The "Special Education 2000" initiative (Ministry of Education, 1998) led to the creation of the role of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). The role was designed to support inclusion, provide consistent service, and bring about improved outcomes for students with learning and behaviour difficulties and their teachers in…

Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) are specialised teachers who work in regular schools to help facilitate the presence, participation and learning of students who experience difficulties with learning and behaviour. In focusing upon the RTLB principle of a "collaborative and seamless model of service" (Ministry of…

This paper examines the Incredible Years Parent and Teacher Programmes that have originated from the work of Webster-Stratton. It provides a brief background on the programmes and a critical analysis of the issues as identified in current literature. The issues can be grouped into four main categories, the first being government decision-making…

The Ministry of Education has set the target of 100% of New Zealand schools to be "mostly" inclusive by 2014. But what are the essential elements of inclusion? This paper explores essential core elements that allow inclusion to flourish. Based on an extensive time in the field as part of a year-long doctoral research project, these…

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder resulting from chromosome 21 having three copies (trisomy 21). Cognitive functioning and anatomical features cause speech and language development delay (Kumin, 2003). Children with DS generally enjoy communication (Schoenbrodt, 2004), and respond well to interaction and social scripts. Music therapy has…

Tape Assisted Reading Programmes (TARPs), and more recently, other forms of audio recorded stories, have been used in New Zealand schools to help students with reading difficulties. Many claims are made about the positive effects of such programmes on general reading ability and progress. However, this paper, informed by research, states that such…

Since 1989, teacher aides have become a familiar part of our classrooms as they support students with special educational needs. International and New Zealand research shows that despite many teacher aide practices that effectively support student learning in inclusive settings, there are some practices that work against the inclusion of some…

Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) have supported more than 15,000 students since RTLB 1999 by assisting teachers to manage and support students with learning or behaviour difficulties within inclusive classroom environments. Research indicates that there are long term positive educational effects for students receiving short-term…

Primary teacher training programmes in New Zealand do not provide training about specific communication disorders (SCDs), despite prevalence of SCDs of approximately 7%. This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a three-hour professional development (PD) programme for a specialised group of primary teachers, Special Education Needs…

This article presents the results of an on-line questionnaire answered by 137 parents of children with ASD. The questionnaire sought parental opinion about what content and messages should be included in a DVD about ASD. Parents' predominant messages were that: ASD is not an illness that can be cured; children with ASD think and act differently;…

Dynamic Ecological Analysis (DEA) is a model of practice which increases a teams' efficacy by enabling the development of more effective interventions through collaboration and collective reflection. This process has proved to be useful in: a) clarifying thinking and problem-solving, b) transferring knowledge and thinking to significant parties,…

The Ministry of Education (MOE) funds a range of specialist education services for children and young people with special education needs. To ensure consistent quality service provision, generic Specialist Service Standards have been developed through a collaborative process involving representatives from the broad range of special education…

This article is the story of a school's journey from a deficit model of special education needs programming to an inclusive model of student learning support. The heart of this journey was the identification and management of tensions and complexities surrounding educational beliefs, school values, and pedagogical practices. This article will…

When teachers participate in professional development and learning opportunities it enables them to reconceptualise their assessment and teaching practices with the support of facilitators and researchers. National programmes of professional development and research, such as the three year Enhancing Effective Practice in Special Education (EEPiSE)…