As someone charged with ensuring equality in the school environment, teachers have heard the term "inclusion"--the principle that students with special needs, skill sets, and abilities should be integrated in publicly supported activities to the same extent as their nondisabled peers. However, the word inclusion--in and of itself--does…

Every child who enters the doors of the nation's school system deserves an education, including children with AIDS. Parents of AIDS-free children fear that the AIDS-infected child in the classroom threatens the health and safety of the general school community. But according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, casual contact with…

Presents a historical overview of state and federal legislation concerning special education, describes how court litigation has defined the constitutional rights of the disabled to access education, and outlines the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The procedural safeguards of the IDEA also are outlined,…

Explores two principles of educational policy--appropriate education and least-restrictive environment--within the context of the current debate about integrating students with disabilities into public education. Reviews the origins of exclusion, and traces the foundations of inclusion back to the civil rights movement. Explains three approaches…