The imminent problem of a potential national shortage of special education faculty, as current faculty reach retirement age, was investigated through determining the retirement plans of 24 faculty, aged 55 or older, in special education departments at Pennsylvania institutions of higher education. A national registry of doctoral level special…

Interviews with 18 teachers in high school technical classes indicated that instructional setting demands are very similar to those in general academic classes and pose serious challenges to the literacy and mathematical skills of students with learning disabilities. Special educators are urged to collaborate with technical teachers to apply…

Participation of 18 parents of young children with disabilities in field-site experiences for graduate school interns was examined. Parents indicated support for their involvement in such training programs. Implications for using families in personnel training in early intervention are addressed. (Author/SW)

This qualitative study reports 5 themes in the preservice teaching experience of 10 preservice teachers which may reinforce traditional views of schooling and discourage understanding and addressing unique learning needs of academically diverse learners, such as gifted, remedial, and special education learners. (JDD)

This paper addresses the need for a national comprehensive data collection system to guide policy on special education faculty supply and demand. It discusses current information about special education leadership personnel, the historical roots of leadership training, and the influence of federal grant programs. Topics to be included in such a…

A survey of 483 early childhood educators from Head Start, public school prekindergarten, public school kindergarten, and community preschool/child care programs examined the extent to which representatives from various disciplines were employed. Results indicated that relatively few programs reported having sufficient related service personnel to…

Fifty-three adolescents with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation were taught reasons for dinosaur extinction. Those taught in a mnemonic elaborative interrogation condition recalled more reasons than did students who received direct teaching. Students in elaborative interrogation and mnemonic elaborative interrogation groups recalled…

Investigated the efficacy of two related reciprocal teaching interventions--with cooperative grouping or with cross-age tutoring--on the reading comprehension of learning disabled English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. Found no significant difference between the two groups: both made comprehension gains and continued to improved when…

This study evaluated locus of control orientations, perceptions of efficacy, and outcome expectancies of 282 adolescents with mental retardation and compared them to students with learning disabilities and at-risk students. Subjects were found to hold unrealistic understandings and perceptions of causality and excessively external global…

Discusses strategies for teaching Spanish to students with learning disabilities. These strategies include using flexible materials and alternative assessment methods, accepting individual students and ascertaining their disabilities, adapting to student needs, using a multisensory approach, and teaching students study skills particular to…

A social skills program for learning disabled children consisting of coaching, role-playing, and information sharing was implemented over a 6-month period by a clinical psychologist in collaboration with classroom teachers. When compared to the control group, participants in the experimental program demonstrated greater social acceptance and…

Maintains that the inclusive classroom is one in which all students, regardless of differences can flourish. Discusses the role of cooperative learning in establishing and maintaining an inclusive classroom. Maintains that inclusion promotes tolerance. (CFR)

This article integrates literature from counseling, rehabilitation, multicultural education, and special education to explain the importance of life-span considerations, including the preschool and early school years, and the life-space factors of family, culture, and community. Principles for transition interventions which promote empowerment are…

Thirty-seven leading educators participated in a Delphi technique survey regarding future directions in education of students with disabilities, focusing on inclusion and integration, labeling and classification, personnel preparation, instruction and services, and research. Respondents predicted that increasing inclusion will occur, and teachers…

Explored the impact of dementia on family members' physical and mental health while caring for an ill parent/spouse. Severity of illness was significantly associated with health and well-being for spouses, offspring, and in-laws, regardless of the amount of caregiving. Demonstrates the potential cascading effect of severe illness. (RJM)