Qualitative research methods are used within special education research to provide insights about how and why phenomena occur. They can, however, be misunderstood and applied inappropriately. Our aim in this article is to provide an overview of qualitative methods, including their purpose, contributions to research involving students with learning…

In the United States, approximately 2.5 million students are diagnosed as having a learning disability and the majority of those children are placed in special education because of an inability to read as expected. As a result of this diagnosis, these children may be placed in special education classrooms--classrooms that are separate from the…

In questioning conventional qualitative research methods, St. Pierre asked, "What else might writing do except mean?" The author answers, it oppresses. Co-opting the race traitor figurative, she calls on qualitative researchers to become "ability traitors" who interrogate how a valuable coinage of their trade--the written word--is used to rank and…

An anxiety management group utilizing a cognitive behavioural intervention, of 12 weeks duration, for six people with mild to moderate learning disabilities is described. A number of techniques to assist in developing clients' understanding of their anxiety, cognitive and behavioural coping strategies and maximizing generalizability of skills…

This article discusses the qualitative study of a bilingual teacher's practice in working with a student with a learning disability. The author first examines student demographics as they specifically relate to the achievement of Latino school children and then segues to an examination of the nature of instruction provided to English language…

This case study reports on an 11-year-old boy with multiple exceptionalities. The child was verbally gifted, learning disabled in mathematics, and health impaired. He had received homebound instruction throughout his elementary school years. Qualitative research methods were used to explore the subject's learning characteristics and educational…

Describes an experiment documenting the musical sounds made by children with severe and profound and multiple learning disabilities. Production of these sounds is made by synthesizers and an EMS Soundbeam device that registers sounds created by body movement. Discusses the analysis of these sounds and their use in subsequent therapy. (MJP)