Despite dramatic changes in Irish special education policy during the last decade, there is little understanding of the factors influencing how special educational needs (SEN) are identified and whether identification varies across different school contexts. International research has tended to focus on how individual child characteristics…

In the Netherlands and the USA, the assessment process is changing for children who present learning and behavioural challenges in school. Evaluations for eligibility determinations and support planning are shifting along with disability models and tensions over the provision of inclusive schooling. Legislative edicts influence the assessment…

Recent decades have witnessed dramatically improved survival rates for infants born prematurely, especially those born very and extremely preterm. Follow-up studies concerned with long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for children born preterm indicate that these children are at high risk for a range of cognitive, learning, neuromotor, and…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a decision-making process for (1) identifying gaps between current and desired results; (2) designing, implementing, and revising interventions; (3) matching the degree of educational needs to the intensity of interventions; and (4) implementing interventions at multiple tiers. The process can be applied to…

A total of 83 children with different special educational needs (SEN) assessments were contrasted with a control group (N = 40) without special needs on measures that aimed to identify potential areas of strengths as well as weaknesses in these SEN groups. Carefully selected groups of dyslexics, dyspraxics, children with specific language…

The working memory skills of children with four categories of special educational needs (SEN) were investigated: general learning difficulties, language problems, literacy problems, and attentional and behavioural problems. Children with general learning difficulties performed poorly on measures of all three components of the working memory model:…

Characteristics of children (n=296) referred to a psychiatric outpatient facility for evaluation of behavioral and school-learning problems were compared to classroom placement recommendations made by a school interdisciplinary team. Results indicate general trends in the relationship between placement options and the incidence and severity of…

Although the number of students with behavior difficulties has increased, it has not been matched by a comparable increase in developing educator competencies to meet their needs. Educators must be given the necessary training, supported by solid research in best practices and quality schools. Individualized student plans involving family members…

This report presents findings of an inquiry into the educational needs of children prenatally exposed to drugs and covers: (1) the extent of the problem, (2) negative effects of prenatal drug exposure on a child's educational potential, (3) typical behaviors and learning deficits of such children, and (4) characteristics of successful early…

Some special needs groups (for example dyslexia) have argued strongly for the need for particular specialist approaches. In contrast, many proponents of inclusion have argued that "good teaching is good teaching for all" and that all children benefit from similar approaches. Both positions fail to scrutinise this issue rigorously and…