The author is a special education teacher in New York and a mother of two children on the autism spectrum. The author's intimate involvement in the education system has made navigating the world of special education for her children easier in some ways, but also infinitely more difficult and heartbreaking in others. Since the passage of No…

This paper is a reflection on practice. It begins by briefly describing an evaluation of an externally-funded education programme in Kosovo (a new country in south-east Europe). The programme was managed by Save the Children in Kosovo and aimed to develop and promote models of inclusive education through three strands of activity. The first of…

In this article, the authors present an interview with Don Meyer, an advocate for the siblings of children with disabilities. Don Meyer has conducted "SibShops," a peer support and information for school-age siblings of children with disabilities, and written extensively on the difficult situation of children in this underserved demographic. Here,…

The paper proposes a methodological expansion in evaluation research--an eco-behavioral approach. Implications of using the eco-behavioral approach in the evaluation of preschool programs for the disabled are discussed. This methodology is said to allow both determination of early intervention effectiveness and specification of factors responsible…

The authors cite methodological and interpretive flaws in K. Kavale's earlier article (ED 150 124) claiming that psycholinguistic training is effective with handicapped students. They suggest that the practical significance of research must be considered as well as the statistical significance. (CL)

The author responds to a previous article (EC 122 795) explaining and critiquing various efficiency index formulas to quantify the effectiveness of intervention in preschool program for the handicapped. (DB)

Discusses a study of the efficacy of mainstreaming. The goal of the study was to see what actually went on in schools, how people thought about mainstreaming, what they did about it, and how teachers, administrators, and students experienced it. (JOW)

The author recounts personal experiences with her severely retarded daughter and goes on to consider the principles of mainstreaming. (SBH)

Asserts that previous studies have adopted a methodology that consistently underestimates the true earnings gains for a significant percentage of vocational rehabilitation (VR) clients. Describes the nature of this methodological bias and suggests an alternative procedure to improve estimating benefits to clients from VR services (Author/ABB)

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews the literature defining "mainstreaming," notes that mainstreaming is not the wholesale return of exceptional students from…

Contends that success of supported employment service programs depends on the ability of new programs to replicate results of supported work demonstration projects. Notes that the capacity to verify accurate replication independently is limited, as is knowledge of the extent to which supported employment demonstration programs generalize to a wide…

Discusses the evolution of the concept of "mainstreaming," objections to the idea, the rights of the handicapped, and the rights of all students to an effective education. Responds to the critics of mainstreaming. (FL)

This paper reacts to testimony on early childhood special education research before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education (EC 632 080). It notes the real technical and practical difficulties of developing valid assessments and research on the effectiveness of interventions. It urges greater attention to identifying…

Describes and evaluates parents of young handicapped children. Presents a rationale for the involvement of parents in the education of their children and argues that parents can acquire basic teaching skills to work effectively with their children at home. (JOW)

The background of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, is reviewed, its contents analyzed, and major problems identified. Areas of controversy addressed include provision of such related services as psychotherapy, school health services, summer programs, and vocational education. Expense and ambiguity of the law are among…