Teaching Special Education

Considerable research in the past 30 years has accumulated regarding the academic and social functioning of youngsters with disabilities. Only in the past decade has there been sufficient special education research published from which meta-analyses and syntheses can be conducted. In this volume, seven sets of authors grapple with synthesizing the knowledge base on an array of critical topics in the field of special education. Among others, specific chapters include: * a synthesis of what is known about effective instructional grouping practices for reading. * an examination of the differences between students classified as learning disabled and other low-achieving students on a range of academic performance measures. * a review of effective instruction for English-language learners. * an examination of the research on behavioral supports for low-incidence special education populations. * a synthesis on how technology supports literary development, across the full spectrum of disabilities categories. These papers provide up-to-date, informative summaries of current knowledge and a base from which further venture into the critical area of instructional intervention in special education can occur.

Teachers need to be fully equipped to respond to diversity in today's classrooms now more than ever before. The Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status and Induction Standards are now the driving force behind initial teacher education, and students will need to demonstrate their competence against these, and in particular, their understanding of Special Educational Needs in today's inclusive classrooms. Each chapter of this indispensable text explores an important topic within SEN and directly relates it to the competencies, making it an essential course companion. Chapters on topics relating to the code of practice, school policy, literacy and numeracy, ICT, emotional and behavioural difficulties and dealing with parents all follow a similar template, which includes: *A commentary on the relevant professional standards *Contextualising of the standards *What teachers can do to promote effective practice Detailed referencing will lead students to pursue more detailed individual texts, which address many of the issues in greater depth. This is an ideal, highly accessible text for student and new qualified teachers who need a reliable introduction to today's vital issues within Special Educational Needs.

Special educators are facing new challenges at the beginning of the 21st century as public education is being reformed by a vision focusing on measurable student outcomes. The future course of the field will be shaped by the policy and programmatic responses to several issues, including demographic changes in student populations, a lack of certified special education teachers, criticism in the public media for the rising costs of services, and debates about the preferred philosophy of service delivery for students with disabilities. Additional chapters discuss university-school collaboration, charter schools, disability studies, school violence, disproportionality in placement, male African-American teachers, and ethics.

The British Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA, September 2002) will have a major impact on Higher Education and Further Education provisions. This essential book addresses the learning needs of impaired and disabled students. It suggests effective responses for those designing and delivering the curriculum, discusses flexible teaching strategies and distinctive modes of learning, and gives expert insights into how individuals may learn in special ways. Leading contributors cover the whole student experience, from academic learning to social dimensions. The book is not exclusively concerned with the SENDA; it shows how to look beyond any particular impairment to the potential of the student to learn to think with clarity and critical awareness within their chosen discipline. Key contents: * from exclusion to inclusion: the context; * visual, auditory and physical impairments; * specific learning issues (including dyslexia, autism and Asperger's syndrome); * mental health issues; * issues for pedagogy and practical guidance.

Comparative special education is a topic rarely covered in research. This is a ground-breaking assessment of special education services for students with mild disabilities in eight Latin American countries (Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay). Considering that people with mild disabilities comprise more than two-thirds of the disabled population in the world, this is an important area of study. The editors have identified two broad areas in which experiences could be recounted: the provision of services and the preparation of personnel. The focus is on the elementary education level, although early intervention and secondary education are also discussed.