This article presents a case study of a child aged 12 years with a cochlear implant who is attending a mainstream educational setting in Skopje, FYR Macedonia. The study, which uses both qualitative and quantitative data, took place over a period of 12 months. It illustrates the importance of professional development and training of teachers and a…

Students with intellectual disabilities often experience school-related stress. As a result, they are confronted with many difficulties in their daily school life. The goal of this study was to assess situations of school life that students attending Greek mainstream settings are likely to experience as stressful. Twenty students with mild…

This article focuses upon the relationship between social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and learning. It argues that, while inclusion is desirable in principle, it can be highly problematic in practice. Further, it explores the contested nature of the concept of SEBD and the nature of support for pupils categorised as such. The…

Because of what are perceived by some as potential challenges it is still commonplace for research to fail to seek the opinions of pupils with multiple and complex needs. While many such pupils do have significant communication difficulties, along with other disabilities, which are undoubtedly a constraint, it is crucial in order to be inclusive,…

The number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) being educated in mainstream schools is increasing. However, there is growing concern about their educational experiences. Research suggests that such pupils make easy targets for bullies, and are considered difficult to teach by teachers. Furthermore, pupils with ASD are more than 20…

This study evaluates and compares special educational services for children with dyslexia in three different settings: special schools, reading units and mainstream resource provision. The emphasis in this paper is on the parental perspectives. Participants were the parents of dyslexic children, aged eight to thirteen, who had been accessing…

In this article Joseph Mintz explores the importance of developing positive attitudes to SEN and Inclusion among primary teacher trainees. The research reported indicates that student attitudes towards SEN/Inclusion were generally positive, but that such views are fluid and subject to change during a course of training. The article reinforces the…

In this article the author describes a small-scale study into the role of the special needs assistant (SNA) supporting the inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties in the Irish Republic. The findings regarding the perspectives of teachers, principals, SNAs, pupils supported by SNAs and their parents on the support offered to three pupils are…

Debbie Johnson is a teacher who provides an account of her involvement in researching the inclusion of pupils with Down's syndrome over a number of years. Her work has not only increased her own understanding but has had a significant influence upon her practice, both as a class teacher and in her current advisory role. Writing in a highly…

In this article Teresa Whitehurst and Amy Howells describe how pupils and staff from mainstream and special settings worked together on a project, resulting in a musical performance. They demonstrate at the outset that, even after several decades of integration and then inclusion, there remains an attitudinal hurdle to overcome. Mainstream pupils…

In this article, Laura Ann Currie and Victoria Prudnikova describe a three-year Russian/Scottish partnership designed to take forward an inclusive educational policy in the Samara Region of Russia. Education staff from West Lothian Council and Barnardo's visited the Samara Region to train staff there to help take forward their inclusion programme.…