Early childhood special education pictorial literacy activities for young children with disabilities

Summary Alternative literacy activities can be adapted to complement the speech and language programs that have been developed to assist learners with disabilities. Pictorially based alternative literacy programs may involve rebus symbols, augmentative and alternative communication devices, or picture reading. Because these programs do not assume extensive language development, they can be appropriate for children with severe learning problems as a foundation or replacement for typical early reading activities.     

Inclusion of young children with special needs in early childhood education: The research base

Increasingly, early childhood programs include children with disabilities and typically developing children. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent empirical literature that underlies the practice of inclusion at the early childhood level in order to provide a context for the research articles appearing in this issue of ECRQ. We first describe the definitions of inclusion, rationales for inclusive classes, and demographics of inclusive programs and staff. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a conceptual framework, we review research related to variables proximal to the program (i.e., microsystem and mesosystem levels) such as classroom practices, children's social interactions, teacher beliefs, and professional collaboration. Next, we examine research associated with variables occurring more distally from the classroom program (i.e., exosystem and macrosystem levels): families' perspectives, social policy, community and culture. We conclude this review with an examination of research that illustrates the influence of variables a one level of the ecological system on those occurring at a different levels and recommend directions for future research.     

Inclusive education: Ireland's education provision for children with special educational needs

The concept of inclusive education is a relatively new phenomenon within the Irish education system, with considerable developments in government policy only occurring since the early 1990s. These developments are aiming to advance special education provisions and legislation for individuals with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN). This increased attention is illustrated by the Special Education Review Committee (SERC) report, the report of the Government Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, A Strategy for Equality (1996 Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1996) A strategy for equality , Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities . [Google Scholar]), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Discussion Document (1999), Special Educational Needs: Curriculum Issues, the Education Act, the Equal Status Act and the recently published Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Bill and the Disability Bill (2004). However, despite these advancements in SEN developments, it can be argued that the Irish government and education system still fall short of providing a rights-based education to all children with a disability or SEN in the state. This article discusses the educational provision for children with SEN from 1990 to 2004.     

The education of children with special educational needs in England

In the last few years, the Warnock Report and the 1981 Education Act have had a major effect on the education of children with special educational needs in English schools. This paper discusses the main points of the Report and the subsequent legislation and then takes examples of three local educational authorities — Leicestershire, Coventry, and Barnsley — to illustrate the range of responses that have been made. Although there is obvious overlap, the three approaches are rather different in emphasis and illustrate the ways in which an educational system based on local autonomy can respond to proposals and legislation made at national level.

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Zusammenfassung Der Warnock Report und das Schulgesetz von 1981 haben an englischen Schulen erheblichen Einfluß auf die Erziehung von Kindern ausgeübt, die einer Sonderschulerziehung bedürfen. Der vorliegende Artikel behandelt die in dem Warnock Report hervorgehobenen Schwerpunkte und die daraus hervorgegangene Gesetzgebung. Um die Verschiedenartigkeit der Reaktionen aufzuzeigen, werden Beispiele von drei kommunalen Erziehungsbehörden (local education authorities) aus Leicestershire, Coventry und Barnsley angeführt. Trotz offensichtlicher Überschneidungen unterscheiden sich die drei o.a. Ansätze in ihrer Akzentuierung; sie zeigen, wie ein auf lokaler Autonomie basierendes Erziehungssystem auf Vorschläge und Gesetzgebung reagieren kann, die auf nationaler Ebene Gültigkeit haben sollen.

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Résumé Au cours des dernières années, le rapport Warnock et la Loi de 1981 sur l'Education ont eu une répercussion remarquable sur l'éducation des enfants ayant des besoins éducatifs spéciaux en Angleterre. Cet article traite les principaux points du rapport et de la législation subséquente et cite en exemples trois autorités éducatives locales — Leicestershire, Coventry et Barnsley — pour illustrer les différentes réponses qui ont été données. Bien que les trois approches se chevauchent clairement, elles se focalisent sur des points plutôt différents, et illustrent les façons dont un système éducatif basé sur une autonomie locale peut répondre aux propositions et à la législation émanant du niveau national.

     

Inclusive special education: development of a new theory for the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities

Inclusive education and special education are based on different philosophies and provide alternative views of education for children with special educational needs and disabilities. They are increasingly regarded as diametrically opposed in their approaches. This article presents a theory of inclusive special education that comprises a synthesis of the philosophy, values and practices of inclusive education with the interventions, strategies and procedures of special education. Development of inclusive special education aims to provide a vision and guidelines for policies, procedures and teaching strategies that will facilitate the provision of effective education for all children with special educational needs and disabilities.     

Early childhood education of children with specific language impairments

Early intervention for children with specific language impairment by teachers with experience in supporting their needs is critical to language acquisition. In Western Australia this small number of children are catered for in designated settings with specialised teachers. The length of time that these children are able to access intensive instruction may be shortening and therefore the potential effect on their learning is crucial. Teachers from five Language Development Centres were asked to respond to a range of issues associated with these children's ability to cope with the proposed early re-entry into the mainstream classroom. A total of 120 responses were received from teachers, speech therapists and educational assistants who highlighted the specialist skill set required to teach students with specific language impairments. Discussion focuses on the perceived ability of mainstream teachers to provide appropriate support for children with specific language impairments in the early years.     

The education of children with special needs: a cross‐cultural perspective

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses issues attendant on the practice of identifying pupils with special educational needs in advanced educational systems. Current practices in Australia and Scotland are described and attention is drawn to the problems generated by the abandonment of a category‐based approach to children with special educational needs, the variability of practice between authorities and the absence of reliable data on incidence of special educational needs. Placement outcome data derived from a Scottish study are presented and discussed. The paper concludes with discussion of Australian and Scottish practice set against United States’ experience in the light of Public Law 94‐142 and identifies areas for future research.     

Population density and special needs education

This paper contains an analysis of the relation between the percentages of segregated pupils in 15 countries and the population density in those countries. It shows that there is a substantial correlation between these two variables, pointing to the influence of factors such as population density on the integrationsegregation continuum. Findings suggest that the availability of services, travel distances and associated factors are of utmost importance for inclusive education.     

The quality of special education for students with special needs in ordinary classes

Teachers and the school psychological services were asked to assess the quality of educational programmes offered to students who were found eligible for special education in Norway and who attended ordinary classes. Adequacy and equity of the programmes and an assessment of social inclusion were used as indicators of quality and as dependent variables. Financial resources, centrality of residence of the students, presence of physical restrictions, availability of teaching materials, grade level, class size and students’ disabilities were used as independent variables. The results showed that resources made available by the municipalities had an impact on equity as well as adequacy. This was also found for the availability of teaching materials, which had a significant impact on the quality of the programmes. A significant relationship between the three dependent variables and grade level was found as quality decreased with grade level. Special problems with equity as well as adequacy of the programmes offered to students with moderate to severe problems in reading, writing and arithmetic, and for students with psychosocial problems, are reported. Although the students scored low on social inclusion as assessed by the teachers, the parents reported that most of them thrived well or very well at school.     

An evaluation of key working for families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Key working is a way of supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families, and is highly regarded by families and practitioners. However, there is a lack of up‐to‐date research exploring key working in the current context of policy reforms in England. This article reports an evaluation of key working in four sites in England, with a particular focus on the SEND policy reforms. Key working resulted in a number of positive outcomes for children and young people, families and services, including helping services to meet the requirements of the SEND reforms. Challenging aspects included managing transitions and the relationship between key working practitioner and family, but successful strategies were identified. Key working supports the implementation of specific aspects of the English SEND reforms along with more general cultural change in services to align with families' needs and well‐established aspects of good practice.     

Changing attitudes towards children with special needs

Inclusive education takes many forms, raising important questions about what constitutes good practice, what counts as evidence of such practice and how it can be known. This paper responds to Göransson and Nilholm’s critical review of research on inclusive education by considering why a clear working definition of inclusion has thus far proved elusive. It agrees that new types of studies and more theoretically informed work is needed if knowledge about inclusive education is to advance. A framework designed to capture evidence of inclusive education in action is presented as an example of a tool that is both theoretically informed and can be used to transcend contextual differences to obtain a deeper understanding of the ways in which teachers enact inclusive pedagogical practices.     

Characteristics of Swedish preschools that provide education and care to children with special educational needs

In Sweden, preschool inclusion is embraced and preschools are open for children both with and without special educational needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of a number of preschool units in Sweden that provide education and care to children with special educational needs with regard to organisation, resources and quality. The purpose was also to provide reflections on the usefulness of different structured observation rating scales designed to assess preschool quality. Eight preschool units located in four Swedish districts were visited. A total of sixteen 5-year-old children with special educational needs/disability and forty typically developing children of the same age participated. The data sources were structured observation rating scales (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Caregiver Interaction Scale and Inclusive Classroom Profile), ABILITIES Index questionnaire, unstructured observation, interviews, conversations and documents. Two overall typologies of preschool units were identified: the comprehensive units enrolled children with various special educational needs/disability, while the specialised units enrolled children with the same disability. The staff resources were greater in the specialised units. The overall quality in the observed units ranged from low to good. In units educating children with a disability diagnosis, the quality was never low. None of the preschool units was scored as having a good inclusive environment. The structured observation rating scales complemented each other and covered, in part, different quality aspects of the units. The study shows that there is a large variation in quality between the units and that there is a need to further develop the quality of the preschool units and of the services for children with special educational needs in Swedish preschools.