The way special education is carried out in U.S. schools must change. Special education has become weighed down by its emphasis on deficits and disorders: As regular education has opened to new ways of thinking about brain neuroplasticity, growth mindsets, and other innovations, special education has held fast to its diagnostic categories,…

One essential way to support students with autism is to "show up" for them. Showing up means connecting and building relationships with learners and trusting students to show us what they most need to boost their learning and social growth. Snow shares scenarios from her years as a special educator that showcase ways educators can…

"It's not the circumstances students bring to school that limit students' growth but their lack of opportunity at school," writes teacher consultant Deborah Wolter. In this article, she argues that a deficit mindset in education--particularly about students who are seen as struggling for linguistic, economic, physical, or academic…

For the past 16 years, the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning has worked with teachers to help students with disabilities succeed in mainstream secondary classrooms. A two-pronged approach involving strategic learning and content enhancements is the result. Teachers organize content into a user-friendly format, consider which…

Successful classroom teachers have the skills to teach students with disabilities. Teachers should consult with colleagues and specialists; welcome disabled students; accept full teaching responsibility; facilitate students' belonging; clarify expectations with team members; adapt activities and arrangements; provide active, participatory learning…

In teacher-education programs, discussions of multiculturalism have been largely separate from those about inclusion of students with disabilities. Classrooms have always been heterogeneous. This article discusses strategies for ensuring inclusive curricula, pedagogy, and school organization and climate; revamping preparation and inservice…