Intended for pre and inservice training of regular and special education teachers, the textbook offers a mainstream approach to educating handicapped and gifted students. The first two chapters give an historical overview of the development of special education and discuss some of the major conceptual shifts that seem to be inherent in the…

This module (part of a series of 24 modules) is on the background and scope of special education. The genesis of these materials is in the 10 "clusters of capabilities," outlined in the paper, "A Common Body of Practice for Teachers: The Challenge of Public Law 94-142 to Teacher Education." These clusters form the proposed core…