After conducting a thorough review of the state of inclusion of students with disabilities in Haïti, the authors present a study that investigates the attitudes of urban and rural teachers in Haïti toward inclusion. Participants were administered the Opinions Relative to Integration (ORI) of Students with Disabilities instrument. Reliability of the ORI for Haitian teachers was .68, as determined by the Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient. Teachers’ attitudes toward integration were not associated with years of teaching experience, education was positively associated with attitudes, and teachers in rural Haïti did not differ from teachers in urban Haïti. Other findings indicated that variables representing teachers’ cognitions and beliefs were more important in predicting attitudes than variables related to the teachers’ actual experiences of teaching.... [more]

This article considers our current technologically sophisticated educational system as it attempts to meet the needs of a school population that is more diverse, needy, and exceptional than at any other point in history. The very nature of the term ‘at risk’ is based on the perception that students may dropout due to their living situation which affects their academic lives. Within this at risk population there is a further level of need which includes students who are at risk of not only failure in school but also are identified as medically fragile/technology dependent (mf/td). It is this mf/td designation that is illuminated as these students require onsite complex medical care to manage ‘multiple’ risks via technologic support, multiple team member efforts, and coping mechanisms just to complete each day.... [more]

The present paper reviews the literature regarding time-out interventions employed in home, school, and clinical settings. Characteristics examined include types of time-out, populations and settings, legal implications, and research implications. Policy recommendations for teachers, parents, and clinicians regarding time-out interventions are included.... [more]

Alchemy is an ancient philosophy on which the two modern day sciences of chemistry and analytical psychology are grounded. In education in New South Wales (NSW) at the present time, the behaviour of boys is of increasing concern to schools, to teachers, to parents and to society at large as evidenced by the over-representation of boys in school suspension figures, detention and intensive learning classes, remedial reading and behaviour units, special programs and special schools. This paper outlines an action research study of the aberrant behaviour of seven boys from Sydney schools who were all clinically diagnosed as emotionally, conduct or behaviourally disordered. Jung’s alchemic process was employed to assist each boy to understand his inner conflict and how it contributed to his behaviour. This approach was able to successfully bring about positive change in the unacceptable, challenging, aberrant behaviour of each of the boys. One boy’s process is outlined in more detail.... [more]

The hallmark of inclusive education is the teachers’ willingness to accept students with special needs. Their attitudes and knowledge about inclusive education are important as these are indicators of such willingness. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ attitudes and their perceived knowledge towards inclusive education in Malaysia. The respondents (n=235) were the mainstream and special education teachers in the public primary and secondary schools. They were given a set of questionnaire which sought their responses regarding their attitudes and knowledge towards inclusive education. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages. The main finding shows that, in general, teachers have positive attitudes towards inclusive education. They agreed that inclusive education enhances social interaction and inclusion among the students and thus, it minimizes negative stereotypes on special needs students. The findings also show that collaboration between the mainstream and the special education teachers is important and that there should be a clear guideline on the implementation of inclusive education. The findings of the study have significant implications to the school administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders who directly and indirectly involved in implementing inclusive education.... [more]

The purpose of this series of case studies was to compare the impact of Constant Time Delay and Strategic Instruction on the maintenance and generalization of learning. Four middle school students with learning disabilities were effectively taught two different groups of multiplication facts using Constant Time Delay and Strategic instruction. The researchers measured students’ levels of maintenance and generalization after receiving each type of instruction. Maintenance data were collected using 1-minute fluency probes. Generalization data were collected using timed (1-minute) and untimed probes. Strategic Instruction appeared to have a greater impact on the students’ maintenance and generalization of multiplication skills. The students’ performance and perceptions are discussed in terms of potential implications for the classroom.... [more]

Swaziland is planning to introduce inclusive education as part of education for all. The innovation may benefit learners with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD). A purposive teacher sample (N = 47) was used to generate and identify behavioural problems that are prevalent in Swazi schools. Aggression was one of the many conduct disorders cited. Using a purposive sample of 300 students, the study found aggression to be indeed a problem among upper primary and junior high school students. The type of school attended was found to be correlated with aggression. Students with moderate to severe aggressive behaviours were found on all categories of learners used in the study. However a significant difference in the number of aggressive students was obtained on only two variables, the type of school students attended and the kind of guardians students lived with at home. There were more students with aggressive tendencies in government schools than other types of schools. Furthermore, aggressive students lived mainly with both biological parents. Teachers rely mainly on punishment to deal with aggressive students. The findings have implications for the ongoing educational reforms concerning inclusive education in Swaziland. Three major recommendations were made to address them. Teacher skills in handling aggressive cases need to be enhanced by both preservice and inservice courses. School counselors need to be appointed to provide suitable psychological intervention. Finally, a more detailed investigation using qualitative procedures was recommended to gain in-depth insights into the problem and its solutions.... [more]

The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the reading comprehension of hearing impaired 8th graders who are being trained through an auditory-oral approach. The evaluation is conducted through miscue analysis using complex stories. To realize this aim, the following research questions are formulated. (1) To what extent do hearing impaired K-8 students use the language cue systems (i.e. syntax, semantics and graphophnonics) during reading. (2) What is their reading comprehension level? (3) Is there a consistency between the mistakes they make and their reading comprehension levels? Ten severe to profoundly hearing impaired secondary students who are at the Research and Education Center for Children with Hearing Impairment (i.e. ?ÇEM) at Anadolu University participated in the current descriptive study. Since there is not any ready reading inventory in Turkey, stories with different levels along with retelling, question-answer and fill-in-the-blanks forms regarding those stories were prepared. Results suggest that when hearing impaired students read a story at their instructional level, they do use their knowledge of syntax, semantics and graphophnonics, they understand what they read and there is a consistency between the mistakes they make and their reading comprehension.... [more]

A remedial spelling training approach is presented which systematically combines certain visualizing and verbalizing methods to foster dyslexic students' orthographic knowledge and strategy use. It essentially depends upon an integrative application of algorithmic graphs and verbal self-instructions: Visualization and verbalization are intended to focus the students’ attention, cognitions, and behaviors on the algorithmic rule components for enhancing their task orientation and self-regulation skills. To that degree, the intervention must provide an intensive and consistent cognitive modeling phase as well as a broad range of special training materials which, in particular, are comprised of various algorithmic and self-instructional task formats. In the present replication study the temporal training effects on the spelling test performance of 9 students with severe spelling difficulties were evaluated. Achievement-related pre-test and follow-up data were analyzed after a treatment time of 40 hours. Empirical results could demonstrate individually and statistically significant gains in students’ general and error-specific spelling test performance – in both systematically trained and, to a somewhat lower degree, only incidentally considered spelling skill areas.... [more]

The purpose of the current study was to determine the types of psychiatric disorders and the corresponding medications prescribed to children enrolled in elementary Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD) programs. The project employed a questionnaire that was distributed to elementary level teachers (EBD) to: (a) determine the proportion of children identified with single and multiple psychiatric disorders; (b) determine the proportion of children treated with single and multiple psychiatric medications; (c) investigate possible adverse drug interactions for children receiving combinations of medications for their psychiatric disorders; and (d) assess the attitudes of teachers (EBD) concerning the use of psychiatric medication to treat elementary level children. Results revealed 76.8% of the 617 students were identified as having one or more psychiatric disorder(s) and 21.2% of students were identified as having been diagnosed with multiple psychiatric disorders. Approximately 65% of the elementary students in EBD programs were identified as receiving psychiatric medication for the treatment of one or more psychiatric disorders. Fifteen percent of students were identified as receiving combinations of medications, and 6.2% were identified as receiving three or more medications concurrently. Implications of the rates of pharmacological treatment of children and potential concomitant target and adverse effects were discussed.... [more]

We propose that a model for early screening of children aged 3-5 years for vulnerability for learning disabilities risk can result in preventive interventions, including collaborative interventions planned through parent-professional partnership. The goals of screening and preventive services would be to mitigate increased risk of learning disabilities in elementary school years. The present article describes the rationale for early screening, dimensions that should comprise brief screening tools for use from ages 3-5 years, and potential preventive interventions that have empirical support.... [more]

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to placement in special education for males and females. The conceptual approach included individual, family, and school characteristics believed to influence educational performance and outcomes with emphasis was given to variables for with evidence of differential effects for males and females. Using the nationally representative, longitudinal NELS-88 data set, a logistic regression model examined the extent to which individual, family, and school characteristics were differentially associated (for male and female students) with identification for special education. The model identified a variety of characteristics associated with identification for special education, but only one individual characteristic, self-concept, for which the effect was different for male and female students. Recommendations for secondary education and transition practices and research were offered related to self-concept with respect to differences across gender, racial/ethnic, and disability status.... [more]

The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions and perspectives of special education teachers and parents of children in special education regarding the implementation of individualized instruction within the special education system in the People’s Republic of China. The study group consisted of a random sample of 344 parents of children in special education and 100 special education teachers in Beijing. Valid and reliable questionnaires were developed. Analysis of data from questionnaires showed that special education teachers had a positive attitude towards utilizing and providing individualized instruction, but also had concerns. Analysis of data from parents’ questionnaires showed that parents needed to learn to advocate for their children, wanted improved parent-teacher communication, but also had concerns. This study revealed potential barriers for implementing individualized instruction in China. American and Western educational programs and services may benefit the development of special education in China, but they need to be culturally sensitive and appropriate for the economic, social, and cultural realities and individualized and localized to China and its education system. Challenges and difficulties in the process of implementing specific imported educational programs should be addressed. Recognition of and attention to parents and special education teachers’ responses will assist Chinese colleagues, politicians, and school leaders in this process... [more]

The past ten years have seen a growing drive towards ‘full inclusion’ of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in schools. However, concerns about whether inclusion for children with ASD is synonymous with their right to appropriate education have been raised amongst researchers. The current study aimed to ascertain the views of both professionals, and parents of children with ASD, regarding inclusion of children with ASD into mainstream schools by using a series of focus groups. A content analysis was used, and the results showed that parents and professionals agreed that school factors, such as school commitment; and LEA factors, such as funding, were fundamental to the success of inclusion. Professionals felt that child factors such as behavioural problems, and learning difficulties, were the primary reason for exclusion from mainstream. Significantly, both groups agreed that in order to improve successful inclusion, there needed to be more openness to alternatives to mainstream for children with ASD.... [more]

The diagnosis of high functioning autism (HFA) is not the end of comprehensive assessments. Since the 1970s, although a great deal of research has focused on developing effective educational approaches and interventions for children with autism, there is an increasing need to develop differentially effective educational approaches or interventions that are specifically for children with HFA. This paper reviews several effective, evidence based interventions that are widely used by special educators and professionals as best practices in the United States, including structured teaching approaches, peer-medicated interventions, self-monitoring or self-management strategies, video modeling, and social stories, with a hope that people in other places of the world can also find these interventions beneficial in teaching children with HFA.... [more]

This exploratory study is concerned with the performance of Egyptian children with Down syndrome on counting and error detection tasks and investigates how these children acquire counting. Observations and interviews were carried out to collect further information about their performance in a class context. Qualitative and quantitative analysis suggested a notable deficit in counting in Egyptian children with Down syndrome with none of the children able to recite the number string up to ten or count a set of five objects correctly. They performed less well on tasks which added more load on memory. The tentative finding of this exploratory study supported previous research findings that children with Down syndrome acquire counting by rote and links this with their learning experiences.... [more]