Education of the Children with Asperger Syndrome:The Digital Illustrated Book for the Children with Asperger Syndrome

This article presents a research project that deals with education of the children with Asperger syndrome and designs a digital illustrated book for the children.This sort of learning material,in terms of psychological evidence and practical application,can promote their learning interest and the learning outcome.     

Exploring pupil participation within a sustainable school

This research aimed to explore the factors having an effect on enhanced active pupil participation in the context of the sustainable school. The research was applied during a school year to a primary school in Lavrion (Greece), with the participation of two teachers and pupils from two classes of the upper two grades. Action Research was the method selected to organise the research conducted in the framework of a school programme focusing on sustainable waste management. It involved activities both at school and within the local community. An analysis of research results showed that specific perceptions of both pupils and teachers, some of the features of the learning processes adopted, and the current school culture were the determining factors, either facilitating, or inhibiting active pupil participation. The action research enabled teachers not only to identify factors inhibiting active pupil participation, but also to intervene to manage them.     

The integration of career education concepts into the training of school psychologists

This article was written to demonstrate how career education concepts and techniques can he integrated into school psychology training programs. Each basic career education phase was presented along with implications for training programs. Adoption of these procedures should produce individuals with a clear career commitment to the profession of school psychology as well as the skills necessary to function effectively upon initial employment.     

阿斯珀格氏综合征儿童的特征和教育前景

阿斯珀格氏综合征作为儿童弥漫性发育障碍的一种，与孤独症有一些相似的特征，但同时具有自身的特点，这类儿童智力正常或超常，甚至表现出一定的天才特质，应引起教育的重视和关注。阿斯珀格氏综合征儿童的主要特征是社会交往问题、言语和非言语的双向沟通困难、狭隘的兴趣爱好以及刻板重复固执的行为方式等，阿斯珀格氏综合征与孤独症和天才既有区别也有联系，研究和探讨这些区别和联系并关注他们在教育中面临的问题和前景，应当引起社会的重视。     

Including children with a visual impairment in the mainstream primary school classroom

This article reports on ESRC-funded research, 'Including children with visual impairment in mainstream primary school classrooms'. The inquiry comprised a multiple case study of children with visual impairment in 17 mainstream primary schools. Classroom observation and interviews were the main methods used. Interviews were conducted with all those who had a direct impact on the quality of the children's inclusion in the classrooms, such as the teaching assistant, class teacher and specialist visiting teachers, as well as with others to provide a richer contextual understanding of the teaching and learning in the schools. Overcoming barriers to the participation and learning of children with visual impairment emerged as: the provision of an adequate additional support; inclusion in the main learning processes taking place in the classroom; and good communication between the teaching team. A discussion of the meaning of inclusion in the context of the classroom is provided.     

The evaluation of a ten‐week programme in Cyprus to integrate children with multiple disabilities and visual impairments into a mainstream primary school

A basic need for a child is to belong to a group ( Maslow, 1970 ). Groups help children: to develop relationships and to foster individual mental health ( Johnson and Johnson, 1989 ); and disabled and non‐disabled children, when given assistance, can develop relationships with each other ( Sideris, 1998 ). But there are very few opportunities in Cyprus for children with multiple disabilities and visual impairment to learn alongside mainstream school children. A ten‐week pilot programme was developed and implemented in a Cypriot mainstream and specialist school to examine whether interaction between children with multiple disabilities and visual impairment and mainstream school children can be achieved through the co‐education of the two groups. Three primary school children with multiple disabilities and visual impairment from a specialist school and 15 children with no disabilities who attended a neighbouring mainstream primary school took part in this programme. Central to the programme was the principle that every child has the right to participate in common learning and playing ( Feuser, 1982 ). This paper reports those key findings from the evaluation of the programme from the perspective of the children that took part in it. We show that, even over a short period of time, co‐education can be achieved and be of benefit to both groups.     

通过美术教育促进阿斯伯格综合症儿童发展

患有阿斯伯格综合症的儿童具有明显的社交障碍,表现出局限、刻板的兴趣和活动模式,常伴有明显的动作笨拙,但认知能力正常,无明显的言语和智力障碍.本研究针对阿斯伯格综合症儿童的心理特点设计了一系列美术教育活动,选取一名实验对象,实行一对一的个别化实验教学.研究结果发现,美术教育对促进该儿童认知、注意力与观察力、表达与沟通等能力的发展,进而改善其社交状况是有效的.     

Developing mainstream resource provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder: parent and pupil perceptions

The diverse needs of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have led to a continuum of educational provision being promoted in many countries, and which is often developed at a local level. The majority of children and young people with ASD in the UK attend mainstream schools, and resourced mainstream schools are increasingly part of this continuum of provision. These schools offer additional environmental modifications and adult support over and above that normally provided by mainstream schools. How parents and pupils perceive such provisions has not previously been investigated. The current study was designed to explore the perceptions of parents and pupils in five primary and three secondary resource provision schools in one Local Authority during the pupils’ first year at the provisions. A series of interviews took place with 16 parents and 9 pupils during this initial year. Data were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecosystemic theory was used to conceptualise and organise the complex interactions between home, local education systems, school systems and sub-systems, and their impact on pupil outcomes over time. Findings and implications are discussed in relation to theory and practice.     

信息技术与学科教学整合的探索

本文结合教学实践,探讨了信息技术与学科教学整合的教学改革,介绍了培养教师、学生信息技术与学科教学整合的素质措施及成效.     

Academic achievement,pupil participation and integration of group work skills in secondary school classrooms in Trinidad and Barbados

Studies have shown a positive relationship between a rise in schooling levels and economic production [World Bank, 2005. A Time to Choose: Caribbean Development in the 21st Century. World Bank, Washington, DC; Jules, V., Panneflek, A., 2000. EFA in the Caribbean: Assessment 2000, Sub-Regional Report, vol. 2, The State of Education in the Caribbean in the 1990s. UNESCO, Kingston, Jamaica; Haddad, W.D., 1990. Education and Development; Evidence for New Priorities. World Bank Discussion Paper 95. The World Bank, Washington, DC; McClelland, D., 1969. Does Education Accelerate Economic Growth. In: Eckstein, M.A., Noah, H.J. (Eds.), Scientific Investigations in Comparative Education. Macmillan, London], but this link may be limited in systems of education where traditional pedagogic methods have been dominant (such as the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Barbados where underachievement is also associated with lack of participation and low levels of social inclusion skills by teachers: World Bank, 1992. Access, Quality and Efficiency in Caribbean Education: a Regional Study. World Bank, Washington, DC; Kutnick, P., Jules, V., Layne, A., 1997. Gender and School Achievement in the Caribbean. Department for International Development, London). Into traditional classroom contexts in Trinidad and Barbados, a new social pedagogic method was introduced by teachers and changes in attainment and motivation of pupils and attitudes of teachers were assessed over two terms in secondary schools.     

Traveller culture and lifestyle as factors influencing children's integration into mainstream secondary schools in West Belfast

In 1997, the Department of Education for Northern Ireland made the decision to mainstream Traveller children into secondary schools including those in West Belfast. Before then, Traveller children over 11 years of age remained in a dedicated school for all Traveller children of school age living within the catchment area of West Belfast. This paper presents the findings of a small‐scale research project that examined the experiences of Traveller children attending two West Belfast secondary schools which have integrated Traveller children into mainstream education since 1997. It also discusses ramifications of mainstreaming for Traveller parents in West Belfast. The project focused particularly on the following: the attitudes of Traveller children to mainstreaming and inclusion at secondary level; the possibilities mainstreaming offers for furthering the inclusion of Travellers into the community at large; and the perceptions of Traveller parents in West Belfast to mainstreaming in secondary schools.     

Perceptions of friendship among adolescents with autism spectrum conditions in a mainstream high school resource provision

Establishing and maintaining friendships is frequently challenging for young people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, few studies have explored influences on friendship development, meaning that knowledge of friendship formation processes remains limited at a critical point in social development. As friendship can impact on well-being and the success of educational inclusion, addressing this issue is important and timely. This study explores friendship among adolescents with ASC, and in particular the meaning and nature of friendship, including perceived influences on its development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants: three adolescent students with ASC, a parent of each student and key teachers. Students were found to have an understanding of friendship, although parents often felt it was theoretical and did not correlate with their own experiences. All of the students expressed a desire for friendship and reported having experienced loneliness. Friendships tended to centre on structured activities such as computer games, which provided both support and obstacles for friendship development. Further individual and contextual influences included levels of maturity, understanding of social rules, school environment and peer acceptance. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to research and practice in educational settings.     

Friendship and bullying patterns in children attending a language base in a mainstream school

This study involved perceptions of bullying in six Year 7 children attending a speech and language base part‐time and the perceptions of their mainstream peers without speech and language problems. Base‐taught children and mainstreamed peers completed a bullying questionnaire and a social inclusion survey. Base‐taught children with language difficulties rated themselves three times more likely to be bullied than mainstream peers. Half of these base children, however, rated bullying as rare. These two sub‐groups differed on the number of peers willing to “hang out” with them, suggesting language difficulties and attendance at a segregated language base together are a “risk factor” for bullying whereas peer‐acceptance may be a “protecting factor”. An intervention helping children to use a “fogging” technique did not reduce bullying perceptions. It is suggested that inclusion‐oriented ecological interventions are more likely to encourage friendships and social acceptance among the wider peer group and thus may be the most effective interventions to prevent bullying.