For children with special educational needs, seeds were sown for the move away from segregated settings to inclusion in mainstream settings following the 1978 Warnock Report. However, the "special versus mainstream school" debate was re-ignited in 2005 when Warnock recommended a more significant role for special schools than previously…

Room management is described as a behavioral strategy developed in Great Britain and designed to increase the percentage of time that handicapped children are engaged in independent, constructive activity. Used with severely multiply handicapped children, least responsive children were unlikely to be engaged unless receiving individual attention.…

The National Foundation for Educational Research surveyed 77 local education authorities, 268 special schools, and 23 inservice training institutions in England and Wales concerning support services for integration of special needs students. The survey obtained information on local authority services, links between ordinary schools and special…

Twenty-seven classroom assistants in British special schools were surveyed. Results are summarized in the following areas: job title; length of service; training and qualifications; union membership, job description, and contracts; duties; relationships between teachers and assistants; relationships with children; and aspirations. A comparison…

Support teaching for children with special needs in regular classrooms in Great Britain is discussed. Focus is on a definition of classroom support, tutorial support, an example of in-class support, influencing factors for effective classroom support, and the role of the support teacher. (DB)

New curriculum initiatives in Great Britain are reviewed for their effect on special needs students from 14 to 19 years old. Changes include restructuring the secondary curriculum, new examinations, and organizational changes. Also noted is greater centralization of educational policy. (DB)

The article describes the new British system, GCSE (General Certification of Secondary Education), which establishes national criteria with centrally determined syllabuses and a single examination for all students at the 16 plus level. Effects of the new system on special needs students and teachers are noted. (DB)

The article describes effects on handicapped students of Great Britain's "Technical and Vocational Education Initiative." The initiative provides vocational and general education programs (often modular) which frequently include structured work experiences and is designed to bridge the gap between school and work for 14- to 18-year-old…

The "Lower Attaining Pupils Programme" uses modular/integrated approaches to improve educational attainments and self esteem for students with mild to moderate learning difficulties aged 14-16 in Great Britain. Among suggested changes are more integrated days/courses for special and ordinary school pupils. (DB)

The article describes the "Certificate of Prevocational Education" (CPVE), designed to provide British students (including special needs students) over age 16 with a one-year modular, full time framework of core and vocational studies to aid transition from school to work. Curriculum areas include personal and career development, social…

The article describes the "Youth Training Scheme'" designed to provide British students over age 16 with a two-year vocational training program to develop job competence or a range of occupational skills. Special provisions for special needs students include improving program accessibility and extending the age of entry. (DB)

The article describes the decision making process of one British special secondary school serving students with moderate learning difficulties when choosing among the various government sponsored educational initiatives. The modular approach offered by the Technical and Vocational Educational Initiative as well as development of student Records of…

The article looks at issues in the application of recent curriculum and training initiatives to disabled young people in Great Britain including: definitions of special educational needs, the definition of handicap, integration, transition to adult life, the need for an individual transition plan, and the influene of new education policies.…

The difficulties experienced by deaf parents' hearing children (n=10) as they approached puberty were studied and compensatory education programs sought for them through residential and regular schools. The children exhibited conversational difficulties, memory problems, reasoning difficulties, and poor language comprehension. Children's…

Eight British special schools for students (aged 2-19) with severe learning difficulties were surveyed for information on treatment of various aspects of sex education, teaching methods, and resources used. The findings were applied to the issues of curriculum, resources, staff development, parent involvement, school policy, and local authority…