Throughout the past two decades there has been a move away from educating children with disabilities in segregated schools to adopting a more inclusive approach within mainstream schools in all jurisdictions in Australia. This research identifies the concerns of 228 regular class teachers in Western Australia who have all been involved with the…

This study examines whether participation in a 13-week undergraduate inclusive education course covaried with an improvement in the self-efficacy of preservice elementary education teachers. We sought to determine whether self-efficacy was influenced differentially by the type of field-based placement experienced by students in the course. The…

Reports the results of an analysis of trends in the placement of students with different disabilities in New South Wales from 1986-1994. Although there was a general trend of movement of students from special schools to support classes, there were some major differences across disability groups. (Author/CR)

A survey of 273 Australian educators from special and regular primary schools found greater acceptance for the inclusion of a child with a physical disability than for a child with an intellectual disability, and a rapid decline in acceptance for both categories as the degree of disability increased. (CR)

School library provision for students with disabilities was evaluated in 15 Australian schools over four years. Although examples of good practice were found, results indicate there is a need for improvement in service delivery. The need for enhanced communication and cooperation between school librarians and special education teachers is…

This essay reviews "Special Education: A Matter of Choice" (Josephine Jenkinson), a book that discusses the major issues and changes that have occurred in special education in the various states and territories of Australia over the past 30 years. It is concluded that the book is an extremely useful guide. (CR)

Describes the reported practices in literacy assessment, recording, and reporting in 12 Australian schools characterized by populations of diverse learners. Findings indicate the problems and challenges that teachers face in providing socially just and inclusive literacy assessment in heterogeneous classrooms. Recommendations related to literacy…

The Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale explored attitudes of 1,346 Australian preservice teachers to people with disabilities. The best fitting model was found to be one in which there were four factors: discomfort, sympathy, embarrassment, and vulnerability. Changes in attitudes after a one-year training course were found to be minimal.…

A study investigated the factors influencing 193 Australian parents in choosing either an integrated setting or a special school for their children with disabilities. Mainstream parents gave high rating to normalization and academic aspects, while special-school parents emphasized special programs, teacher-student ratios, and the child's…

A study examined the development of language and literacy skills in 30 Australian young adults with Down syndrome. Results indicated all but one had learned to read and that there was a positive relationships between age, attendance at integrated schools, and achievement in reading and language skills. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article discusses the impact of legislative and special education policy on the educational enrollment of students with a disability across Australia. Enrollment trends in New South Wales and Victoria are examined and discussed within the context of their respective special education policies, disability discrimination legislation, and…

An instrument was developed to assess needs of students with disabilities in regular classes and was used as the basis for providing funding support for 12,375 students. The three domains of the instrument, physical needs, learning needs, and social needs, had good construct and face validities and high score reliabilities. (Contains 10…