Children First, which is Nottinghamshire, England's policy to increase mainstreaming of children with special educational needs, has been implemented by planning for cooperative rather than competitive change and providing resources for change. The policy has helped maintain the profile of these children at a time when they were at risk of being…

This cross-cultural study of the attitudes of special needs students examined responses from 161 students in Great Britain and 160 students in New Zealand, in both segregated and integrated settings. Students responded to a questionnaire and sentence completion task. Analysis focuses on those responses which addressed students' feelings of…

This article reports on several studies that used discourse analysis to interpret the linguistic interactions between students with special educational needs in segregated and integrated settings. Results indicated that integrated settings were characterized by "didactic" interactions, while segregated settings showed "familiar" behavior. (DB)

This article identifies and briefly describes 18 recent publications on adapted and inclusive physical education and recreation programs. Citations, accompanied by abstracts, are grouped into publications about philosophy, trends, and preparation and publications about practices in schools and communities. (DB)

This article describes a comprehensive, credentialed training program for family child-care providers that is family-centered, community-based, and focuses on developmentally appropriate practices for all children, including those with disabilities. The development of and rationale for this program are discussed, and a description of field test…

This study examined strategies used by 18 general education teachers to promote positive relationships between elementary students with and without moderate to severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Five strategies were identified: active facilitation of social interactions, empowering children, building a sense of community, modeling…

Fifteen children with autism participated in monthly cooperative art activities with same-age nondisabled peers at a children's museum. Nondisabled children received information concerning disabilities and were encouraged to be friendly. Both younger and older children with autism received more positive interactions from nondisabled peers during…

This study surveyed parents of youth with severe disabilities using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and siblings without disabilities to examine leisure participation patterns. Statistically significant differences existed between groups relative to diversity of leisure participation, related social communication,…

Examines assimilation as it exists in the United States, including the ethnic concentrations in specific socioeconomic groups; educational attainment by ethnic ancestry; the decline of the mother tongue; and intermarrying and the marriage patterns of major ancestral groups. Overall, evidence shows that ethnic distinctiveness is eroding among…

This article suggests specific strategies to prevent rejection and isolation and encourage interactions when students with disabilities are integrated into general education classes. Teachers are encouraged to foster proximity, teach peer support and friendship skills, foster respect for individual differences, and provide a positive model. (DB)

This survey of 82 first-year medical students at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, found that students with more experience working or interacting socially with African Americans or Hispanics were more likely to expect to treat minority patients, practice with minority partners, and reside in predominantly…

Explains how teachers can introduce cooperative learning, suggesting they (1) discuss cooperative behavior with students; (2) initiate small, basic, cooperative groups and activities; (3) facilitate cooperation; (4) add variety and expand the activities. Essential elements include positive interdependence, individual accountability, personal…

The movement for multiculturalism has developed in part as a reaction to the dominance of the U.S. scientific culture. The U.S. language and U.S. culture are globally accepted as closest to the world's common culture. Those who advocate multiculturalism on U.S. campuses are seceding from this common culture. (SLD)

Argues that social exclusion, as evidenced by unemployment and educational failure, is a persistent structural feature in European countries. Suggests that multicultural education and other educational strategies should provide global awareness of the world's major problems and the solidarity of mankind and training in nonviolent democratic…

Uses news stories in "Iere," a Caribbean community newspaper in Washington, DC, to examine the communication and relationship that Caribbean immigrants develop with their native referent groups. The 98 stories reviewed suggest stronger identification with the Caribbean community as a whole than with the specific islands Trinidad and…