This paper presents and selectively reviews the data-based literature regarding guided notes, choral responding, and response cards (ASR). These ASR procedures as designed to increase the opportunities for students to respond and improve their academic performance. Each of these procedures were effective in increasing student performance in history, reading, and math. The various unique applications of each of these procedures were outlined and reviewed. Suggestions for classroom applications as well as areas of future research and application were made.... [more]

Curriculum planning for the intellectually disabled must be forward looking, giving due consideration to the students’ current and future needs, sensitive to the environments in which the individuals will ultimately be expected to adapt and function after leaving school. In this survey, the emphasis is seeking the teachers’ perceptions on what constitute a more functional and comprehensive curriculum for enhancing the independence and employability of the students, having earlier done focus group interviews with all the stakeholders, namely, teachers, employers, parents and ex-students regarding the relevancy of the curriculum.... [more]

This research study focused on the special nature (i.e. different from mainstream education) of special education and the experiences of teachers with regard to the challenges they face in teaching the mentally handicapped child. Special schoolteachers have the responsibility to offer not only good, but also highly individualized and goal-directed instruction. The aim with the research was to investigate the following research questions: What are the experiences of teachers regarding the major challenges they face in the education of the mentally handicapped child? What guidelines can be provided to these teachers? A qualitative study, with a descriptive, explorative, subjective and contextual research design was chosen, using a phenomenological approach to data collection. This inductive approach was considered to be appropriate for the investigation, because it would enable an in-depth investigation into the matter. The research was open and not directed by a conceptual framework or hypothesis. The research was undertaken in two phases: Phase one entailed an exploration and description of the experiences of teachers with regard to the challenges they face in teaching the mentally handicapped child. This was accomplished by conducting in-depth, personal phenomenological interviews at a specific special education school in Port Elizabeth. The research population was selected purposively in order to obtain rich information and participants were met in their own context. In Phase two, guidelines were derived from the results of Phase one, to assist teachers in teaching the mentally handicapped child, and to approach the challenges they experience more confidently and competently. Throughout the research, steps were taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the proceedings, inter alia by using Guba’s model of data verification. Ethical principles were also upheld throughout the study. The transcripts were analyzed by using the descriptive analysis method of Tesch (Creswell, 1994:155), as well as a re-coding procedure by an independent coder. Significant results were obtained and these serve as the basis for the guidelines that can be suggested.... [more]

Although many studies have been published about inclusive education there is still a prevalent displeasure around the world with the inclusive capabilities of many schools and teachers. Despite the fact that teachers generally follow the rules suggested by the literature that lead to inclusion it seems that something is still missing. In my opinion it is that teachers and schools fail to spot and pay attention to certain details and that this has a major effect on their efforts to provide equal participation in teaching and learning for all students. My argument in this paper is that if we pay attention to and consider those particular details it may help us to provide more inclusive practice... [more]

This unique study used qualitative research methodology to investigate the first 18 years of parenting experiences of a mother of a child with autism. The purpose of this single case study was to record and understand the effect of autism on a mother’s life retrospectively, to identify and analyse issues and themes that have shaped her life, to understand the stages and characteristics of a parent adaptation to a child with autism, and to form implications that could be learned from the participant’s experiences. It is written as a narrative which is a form of meaning making that organizes human experiences into temporally meaningful episodes. By using the narrative approach, the authors were able to authentically document the steps of accepting a child’s handicapping condition, which is an extremely difficult and often a heart-breaking process. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Eleven consistent themes emerged from the interview data. One new theme; falling apart which was coined by the authors, and two coping strategies; advocating and setting limits, surfaced which were not represented previously in the literature. These new discoveries, the participant’s successful instrumental and palliative coping strategies and the implications of having a child with autism on her life are discussed.... [more]

A qualitative study was conducted to describe and explain the educational program at the Ann Sullivan Center, a nationally and internationally recognized program for individuals with disabilities in Peru. The program provides educational programming to individuals with autism, severe disabilities and challenging behaviors across the lifespan. A case study approach was implemented through focused interviews and direct observation. The participants of the interview segment were educational administrators, teachers and parents. The study found four key factors contributing to the success of the program: the school community; program philosophy; continual training of teachers and families; and teacher attributes.... [more]

A classroom intervention employing math racetracks was carried out to teach math facts to two elementary students with learning disabilities. A math racetrack is a drill and practice procedure where known and unknown facts are placed on a sheet of paper like an oval racetrack. The effectiveness of using math racetracks was evaluated with a multiple baseline design across problem sets. The results indicated that math racetracks were successful in increasing the skill sets of both participants in math. This provides a novel replication of employing a racetrack procedure that has been effective in reading, to elementary students in math. The practical implications of employing racetrack like procedures are discussed.... [more]

This study evaluated the effects of educational games on the performance of eight elementary school students with learning disabilities. The effects of educational games were evaluated in a multiple baseline design across students. The results indicated that each student improved their performance on reading when educational games were in effect. These differences were also educationally significant. Practical considerations and implications of educational games for adoption in the classroom were discussed.... [more]

Conjoint behavioural consultation (CBC) is an indirect form of service delivery in which parents and teachers are joined together in a collaborative effort to meet the academic, social, and behavioral needs of children. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the utility of CBC as a method of supporting the inclusion of 2 students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in mainstream classrooms. A case study design with replication across participants and a follow-up phase was employed to assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based intervention (self-management) delivered in the context of the CBC model. Results indicated a significant increase in teacher ratings of behavioural control (on-task and compliant behavior) from baseline to treatment. Positive treatment effects were maintained at a 4-week follow-up. Norm referenced measures produced statistically reliable and clinically meaningful changes in teachers’ perceptions of disruptive behavior following treatment. Parents and teachers indicated satisfaction with consultation services and viewed CBC as an acceptable and effective model of home-school collaboration and shared problem-solving. The findings are discussed in relation to the limitations of the study, and to future research directions and implications for practice.... [more]

This pilot qualitative case study was designed to investigate how the quality of life (QOL) of a child with Asperger’s Disorder was impacted by her placement in an inclusive education setting which provided no specialized social skills instruction. Direct and indirect data were gathered and examined regarding themes that centered around QOL dimensions and exemplary indicators derived from the body of literature regarding QOL measurement for persons with disabilities. Positive results included participant satisfaction with physical safety, teacher acceptance, and access to needed materials. Other findings indicated the need for social skills instruction and individualized instruction in non-applied abstract learning activities. Additional findings from the study demonstrated the need for a more comprehensive individualized education program (IEP) and more rigorous implementation of the IEP.... [more]

Since the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 functional assessment has become popular in designing interventions for people with challenging behaviour. The purpose of this study was to assess the applications of functional and structural analysis in the assessment of problem behaviour. The study analysed the extent to which studies either utilized functional or structural analysis methods and whether these studies were conducted in applied or analogue settings. Results of the study showed that 95% of the 101 studies were functional analysis studies while 5% were structural analysis studies. The studies also indicated that 94% of the studies were conducted in analogue settings against 6% conducted in applied settings.... [more]

According to recent studies, individuals with hearing loss seem to benefit from certain models or strategies, such as text related questions, designed according to the balanced literacy approach. Questions about story grammar that are asked after reading help readers organize and summarize the text. Therefore, it has been found worth to explore the impacts of text related questions following reading on story grammar acquisition of three Turkish youths with hearing loss attending a Vocational College in Turkey. The data of this action research effort have been compiled based on the cyclical actions through compiling a research journal, students’ products, archival information, interviews, and videotaped data. The pre-and-post test results, the student portfolios and the actual post questioning activity derived from the videotaped data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results indicated that verbal and nonverbal strategies the teacher applied and the unique contributions of each student during the post reading activity enhanced each student’s story comprehension. However, in order for the students to acquire story grammar , they still needed more and various experiences... [more]

This paper briefly introduces Early Intervention (EI) issues in five countries including Zimbabwe, Poland, People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, and the United States of America (USA). In the overview section the national background, including religious, socio-economic development, and political systems, its policies, laws and acts, are delineated, since all of these factors combine together to impact the EI development in each specific country. Next, different approaches used in these five countries are introduced and compared. Lastly, a matrix is used to contrast EI development in five countries. In conclusion the author, taking into account cultural norms and other issues, points out strengths and weaknesses in each country and suggests ways in which countries might benefit from others practices and experiences. ... [more]

The education of children with visual impairments or blindness combined with other disabilities is increasingly recognized as one of the most compelling and challenging aspects of Special Education. We have come to recognize the multiple effects of combined sensory, neurological and/or psychological problems Visual and movement impairments impose many obstacles on a child s ability to explore and interact with the social and physical environment. This population is so diverse, so various in all psychological and physical dimensions that it only with attention to the individual child that we can discover how best to work with him or her. When families feel that there is a future for their child, they are enabled in countless ways to put their deepest fears to rest and help us get on with the education of their children.Understanding of the processes of development enlighten the approach to the evaluation of what children have learned and are able to learn. Language and communication play a central role and provide a conceptual framework for educational interventions . Children who are able to communicate with the people around them are able to function and participate in decisions about their lives. Language and communication provide a conceptual framework for educational intervention. The power of educational intervention has never been more forcefully demonstrated than in the education children with multiple disabilities.... [more]

Determining the most appropriate intervention to address student problem behavior may be a difficult dilemma encountered by school psychologists during consultation activities with special education teachers. IDEA (1997) promotes the least restrictive environment and the least intrusive interventions that can be effective. The intrusiveness of assessment and interventions applied to a problem behavior should involve a positive correlation with the severity of problem behavior with more severe problems warranting more intrusive interventions. This matching of more intrusive interventions to more severe problem behaviors may not be representative of actual practice in education. This type of relationship also infers that more intrusive interventions warrant more extensive assessment procedures although conceptually, more extensive assessments should lead to less intrusive interventions. The ethical issues associated with the intrusiveness of assessment and intervention procedures are discussed within the context of ensuring the least intrusive intervention. Some issues of intrusive interventions to be discussed are the nature and occurrence of the problem behavior, previous interventions attempted, justification of proposed treatments, implementation of proposed treatments, and methods of monitoring and assessing intrusive interventions.... [more]