There is an increasing interest in the role of peers in facilitating the social interaction skills of pupils with autism spectrum disorder through peer-mediated interventions (PMI). Several reviews provide promising evidence for the effectiveness of this approach; however, there has been limited consideration of the range of outcome foci and…

In line with current educational policy on inclusive education, the number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) attending mainstream schools is increasing. However, concerns remain about their experiences in school. In particular, previous research has suggested that such pupils are at an increased risk of social exclusion. In light of…

This study investigated the perceived benefits of five adolescents with an intellectual disability functioning as tutors or teacher assistants in physical education. Their personal experiences and interpretations were ascertained by interviews, video recording, photographs, and field observations. An interpretative phenomenological analysis…

This article discusses the extent to which former special needs students--now in their late 20s--achieve economic independence. The emphasis is on class placement--that is, whether being educated in special or regular classes in upper secondary school contributes to favourable occupational outcomes. The empirical evidence is based on interviews of…

This paper reports the results of a study which has been carried out for the first time in Cyprus, with the aim of exploring the views of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) children (who attend secondary general schools, and use an auditory/oral approach), as well as the perceptions of their parents, teachers and head teachers on their academic and…

An evaluation of two pilot projects of inclusion of students from special schools for moderate and severe learning difficulties in mainstream primary and secondary schools in south-west England stimulated the development of a methodology and tools to measure levels and quality of inclusive activity. The unresolved theoretical debate about what…

This paper addresses the intersection between the inclusion of students with special needs and those with cultural/linguistic differences. Using data from a qualitative study in a rural secondary school in Spain, the author found that school personnel effectively distinguished between cultural needs and cognitive deficits. However, a one-way model…

There is a great need in many countries for extended and new teacher competence to meet the challenges of inclusive education. This paper presents a national programme for developing new teacher competence in secondary schools in Norway. The programme was developed and implemented during the 1990s, its aim being to start a continuing process in…

In 1994 a comprehensive reform of upper secondary education was introduced in Norway, giving all 16-year-olds--including SEN students--a statutory right to enter upper secondary. In a longitudinal study following a representative group of SEN students through upper secondary from 1994 until 1999, the main findings were: (1) SEN students in special…