Personal narrative ability is crucial for social-emotional well-being and classroom participation. This study investigated the ability of 10 school-age participants with Down syndrome to share past personal experiences with their teacher aides in their school environment. To participate, children were required to speak in short sentences and be…

Sixty-three New Zealand schools were surveyed concerning establishment of Support Teacher positions to assist children with special needs. Results are discussed in terms of drift from the support team model, differences between primary and secondary schools in model implementation, the importance of training, and the importance of an active…

This paper argues that New Zealand's policy to close special classes for students with mild intellectual disability represents a premature and unsound reduction in available educational options and that available resources are grossly insufficient to provide quality special educational services for all "children with educational and social…

Recent changes in New Zealand educational administration are empowering parents to seek integration into mainstream classrooms for their children with disabilities. These changes include an emerging economic model of schools, the establishment of the right of all children to education in state schools, and recognition of the rights of Maori…