Providing appropriate programs for young children with disabilities is a priority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. The IDEIA requires that programs be provided in natural or least restrictive environments, and…

Contends that the transition to a middle school setting can present special challenges for students with learning disabilities. Describes the seven-step CONNECT process, which can provide general educators with a tool for integrating instruction that meets state, local, and individual education program objectives within the general education…

Describes the Learning Support Center (LSC), an inclusive program that provides support services to at-risk and marginal high school students. The LSC uses nontraditional staffing (including sources from outside the school), establishes schoolwide ownership via staff involvement, and uses educational instruments such as the Personalized Learning…

Since the fall of 1999, the Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform for Youth with Disabilities (RISER) has studied inclusion and instructional reform in four U.S. secondary schools. This article analyzes general education teachers' views on (a) inclusion and its impact on their teaching and their students and (b) the extent to which…

The Individual Student Planning Team Process is presented as a method for planning effective educational programs for all students in inclusive classrooms. The process involves identifying student educational strengths and needs, determining which needs can be met through general education activities, supporting individual student programs in…

This article suggests that services for people with intellectual disabilities in England will need to undergo radical revision as agencies strive to implement person centered planning as described in the White Paper, "Valuing People." It further suggests that services need to become learning organizations, committed to values of…

This article outlines principles of a needs-based approach to the inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and describes implications for inclusion in three areas: (1) provision of services; (2) curriculum; and (3) behavior management. The article also addresses the responsible limits of inclusion from a needs-based…

This case study chronicles the use of two educational planning tools, COACH (Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children) and VISTA (Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach) for a 4-year-old with Down syndrome who attends a general education preschool. The decision-making process and follow-up interviews are described, illustrating the…

An evaluation of a Vietnamese program to include children with disabilities in preschools found it had a positive effect on the lives of the children and increased community awareness of issues related to children with disabilities. The need for in-depth teacher training and implementation of individualized education services is discussed.…

Discusses programmatic and curricular modifications often needed for students included in public school settings who are deaf or hard of hearing, such as adapting the mode/flow of classroom communication, linguistic-level changes, and adapting the listening and physical environment. Possible curricular modifications are suggested for…

This study examined the moderating effects of peer social avoidance on responses of six autistic children to an inclusive classroom treatment model. Peer social avoidance (but not mental age or language level) predicted variations in outcomes for subsequent peer avoidance and language use. Results have implications for matching child…

Project LIFE (Lifelong Impact From Education) was a 3-year federally funded program to develop, field test, and disseminate a collaborative model that increases the capacity of neighborhood schools and local education agencies to provide appropriate educational services to children with deaf-blindness in general education settings and improve…

This manual provides educators with a process to integrate the life-long goals and specific needs of students with severe disabilities within the context of the regular education curriculum, through the development of individualized learner outcomes. The manual discusses the process of building inclusive learning opportunities for students with…

Trends in Mexico concerning integrating children with special needs into general classrooms and a new model of service delivery providing greater site-based approaches to educating students with learning disabilities are discussed. Assignments and materials may be modified, and both resource rooms and specialists are available to the general…

This article provides a case study (an eighth-grader with autism) within a case study (an urban middle school) in terms of the implementation of positive behavioral support (PBS). Information is provided on the characteristics of three key components of schoolwide PBS, universal support, group support, and individual support. (Contains…