The concept of inclusion is based on the assumption that integrating students with SEN into regular (mainstream) classes would enhance students' performance due to a more stimulating and demanding environment. However, research investigating the effects of inclusive education on students' academic self-concepts has been scarce. For this reason,…

Social participation of students with special educational needs (SEN) is a key issue in the inclusion debate. However, the meaning of concepts like social integration, social inclusion and social participation used in current literature is often unclear. Recently, these concepts were clarified based on preschool and primary school literature. The…

Because the physically disabled student must adjust to his/her inclusion into a nonhandicapped environment and to large group instruction simultaneously, the preparation of inservice teachers and nonhandicapped students should acquaint them with the physical, psychosocial, and academic factors associated with handicaps. (JN)

This study explored psychosocial diversity of two groups of gifted adolescents: those who feel different from their nongifted peers (n=379), and those who do not (n=94). Comparisons between groups on demographic variables, perceptions of self and other students, and school behavior showed the latter group manifesting greater desire for social…

Twenty deaf students attending Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) were interviewed to study social and academic aspects of mainstreaming. While students appreciated the opportunity to attend mainstream college classes and felt they were succeeding academically, they also experienced separation and even isolation within the mainstream class.…

Semi-structured interviews with 21 nonhandicapped high school students indicated that their experiences with peers with moderate to severe disabilities had resulted in such benefits as improved self-concept, increased tolerance of other people, reduced fear of human differences, and development of personal principles. Areas of difficulty were also…

Two studies were designed to examine the effect of school placement (specifically, mainstreamed versus self-contained classrooms) on the social development of hearing-impaired high school youth. In the first study, 85 hearing-impaired high school students (some in self-contained classrooms, and others mainstreamed) were assessed on measures of…

Through a self-report procedure, 41 mainstreamed hearing-impaired students' perceptions of their social integration were studied. The subjects (ages 7-19) perceived themselves differently than normal-hearing peers on items relating to verbal expression of emotions, verbal aggression, physical aggression, and interaction. Age and gender effects…

The goal of this curriculum is to assist educators to develop a classroom community in which all children, including those with significant disabilities, feel good about themselves and work together to support the active learning and valued membership of all class members. The specific goal of the lessons is to promote positive self-concept and…

This study focused on self-perceptions of social relationships of hearing-impaired adolescents. Three sets of perceptions regarding social relationships were investigated: participation, relatedness, and perceived social competence. The Social Activity Scale was administered to 84 mainstreamed hearing-impaired adolescents in secondary schools and…

The paper describes the Cross Categorical Service Delivery Model, which has as its purposes: (1) the maintenance of mildly and moderately handicapped students in their home schools to the greatest extent possible; and (2) mainstreaming of handicapped students into regular education classrooms as much as possible. The model targets primarily…

The Neighborhood Schools Project in Iowa was designed to evaluate a new special education service delivery system emphasizing prereferral intervention, collaboration, problem solving assessment, and frequent performance monitoring. Approximately 130 students with Individualized Educational Plans at 12 schools and an equal number at comparison site…