The greatest advantage of modern technology is its ability to improve the lives of all. In particular, new technologies have the potential to greatly mitigate cognitive, motor, and social impairments stemming from genetic or environmental factors. Recent Advances in Assistive Technologies to Support Children with Developmental Disorders raises awareness of disabled children and what can be done to help them grow and develop alongside their peers. Bringing together personal experiences with academic investigation, this book is an essential reference for doctors, pediatricians, pre- and primary school educators, and scientists working to enhance the impact assistive technologies have on the youngest members of society.

Educators are continually pressured to create interesting and educational lessons for students of varying learning abilities. While technology steadily improves classroom learning, education systems struggle to develop more innovative teaching methods for students with disabilities. Cases on Service Delivery in Special Education Programs compiles real-world case studies on successful classroom models and practices to provide rewarding learning environments for students with disabilities. Addressing topics such as behavior modification, social development, and teacher collaboration, this publication is an essential reference source for special education teachers, supervisors, directors, administrators, principles, and policymakers, as well as academicians and researchers interested in developing special education programs within school districts and classrooms.

In 1987, when Pat Linkhorn found herself raising two daughters with special needs, she had to rely on letters to get the information she needed. These days, the process of finding information for children with disabilities is much more straightforward. In this collection of writings, Linkhorn shares a personal account of her experiences and offers advice on dealing with the various issues that she encountered through the years.Linkhorn hopes to help parents of special needs children find the humor amid the absurdity of life. Join her as she recalls navigating the choppy waters of serving as an advocate for her children and others with special needs. She offers advice on making decisions that benefit special needs children; dealing effectively with agencies, committees, and people; and telling your story in a way that generates attention.As the mother of one autistic daughter and another who was born prematurely and is blind, Linkhorn has dealt with and worked for numerous social and educational agencies devoted to helping special needs individuals for more than twenty years. No longer constrained by agency rules and guidelines, she is off the fence and she tells her tale of survival and victory and explains how the system really works.

* Helps the reader conceptualize interpersonal dynamics in the special education process, provide examples of effective oral communication, and describe essential meeting facilitation practices that collectively make facilitation a professional art * School psychologists from around the country share how they structure meetings, provide examples of language they use to communicate important educational and psychological concepts, and describe the persona they present to support the meeting process * Highlights meeting facilitation as a unique professional skillset and art, probing practitioners' experiences in the setting where school psychologists advocate for students, empower families, build consensus among team members, and make meaningful change for individuals they serve

Cross-categorical, practical strategies for teaching students with special needs Including Students with Special Needs provides readers with a firm grounding in critical special education concepts, an understanding of the professionals who support students with special needs, knowledge of the procedures that should be followed to ensure that students with special needs rights are upheld, and a wealth of research-based strategies and interventions that we know help foster student success. Filled with realistic school scenarios, additional vignettes of children with disabilities and other special needs, new information on multi-tiered systems of support, and over 400 new reference citations, the 8th Edition introduces pre-service teachers to the complexities, realities, and rewards of being a professional educator today. Also available with MyLab Education MyLab (TM) is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. MyLab Education helps teacher candidates bridge the gap between theory and practice-better preparing them for success in their future classrooms. Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Education does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Education, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information. If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Education search for: 0134754093 / 9780134754093 Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers, plus MyLab Education with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package Package consists of: 0134800400 / 9780134800400 MyLab Education with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers 0134801679 / 9780134801674 Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teacher

This book was written for every parent who has ever struggled with that uneasy, anxious, apprehensive gut feeling. You are convinced something is wrong or perhaps different with your child but you just can't put your finger on it. You talk to teachers, administrators, anyone who will listen. They suggest this or tell you to do that. You know deep down inside that it probably isn't the solution, but you are not the expert, so you do what you are told. Slowly, the school year goes by, then the next and the next and nothing changes. Sometimes you start to feel like you are going crazy, that you are obsessing.

This book is for any parent, who has lost hope, to know that you are not alone. It is for the parent who needs to ask questions, but does not know where to find answers. Most of all, I hope, through our story, some parents will feel empowered enough to fight for their child, no matter what it takes, without fear of retribution, from their school system. You are your child's best advocate. You need to speak up

Whatever issues you might be having with your child, there is something in our story for everyone. Included are actual emails, transcripts and more. I want to share the pain, the fear, the joy, the uncertainty, some direction and hopefully some insight.

You must look beyond the report cards but prepare yourself. You might uncover your own incredible, mind-boggling, unbelievable stories that may seem absurdly unREAL

The Big Book of Blob Feelings uses questions linked to specially selected, photocopiable pictures to help you explore feelings with those who struggle to communicate about their emotions. Tried, tested and loved internationally, this inspirational resource includes a wealth of material around: Blob Theory - the feelosophy, our open-question approach and the importance of allowing people to express their choices freely; Emotions - every day we all experience a wide range of feelings, a broad selection of which have been illustrated to kick-start discussions; Developmental issues - the objective of each of the sheets is to see people of all ages grow in their awareness of who they are, their uniqueness, and how they can develop those gifts further as they share with others. Each picture is accompanied by ideas and questions to kick-start class, group or one-to-one discussion so that everything in the book is relevant to your needs in your setting. The complete book is also included electronically on the accompanying downloadable resources so that you can print and re-use resources as often as you need to. The perfect companion to this book is The Big Book of Blob Feelings 2, which provides a huge range of new material while following the same structure and approach.

Acquired brain injury (ABI) describes damage to the brain that occurs after birth, caused by traumatic injury such as an accident or fall, or by non-traumatic cause such as substance abuse, stroke, or disease. Today's medical techniques are improving the survival rate for people of all ages diagnosed with ABI, and current trends in rehabilitation are supporting these individuals returning to live, attend school, and work in their communities. Yet strategies on the best way of providing community participation vary among rehabilitation experts. Because many of survivors of ABI do not and will not return to the status quo of their former lives it is important to examine what constitutes best and promising practices in this area. This casebook is the world's first compilation of evidence-informed programmes that foster community participation for people of all ages with brain injury. With this review, the authors elicited and carefully examined existing programmatic efforts that combine emphasis on the individual, the social, and the service systems in a way that captures community participation as a complex process of interactive change in the person-environment relationship - programmes that do not divorce ABI survivors from their contexts, and where participation efforts facilitate positive change in the social and political context. They considered community-based programmes to be programmes where individuals and families actively participate in their own therapy (rehabilitation) and take responsibility for their own health or that of a family/community member. Each case study chapter depicts a programme chosen on its extraordinary merits to provide community participation to its clients. The chapters are cowritten by the stakeholder and a researcher, giving a complete perspective of how the programme was established and continues to operate, and provides evidence of excellence.

This edited book provides professionals in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) with a situated and culturally-responsive account of diversity and inclusion in English language education, from primary to higher education and in a wide range of settings. The volume focuses on three overlapping areas: interculturality, special education needs, and gender. The chapters in each section seek to help readers reflect on the opportunities and challenges of diversity as a step towards inclusive practices, and raise awareness of critical topics across the curriculum and beyond by engaging in wider social issues. This book will be of interest to language teachers and teacher trainers, as well as scholars working in applied linguistics, higher education, intercultural studies, and related fields.

Help teachers understand and close the provision gap for culturally and linguistically diverse learners, effecting greater opportunities for academic success. Written by Dr. Almitra Berry, this completely revised second edition introduces a new five-step framework that focuses on academic achievement and equity for all students. This professional resource guides you through a data-driven approach to determine whether your curriculum and instruction are meeting the needs of culturally diverse students. Educators will learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum, identify and implement instructional practices that are proven effective, monitor progress, and provide intensive small group instruction to help learners succeed. This timely book provides a collection of practical resources such as planning templates, data analysis forms, and reflective questions for each step of the process.

Stories that explain is a one-stop support guide to helping children understand social situations through stories. This practical book is packed full of support, advice and tips for teachers, teaching assistants, SENCos and parents to help support children in gaining a better understanding of common primary school experiences that can cause misunderstanding or stress. This resource provides a concise explanation of the use of stories, why they are important, and advice on how to write/edit stories, including tips on how to present them. The accompanying CD includes a comprehensive and editable bank of stories to share with children to aid their understanding of social situations.

This book offers a nuanced way to conceptualise South Asian Muslim families' experiences of disability within the UK. The book adopts an intersectional lens to engage with personal narratives on mothering disabled children, negotiating home-school relationships, and developing familiarity with the complex special education system. The author calls for a re-envisioning of special education and disability studies literature from its currently overwhelmingly White middle-class discourse, to one that espouses multi-ethnic and multi-faith perspectives. The book positions minoritised mothers at the forefront of the home-school relationship, who navigate the UK special education system amidst intersecting social inequalities. The author proposes that schools and both formal and informal institutions reformulate their roles in facilitating true inclusion for minoritised disabled families at an epistemic and systemic level.

LD Just Means Learn Differently includes autism, dyslexia, ADHD, other learning issues, and physical obstacles related to multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. It reflects characters that are based off actual cases, whereby people surpassed or were blocked by learning issues. It's written like a novel so as to allow for confidentiality, and to focus on the passion that gets people through the strains that are associated with it, rather than a step-by-step teaching methodology or text manual. www.johntoker.com Cynthia Brian, co-author of a NY Times Best Seller, interviews John, about his novel, LD Just Means Learn Differently, on World Talk Radio, www.star-style.com and syndicated on other Internet and radio stations. Excerpts: "All true teaching is building skills for independent thought." "Among the shattered glass, there are diamonds that must be preserved for those who feel broken."

This book is a critically important contribution to the work underway to transform schooling for students who have historically been denied access to a quality education, specifically African American children. The first section of the book provides some historical perspective critical to understanding the current state of education in the U.S., specifically for the education of African American children. The following sections include chapters on policy, learning, ethnomathematics, student identity, and teacher preparation as it relates to the mathematical education of Black children. Through offering "counternarratives" about mathematically successful Black youth, advocating for a curriculum that is grounded in African American culture and ways of thinking, providing shining examples of the brilliance of Blacks students, and promoting high expectations for all rather than situating students as the problem, the authors of this book provide powerful insights related to the teaching and learning of mathematics for African American students. As is made evident in this book, effective teaching involves much more than just engaging students in inquiry-based pedagogy (Kitchen, 2003). The chapters offered in this book demonstrate how mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into account historical marginalization and present-day policies that do harm to Black students (Kunjufu, 2005). Empowering mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into consideration and promote students' cultural, spiritual, and historical identities. Furthermore, mathematics instruction for African American students should create opportunities for students to express themselves and the needs of their communities as a means to promote social justice both within their classrooms and communities.

There can be little doubt that the rapid technological developments that have characterized the decades since the middle of the 19th century have given great scope for improving the quality of life of disabled people. Disabled Students in Education: Technology, Transition, and Inclusivity reports on 15 research projects aimed at improving the educational prospects of disabled people. Through its discussion of three main themes technology, transition, and inclusivity this book aims to be of interest to disabled students, their parents and teachers, and the people who run, and set policies for, their educational providers.

Ann Millan shares the story of how she helped her daughter, Robin, move past the many challenges of severe autism in Autism-Believe in the Future. Her first goal was simple; she wanted to stop the screaming, running, and self-injurious behaviors that her daughter exhibited. For ten years, Ann was told by professionals that she needed to accept Robin's disabilities. Not one to give up in the face of adversity, Ann finally found quality professionals to help her. Ann knew education and therapies were Robin's priority, but self-image and socialization became her focus. Ann also knew Robin's inappropriate behaviors were unacceptable in society. Ann and her husband, Bob, became Robin's case managers and Robin progressed beyond their wildest dreams. Autism is not a one-size-fits-all disability, so focusing on just one intervention did not lead Robin to successful adulthood. Many steps had to be taken along the way to get her successfully to her goal Parents and autism professionals must work together, developing quality support and services that are cost-effective-so we can all believe in the future for our children. Today, Robin has two jobs, lives in her own condominium, drives her own car, and is a part of her community. This is her story

This edited volume explores various issues pertaining to the education of children with disabilities in Africa, the Caribbean and Middle East. As a group, persons with disabilities have been subjected to social, cultural and educational exclusions of various forms and for various socially-scripted reasons. In education, for instance, individuals with disabilities have been altogether excluded from educational participation in many parts of the developing world or they have been excluded from pursuing meaningfully beneficial higher levels of education in developed countries like the United States. One of the social responses/remedies to the widely-acknowledged exclusionary practices experienced by learners with disabilities has been the widespread implementation of inclusive practices in the education of individuals with disabilities across countries, in the west and the developing regions of the world. A distinctive marker of difference in the way inclusive practices have been enacted in western countries versus those in the developing world has primarily stemmed from the fact that majority of western countries operate under funded mandates that also regulate the provision of education to persons with disabilities. While the ideal of inclusion has been highly desirable, many of countries in the developing world have floundered in their implementation due to lack sound legislative framework to guide implementation coupled with socio-cultural factors related to negative perceptions of disabilities and limited funding sources. Chapters in this volume explore inclusive education from a variety of perspectives.