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

As the conservative political mood of our nation eliminates programs for the increasing numbers of bilingual children, educators are nevertheless expected to teach linguistically and culturally diverse learners with limited background knowledge and resources. This edited volume challenges « mainstream educators to critically examine how to best meet the needs of bilingual/bicultural children in contemporary America. Contents: Lourdes Diaz Soto: Introduction: The Political, the Dialogic, and the Critical - Haroon Kharem/Leila E. Villaverde: Teacher Allies: The Problem of the Color Line - Ryan Moser: Bilingual Abolitionists: Shadows of Facism - Propaganda of the Third Reich and the English-Only Movement - Lyudmila Bryzzheva: From Vygotsky to Bakhtin: Grand Theories and Teaching Practices - Colin Lankshear/Michele Knobel: Doom or Mortal Kombat? Bilingual Literacy in the « Mainstream Classroom - Ladislaus M. Semali: The Case of Repressed Native or Indigenous Languages - Richard De Gourville: What's Policy Gotta Do Wit Dis? - Cathy Gutierrez-Gomez: Golden Eagle Goes to Kindergarten - Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto: Are Schools Prepared to Support Excellence for Nonmainstream Children? Latino/a Voices as a Response - Irene Pabon: A Life Span / Toda Una Vida: The Pain and the Struggle That Will Strike / El Dolory la Lucha que Embiste - Lynus Yamuna: My Story and the Melanesian Knowledge - Rebecca Blum-Martinez: Parents as Guardians of the Mother Tongue - Maria de la Luz Reyes/Lisa Costanzo: On the Threshold of Biliteracy: A First-Grader's Personal Journey - Jofen Wu Han/Gisela Ernst-Slavit: Here They Come: Creating Rich Language-Learning Environments for Chinese-Speaking KindergartenStudents - Jocelynn Smrekar: Early Childhood Bilingual Classrooms - Maria E. Franquiz: Caring Literacy and Identity Struggles: The Transformation of a Chicano Student - Jim Cummins: Rights and Responsibilities of Educators of Bilingual / Bicultural Children.

Let's face it: There's no time like the present to learn English. It's the world's most widely spoken language. It permeates nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Mastering pronunciation, figures of speech, and idioms are just a few of the challenges students may face.

Even so, learning to actually use American English comfortably isn't among the easiest of tasks, Author Jeannie Yang hopes to help with that. Numbered lessons and regimented exercises only serve to make an already daunting task seem impossible. They don't help, so they aren't welcome in this book. Professor Jeannie Yang has takes a new approach to learning conversational English-inviting you to the conversation

Written in the form of a movie screenplay, these fictional scenarios innovatively invite you to actively engage in conversations on a variety of subjects and in a variety of settings. As you speak their words, you can imagine that you are one of the characters-and you'll be learning at the same time.

You'll meet

Mi Hee-a sweet and spunky young woman from Korea who dreams of studying at an American university

Kenny-an intellectual from Hong Kong who's lived and studied in the United States for years

Roy-Kenny's best friend, whose liberal use of slang is in stark contrast to Kenny's esoteric vocabulary

Whether you are going on a cruise or heading for a job interview, this book serves as a practical and entertaining guide to getting more comfortable with conversational American English.

This empowering workbook and guide will help children and young people to develop a positive understanding of their autistic identity, whilst providing key adults with the tools needed to support their journey and initiate important conversations. The workbook is highly structured and visual, broken down into key sections such as Interests and Focus, Masking, Emotions and My Autistic Identity Statement to create a personal passport and to develop a deeper understanding of what autism means to the young person as an individual. The accompanying guide provides background information, covering topics such as the social and medical models of disability and Monotropism, as well as a clear approach to help the adult to initiate key conversations, with examples of 'possible prompts' as well as concrete, supportive strategies. Content has been shaped by autistic advisors and contributors, with first-hand experiences woven throughout both books. Having a positive understanding of your autistic identity is an indicator of higher self-esteem and wellbeing as an adult. This set supports the development of this and will be valuable for autistic children and young people aged 10+ and the adults working with them.

Though the Filipino American population has increased numerically in many areas of the United States, especially since the influx of professional immigrants in the wake of the 1965 Immigration Act, their impact on schools and related educational institutions has rarely been documented and examined. The Other Students: Filipino Americans, Education, and Power is the first book of its kind to focus specifically on Filipino Americans in education. Through a collection of historical and contemporary perspectives, we fill a profound gap in the scholarship as we analyze the emerging presence of Filipino Americans both as subjects and objects of study in education research and practice. We highlight the argument that one cannot adequately and appropriately understand the complex histories, cultures, and contemporary conditions faced by Filipino Americans in education unless one grapples with the specificities of their colonial pasts and presents, their unique migration and immigration patterns, their differing racialization and processes of identity formations, the connections between diaspora and community belonging, and the various perspectives offered by ethnic group-centered analysis to multicultural projects. The historical, methodological, and theoretical approaches in this anthology will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and students in disciplines which include Education, Ethnic Studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Urban Studies, Public Policy, and Public Health.

This volume covers significant highlights in the history of gifted education, addressing significant contributors to the field, important political and policy concerns, and programs and practices of note. The book's scope is holistic, using Ayn Rand's concept of "men and women] of the mind" to frame giftedness as a quality of individuals that extends beyond the academic or "schoolhouse" setting and into a range of aspects of the lived human experience of gifted individuals. CONTENTS:

International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for Equity and Social Justice is an international research monograph series of scholarly works that primarily focus on empowering students (children, adolescents, and young adults) from diverse current circumstances and historic beliefs and traditions to become non-exploited/non-exploitive contributing members of the 21st century. The series draws on the research and innovative practices of investigators, academics, and community organizers around the globe that have contributed to the evidence base for developing sound educational policies, practices, and programs that optimize all students' potential. Each volume includes multidisciplinary theory, research, and practices that provide an enriched understanding of the drivers of human potential via education to assist others in exploring, adapting, and replicating innovative strategies that enable ALL students to realize their full potential. Chapters in this volume are drawn from a wide range of countries including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Georgia, Haiti, India, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Slovenia, Tanzania and The United States all addressing issues of educational inequity, economic constraint, class bias and the links between education, poverty and social status. The individual chapters provide examples of theory, research, and practice that collectively present a lively, informative, cross-perspective, international conversation highlighting the significant gross economic and social injustices that abound in a wide variety of educational contexts around the world while spotlighting important, inspirational, and innovative remedies. Taken together, the chapter's advance our understanding of best practices in the education of economically disadvantaged and socially marginalized populations while collectively rejecting institutional policies and traditional practices that reinforce the roots of economic and social discrimination. Chapter authors, utilize a range of methodologies including empirical research, historical reviews, case studies and personal reflections to demonstrate that poverty and class status are socio-political conditions, rather than individual identities. In addition, that education is an absolute human right and a powerful mechanism to promote individual, national, and international upward social and economic mobility, national stability and citizen wellbeing.

The schools have an obligation and a duty to provide learning experiences for children that will develop in them, to the limit of their potential, those skills, attitudes, and values that will insure their continued education and happiness. The students of today must be prepared to accept their responsibilities as citizens of a problem-ridden, shrinking world of tomorrow. lt is vital that the curriculum be constructed in such a way that the student will be able to deal imaginatively with the problems he will face as an adult. Successful teaching recognizes that each student is an individual and must be respective as such. Discipline, which is necessary for character development, should be provided from without until a student has matured enough to internalize values and become self-disciplined. This is an evolving process. Talented teachers are keenly perceptive, sensitive, and enjoy being with children.They know that child-study is essential if they are to understand children.They have learned that a multitude of factors affect a child's success as a person.These valuable educators are only one influence in a student's total development and that they must understand the many other influences.They are thoroughly familiar with the community, its institutions and mores, and the child's home-life. It is the purpose of this study to ascertain whether the teaching techniques of the "Montessori Method" can be applied to the mentally retarded and whether the application of these techniques is the answer to the need for self-activity shown by children who belong in this category. The term "Self-Activity" will refer not only to the active use of the voluntary muscles, but to the spontaneousactivities of the child, as a personalty. The question raised is a very important problem indeed, since its solution may affect the lives of innumerable children all over the world; therefore the writer believes that it deserves careful analysis and research. Furthermore, it would appear that the question is a very timely one, as the discussion about teaching methods in general has reached a state of great animation, and the problem of hour to deal with exceptional children("exceptional" taken in a positive as well as in a negative sense) is one of the most hotly debated issues of this controversy. The growing interest shown by educators as well as laymen in the Montessori method appears to indicate that this system does offer a set of valuable suggestions, and it was in the light of these circumstances that the present study was undertaken.

Now in an exciting second edition, this fun and interactive board game has been designed to develop word-finding and categorisation skills for children and adults. With over 200 photographic cards and a colourful, versatile board, Find the Link can be used to facilitate a number of connecting and categorisation games, encouraging users to draw on their existing knowledge and descriptive skills to develop vocabulary, classification, logical thought and concentration. Collaborative and competitive games can be played individually, or in groups of 2 - 5 players, providing opportunities for social engagement alongside skill development. The game includes: * 200 hexagonal cards with new and updated images, which can also be used alone for sorting and classification * 40 card categories, ranging from basic groups such as animals, food, clothes and transport, to complex groups such as function and place * A colourful versatile board * An instruction booklet, with guidance and instructions for different games Part of the bestselling Colorcards series, this is an essential resource for anybody working with young children, adults with impaired language abilities, children and adults with special educational needs, or those learning English as an additional language.

For courses in speech and language intervention, language disorders, reading disorders and special education. Written by leading experts, this third edition maintains a strong clinical focus and thorough coverage of the identification, assessment, and treatment of reading and writing disorders. Fully updated, this edition includes a new chapter on reading comprehension, a new chapter on spelling, and consolidated information on defining and classifying reading disabilities. New sections feature the latest on comprehension development, RTI, auditory processing deficits, literate vocabulary, and cognitive linguistic skills in writing. Offering the varied perspective of well-known contributors, the text successfully keeps pace with the rapid changes in the knowledge of language and reading disabilities and provides readers with the most up-to-date advances in the field.

Stress and Coping of English Learners addresses the many ways that ELs face academic and socioemotional stress in the K-12 school environment, the consequences of this stress at school, how they cope with this stress, and how school personnel and families can provide support and help. While enrollment in school programs offers assistance to many ELs, it often fails to provide the socioemotional support that ELs need as they navigate the rough waters of schooling. American schooling is often not prepared and/or unwilling to help ELs as they adapt to an unfamiliar language, culture, social norms, communication techniques, and teachers' expectations. Given the proper foundation and emotional support, ELs will be positioned for greater academic success, comfort at school, and a decrease in their sense of alienation in both the school environment and at home as they try to negotiate between two cultural environments.

A third of all children in our schools are from racially minoritised backgrounds. Yet the data on attainment, exclusion, progression and representation indicates that our education system is structurally racist. Unity in Diversity explores the unconscious biases at play in our schools and demonstrates how educators can address this by improving representation in the curriculum, staffroom and on the governing/trust board. Drawing on case studies from leaders, this book demonstrates what schools are already doing to create an impactful anti-racist ethos and how these strategies may be applied in practice. Written by an experienced headteacher who has supported a diverse range of schools in improving their race equity, each chapter addresses a different aspect of race inequality and provides practical strategies for overcoming it. This book empowers readers: To acknowledge that systemic race inequality exists in schools and that this necessitates an anti-racist approach To become comfortable talking about race and to create safe spaces for staff and students to engage in discussions about race To address unconscious biases and white fragility and to examine the inequality and underrepresentation of ethnic groups To audit all aspects of educational provision to determine what needs to change and to action and implement this change with lasting impact Schools and teachers can play a major role in eliminating systemic racism in society. This book is an essential read for any teacher, leader, governor or trustee who is restless to address race inequity in our education system, creating a more equal and represented school community.

Grounded in authentic teaching and learning experiences, this book shows elementary school educators how to create spaces that more respectfully and humanely address the needs of emergent bilinguals with disabilities. While the fields of bilingual education and disability studies have been traditionally kept separate, Martinez-Alvarez argues that many of the constructs researchers and educators employ in their respective fields can be combined to improve instruction. This book establishes a dialogue among important constructs such as issues of assimilation and ableism, and the expansion of identity, agency, and humanistic pedagogies. It then looks at how these constructs can be used to better understand children who have been assigned inflexible labels that do not cohesively represent their bilingual/bicultural identities and their varied ways of learning. The text explores the limitations of categorizing children into "boxes," particularly those of minoritized backgrounds, and focuses on actual practices that will engage and empower learners. Book Features: Combines the fields of bilingual education and disability studies so that bilingual students with disabilities can be understood and taught from a strengths-based perspective. Includes activity invitations to help teachers create high-quality learning spaces. Provides sample work from diverse elementary school-aged children, as well as children's responses to the learning activity. Proposes curriculum to expand what identity and agency look like in schools embracing more humanistic pedagogies.

Auditory processing disorders, reading and writing disorders, language disorders, and other related disorders - these disorders seem distinct among one another from historical and professional practice perspectives but more and more research suggests that they in fact overlap in many ways including clinical presentations, suspected underlying causes, diagnostic criteria, and re/habilitation strategies. On January 4-7, 2012, the conference Global Conference on Disorders in Auditory Processing, Literacy, Language & Related Sciences (APLL 2012) was held in The Hong Kong Institute of Education. This was the world's first platform for interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations on ways we can better serve children who suffer from the above closely related disorders through future research. Due to the huge success of APLL2012, to promote continuous discussions of the conference theme, the conference organizing committee decided to invite scholars, scientists, and practitioners to contribute their work to the eleventh volume in the Research on Sociocultural Influences on Motivation and Learning research monograph series. This volume is focused on issues in typical and disordered developments in auditory processing, literacy, and language across different cultural and linguistic contexts in Asia, Europe and North America. The contributors of this volume offer insightful theoretical and practical ideas to shape future directions in research, assessment, intervention, and education. This is an intriguing and inspiring volume for students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of speech-language pathology, audiology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, and other related disciplines. By bringing in respective leaders in the fields, we hope that this book will open new windows to promote advancements in related research initiatives, continuing cross disciplinary discussions and collaborations on ways that we can better service individuals suffer from these closely related disorders through future research.

Different regions of the world are making increasing demands for educational reform, especially when institutions are dissatisfied with the level of proficiency of their graduates. Since the realization of how important English education is to global success, reform to English education is becoming progressively vital in societies all over the world. Curriculum Reform Initiatives in English Education provides research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of a variety of areas related to English education and reform, as well as applications within curriculum development and instructional design. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as teachers' roles, teaching methods, and professional development, this book is ideally designed for researchers, educators, administrators, policymakers, interpreters, translators, and linguists seeking current research on the existing body of knowledge about curriculum reform in English education in an international context.

All About Autism is an accessible and informative guide for primary school teachers, designed to increase their knowledge and understanding of autism and enhance their toolkit with practical, adaptable strategies to support autistic children in their care. The book initially explores key traits and terminology, debunks myths and misconceptions, and shines a light on the strengths and abilities of autistic learners. It then introduces readers to a range of easy-to-implement ideas for practice and concrete solutions to provide further support, all with the child at the heart. All About Autism includes: Practical strategies tailored to the primary key stages with current research broken down into easily digestible chunks. Guidance on a range of topics, from the importance of play for developing communication and supporting sensory needs, to building peer relationships and social awareness for all. Strategies to create an autistic-friendly environment and teach in a way that caters to students with different ways of learning. Advice for helping autistic learners with problem solving, managing demands, tests, and bridging the gap between primary and secondary school. Easy to dip-in-and-out of chapters with signposting to further research, resources, and support. Taking a celebratory approach, the guide focuses on difference rather than deficit and weaves together the voices of autistic children and parents alongside practical examples of what high-quality and adapted teaching should look like. It will be essential reading for all primary school educators, SENCOs and parents who are supporting autistic learners, aged 4-11.

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.

As more and more South African parents look at the option of their children with disabilities attending mainstream schools, many questions are raised: Mainstream or special shool? What is involved in each of these choices? What are the expected outcomes for the child as an individual? Why are there special schools? Will the school I choose provide for my child's needs?;This guide examines these issues and helps to find answers to commonly asked questions about inclusion. Terminology is explained and new legislation with its implications is examined. Parents, children and teachers share their stories and experiences in the hope that others will have more information to make the choices that are appropriate for them.

Teaching adolescents and learning from them is the paradigm elaborated throughout this second edition of Adolescents in the Internet Age. The premise is based upon four assumptions: (1) Adolescents have unique experiences that qualify them as the most credible source on what growing up is like in the current environment; (2) Adolescents are more competent than many adults with tools of technology that will be needed for learning in the future; (3) Adolescents and adults can support mutual development by adopting the concept of reciprocal learning; and (4) The common quest of adolescents to gain adult identity could be attained before employment. Expectations are the theme for every chapter. The reason expectations are so important is because they influence goals, determine priorities, and are used to evaluate progress and achievements of individuals and institutions. When teacher expectations correspond with the abilities and interests of students, achievement and satisfaction are common outcomes. In contrast, if teachers expect too little, student potential can be undermined. There is also concern if expectations that students have for themselves surpass their abilities. This occurs if teachers do not inform students about their deficits. Multitasking, doing too many things at the same time, detracts from productivity. Sharing accountability depends upon complimentary and attainable expectations that can be met by students, teachers, and parents. To support appropriate expectations, tthis book for secondary teachers and high school students seeking a broader understanding of their own generation is organized in four parts about aspects of learning and development. (1) Identity expectations introduce traditional perspectives on adolescence, changes related to sources of learning, evolving emphasis of schools, and ways to support motivation, goal setting, and formation of identity. (2) Cognitive expectations examine mental abilities, academic standards, emergence of the Internet as a learning tool, development of media literacy, creative problem solving, and encouragement of higher order thinking skills. (3) Social expectations explore the need for giving greater attention to social development, importance of teamwork skills, involvement with social networking, adoption of civil behavior, school safety, and values as a basis for ethical behavior and character. (4) Health expectations center on decisions that influence physical health, well-being, and lifestyle choice. Consideration is given to stress management, emotional intelligence, and risk assessment strategies for individual teenagers and the schools that they attend.