropriate when based on improbable extrapolations from initial data and when advocates' interpretations are naively literal. Both quantitative research and alternatives (such as qualitative research) are…

This survey found significant relationships between 54 general classroom teachers' expectations of student behavior and their judgment of pupils being at risk. Teachers who judged more adaptive behaviors as critical and more maladaptive behaviors as unacceptable judged the absence of more adaptive behaviors and presence of more maladaptive…

Because research does not support the efficacy of any single service delivery arrangement for all mildly handicapped and at-risk students, the best approach is to maintain familiar service delivery structures while testing new ones. Direct instruction and behavioral interventions are probably the most effective classroom strategies with most of…