Analysis of focus group discussions involving 13 parents of young children with disabilities and 32 professional service providers examined participants' perceptions of inclusion and early intervention. Discussion focused on awareness of early intervention services, barriers and supports to inclusion, notions of service coordination, experiences…

Examines the extent to which Latino students' background characteristics and college experiences in the first and second years contribute to their sense of belonging in the third year. Identifies several experiences as having a positive effect on first year students and notes the negative effect of a hostile racial climate. (MJP)

Presents a look at the rebirth of the Cossack movement in contemporary Russia and the reactions of university students to the issues that it raises. The original Cossacks were frontiersmen who formed part of the Czar's cavalry. Their descendants have reunited as a social and political force. (MJP)

This study compared three levels of inclusion (special education only, integrated special education, and mainstream placements) on the cognitive and language development of 66 preschool children with disabilities. Analysis of pre- to postgains revealed that integrated special education produced gains that significantly exceeded the rate of normal…

Analysis of national longitudinal data indicates that high school students' educational achievement (grade average, standardized test scores, staying in school) was strongly affected by process and structural attributes of family social capital (family structure and income, parent education, parent-child interactions) and somewhat affected by…

This study evaluated the use of communication books (containing pictures to help a nonverbal individual initiate conversation or respond to questions) by two minimally verbal employees with severe disabilities in a supported employment setting. Results indicated that training in use of the books increased the social interactions of the workers.…

This article describes development and psychometric properties of the Community Living Attitudes Scale, Mental Retardation, a 40-item measure based on the input of self-advocates and focused on contemporary community living philosophies. Tested with 742 individuals, the measure's factor structure was confirmed, and subscales of Empowerment,…

Focus group research methods were used to investigate the alignment of inclusive education with other reform efforts at a targeted urban school with 347 students. Results found the teachers, principals, and the parents shared a commitment to sustaining a school community and breaking down the walls of segregation. (Contains references.) (CR)

A collaboration between schools in Benton Harbor, Michigan and the city's public library undertook a successful effort to teach tolerance through art by bringing children together from two racially polarized areas. The children were eventually paired with a partner for the main activity-painting portraits of each other. (AEF)

Following an examination of the ways in which literacy is taught in the Literacy and Technology Hands-On (LATCH-ON) project at the University of Queensland, Australia, this article describes some of the reading-related literacy learning of 17 young adults with Down syndrome who participated in the 2-year course. (Contains references.) (CR)

In Western countries, women and men, young and old, enroll in adult education for different reasons. This is even more the case in China. This study helps Shanghai program planners better appreciate learners by understanding how motivational orientations vary as a function of gender and age. The Chinese version of the Education Participation Scale…

Distance education programmes warrant the use of innovative intervention practices to enhance student learning experiences. Academic and social empathy by faculty has been shown to enhance student retention in programmes along with their critical thinking abilities. Using Holmberg's theory of teaching-learning conversations as the guiding…

The development of the Russian intelligentsia is closely related to discourses concerning Russia's position vis-a-vis Europe and the Western world, such as those of Slavophiles and Westernisers. This paper is about Russian authors and painters who are now becoming part of Europe, as the country in which they live, Estonia, has recently entered the…

The true impact of speech and language difficulties (SaLD) on children's lives and the effectiveness of intervention is unknown. Within other fields of paediatric healthcare, clinicians and policy-makers are increasingly emphasizing the utility of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) studies and measures. SaLT has a variety of measures to assess…

This article discusses the Vietnamese refugee women's identity development. As the U.S. population diversifies, it behooves all professional counselors to increase their knowledge and understanding of multicultural populations. One population that has received little attention has been Vietnamese refugee women. The authors discuss Women's Identity…