Bridging the gap between theory and practice, Mindful Interventions in Special Education helps aspiring educators develop their intervention toolkit. Covering topics from dyslexia to hypoactivity, each chapter provides an overview of the theoretical and research-based rationale alongside an illustrative case study for each intervention being discussed. Each intervention features mindful and strength-based remediation strategies and reflection questions to deepen readers' understanding. Addressing a wide array of common scenarios, this thoughtful resource is ideal for anyone seeking to effectively build inclusive classrooms and support students' social-emotional learning.

"Asian-American Education: Historical Background and Current Realities" fills a gap in the study of the social and historical experiences of Asians in U.S. schools. It is the first historical work to provide American readers with information about highly individual ethnic groups rather than viewing distinctly different groups as one vague, global entity such as "Asians." The people who populate each chapter are portrayed as active participants in their history rather than as passive victims of their culture.
Each of the twelve country-specific chapters begins with a description of the kind of education received in the home country, including how widely available it was, how equal or unequal the society was, and what were the circumstances under which the emigration of children from the country occurred. The latter part of each of these chapters deals with the education these children have received in the United States. Throughout the book, instead of dwelling on a relatively narrow range of children who perform spectacularly well, the author tries to discover the educational situation typical among average students. The order of chapters is roughly chronological in terms of when the first sizable numbers of immigrants came from a specific country.

Empowered solutions to close the achievement gap start here! This original, solution-oriented guide for school leaders helps to serve children of color, children from low-income families, and other marginalized student groups. Practical implementation strategies and tools assist school leaders to methodically tackle the challenges of equity-driven reform and: Understand the root cause of the racial-achievement gap Take concrete actions to transform the educational process Use daily, real-time data to determine effective teaching and learning practices Includes reflective-discussion questions and case studies. Accelerate the achievement of underserved students with this transformative book!

This book sets out the basis for addressing the individual needs of children with a wide range of visual impairments within the Code of Practice. It includes information about opthalmics; the identification and assessment of aspects of vision, and the role of different agencies likely to be involved; a comprehensive range of practical strategies; and advice on the use of low vision aids, appropriate decor and physical layouts, lighting conditions and equipment, and relevant IT. Drawing on recent research, this book argues that it is the quality of the child's social interactions which promotes play, language and learning. This is a highly accessible text addressed to parents, teachers and those who support schools professionally.

This book showcases the diverse nature of policy, provision and practice for special educational needs and disability (SEND) across different international settings. Situated across a backdrop of varied international policies relating to inclusion, the book offers insights into the rhetoric of SEND policy and practice across a range of settings to contribute to our understanding of SEND provision. It explores the complexities, concerns and challenges experienced by staff, pupils, parents and carers in contemporary education settings. Chapters draw on empirical research and are structured around four parts: special education needs and disability within policy; stakeholder perceptions and experiences of SEND provision; meeting the needs of SEND children; and moving towards inclusive practice. The volume will challenge thought, stimulate critique and provoke debate in the field of special educational needs both locally and globally and will be of interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the field of inclusive education, special needs education and comparative education.

Recognizing the characteristics of children with learning disabilities and deciding how to help them is a problem faced by schools all over the world. Although some disorders are fairly easily recognizable (e.g., mental retardation) or very specific to single components of performance and quite rare (e.g., developmental dyscalculia), schools must consider much larger populations of children with learning difficulties who cannot always be readily classified. These children present high-level learning difficulties that affect their performance on a variety of school tasks, but the underlying problem is often their difficulty in understanding written text. In many instances, despite good intellectual abilities and a superficial ability to cope with written texts and to use language appropriately, some children do not seem to grasp the most important elements, or cannot find the pieces of information they are looking for. Sometimes these difficulties are not immediately detected by the teacher in the early school years. They may be hidden because the most obvious early indicators of reading progress in the teacher's eyes do not involve comprehension of written texts or because the first texts a child encounters are quite simple and reflect only the difficulty level of the oral messages (sentences, short stories, etc.) with which the child is already familiar. However, as years go by and texts get more complex, comprehension difficulties will become increasingly apparent and increasingly detrimental to effective school learning. In turn, studying, assimilating new information, and many other situations requiring text comprehension -- from problem solving to reasoning with linguistic contents -- could be affected.
Problems with decoding, dyslexia, and language disorders have attracted more interest from researchers than have specific comprehension problems and have occupied more room in specialized journals. Normal reading comprehension has also been a favorite with researchers. However, scarce interest has been paid to subjects who have comprehension difficulties. This book is an attempt to remedy this situation. In so doing, this volume answers the following questions:
* Does a reading comprehension problem exist in schools?
* How important and widespread is the problem?
* Is the problem specific?
* How can a reading comprehension difficulty be defined and identified?
* Does the "syndrome" have a single pattern or can different subtypes be identified?
* What are the main characteristics associated with a reading comprehension difficulty?
* When can other well-identified problems add to our understanding of reading comprehension difficulties?
* Which educational strategies are effective in preventing and treating reading comprehension difficulties?
* What supplementary information can we get from an international perspective?

With an increased emphasis on inclusion in education, the challenge faced by schools is how to provide for the diverse and complex needs of all children. How to Support and Teach Children with Special Needs is essential reading for teachers, teaching assistants, SENCos and senior management. This practical book provides helpful hints and strategies to support children with a wide range of difficulties including those in the areas of communication, learning, behavioural, sensory / physical and medical. The book includes: details of a school's legal responsibilities towards children with special educational needs; a wealth of practical and accessible support strategies; checklists for assessment; useful addresses and resource lists. After teaching for 15 years, Veronica Birkett worked as an Ofsted inspector and advisory teacher, supporting pupils with special educational needs, their teachers and teaching assistants. She is the author of LDA's How To Survive & Succeed as a SENCO and How To Survive & Succeed as a Teaching Assistant.

Written during a period of reexamination and change in the field of special education, this book was developed in order to provide a better understanding of the contexts in which children receive their formal education. The movement toward the "least restrictive environment" for the education of children with disabilities is weathering a wave of reinterpretations including mainstreaming, the regular education initiative, and inclusion. While each interpretation has its proponents and critics, limited theory and few data are available to guide these important policy decisions.
Focusing specifically on classrooms -- the settings where educators can have the most immediate impact and where research is most needed -- this volume's goals are:
* to establish what is known about classroom ecologies from both general and special education perspectives,
* to integrate the perspectives of researchers and practitioners, and
* to chart directions for further research specifically related to children with learning disabilities.
The construct of classroom ecology is defined as three interrelated domains: instruction, teacher and peer interaction, and organization and management. This scheme provides the structure for the book. Taken as a whole, the content of the volume underscores the limits of current knowledge and at the same time provides directions for needed changes in both research and practice.

Why are children from disadvantaged and minority communities overrepresented among academic underachievers, poor learners and school dropouts? This volume engages with this question and examines classroom learning as a process that involves a multitude of actors situated in specific social, cultural, and historical contexts. The volume covers an interdisciplinary spectrum of educational processes, contexts, educational ambitions, and limitations of low caste, working class and middle-class students from different Indian communities and regions. The volume delves into the problem of academic underperformance from a social identity perspective and probes into social context-based variability in classroom learning, systemic disadvantages in the form of negative stereotypes and the family as an under-studied social group in all discussions of schooling. It also examines the teacher perceptions and attitudes toward Adivasi students and other minority groups in primary schools, and their effect on children's classroom engagement. The essays in this volume provide insights into unresolved and critical research questions that require attention of teachers, school management, educators, and policy makers alike. This book will also be useful for academicians, policymakers, teacher educators, pedagogic practitioners in India and abroad, and state and central government institutions working on school education, educational psychology, policymaking in education, learning methods and research on educational enhancement.

"Education Reform and Social Change" is about addressing and changing the structures, policies, and practices of schools that differentially advantage white, middle class, native English speakers over students of color for whom English may be a second or additional language. It is also about helping people to think critically about what it is schools do and to consider more democratic, participatory, and equitable approaches.
The chapters in the text provide first-hand documentation of the voices, struggles, and visions of students, parent activists, advocates, attorneys, and educators involved in educational and social change processes. It chronicles real-life efforts of people challenging the status quo and working to build a more participatory, equitable, and transformative future.
The goal of this book is twofold: first, to consider the structures, policies, and practices that shape and limit educational change, and learning and teaching; and second, to document grassroots collaborative and creative efforts to change them. It offers a critical framework both for conceptualizing and for actualizing educational change.
Organized into four sections, this book provides a theoretical and practical framework for thinking about educational reform and social change -- one that moves from the broader structural concerns that are embedded in policy, to case studies that document activism and collaborative efforts to change school, city, and state policies, to classroom-based directions and initiatives, and to the construction of personal and collective visions for a more democratic, equitable, and just education. Each section includes an overview of the chapters, necessary background information to help the reader contextualize what follows, and guiding questions to encourage reflective thought and engagement with the text and to invite personal linkages. Two resource sections are included at the end of the volume: "Radical Educational Reform, Critical Pedagogy, and Multicultural Education: Selected Readings and Resources" and "National Organization Networks and Resources with a Critical Perspective."

Today children who are not fluent in English--legal and illegal immigrants, refugees, and native born--are the fastest growing portion of our population, accounting for more than half the children in classrooms in many city schools. Bilingual education programs established by federal and state laws have required that such students be taught basic subjects in their native languages rather than in English. Judged by most applicable measures--such as achievement scores and dropout rates--these programs have not been successful.

This edition includes new material on recent efforts to reform bilingual education, on the growing trend across the country toward English language programs, on the latest national research studies, and on the movement to make English the official language of the United States. Forked Tongue is a devastating inside account of how the twenty-eight-year experiment in bilingual education has failed our language-minority children--and why. Rosalie Porter draws on local, state, and international experience to provide us with the first authoritative account of which policies, programs, and practices actually succeed with the children they are intended to serve. Forked Tongue will be of interest to educators, sociologists, and scholars interested in second language acquisition.

It is becoming recognized that the multiple and complex problems of children with emotional and behavioral problems and their families exceed the capacity of any single service system. Emerging School-Based Approaches for Children With Emotional and Behavioral Problems presents educators and social service practitioners with innovative programs and practices for these children while in school with emphasis on inter-service collaboration. The book fulfills a growing need for an organized discussion of how the integrated service paradigm can be applied in the context of school settings. Special consideration is given to the issues and problems that are idiosyncratic to schools as institutions. Emerging School-Based Approaches for Children With Emotional and Behavioral Problems shows school administrators, teachers, and child service providers conceptual, practice, and research aspects of integrated service programs in school settings. Professionals gain insight for planning organizational change as prominent experts and practitioners share their work across a range of issues and geographic sites. They explore these topics: systems of care for children and families schools as health delivery sites parent involvement for students with emotional and behavioral disorders program planning and evaluation planned organizational changeChapters provide readers with general information about the features of an integrated approach, provide practical examples of exemplary programs, and consider organizational change issues that can facilitate or impede movement toward a more collaborative approach. Programs presented focus on the development of more broad-based community services, less restrictive child placement, prevention of hospitalization and out-of-home placement, interagency collaboration, flexible and individualized services, and cost containment and efficiency. The integrated service movement in children s services holds much promise as a means to create more comprehensive and coordinated school-based systems of care for children and families. Special education teachers and administrators, school and child clinical psychologists, and school counselors will find Emerging School-Based Approaches for Children With Emotional and Behavioral Problems fundamental to their understanding of the integrated systems approach and a helpful guide as they undergo their own organizational changes.

Global Directions in Inclusive Education pushes the conceptual boundaries of 'inclusive education' and explores new ways to research and envision inclusion and diversity in education for all children. This pioneering book problematizes 'inclusive education' as a global currency, as another form of deficit-thinking, and as a universal application. The expert team of international contributors argue that much of the field of inclusive education needs a reinvigoration of new ideas, critical introspection, and ways of knowing that can overcome the well-worn deficit paths of inclusive education study, namely: 'barriers' to inclusion, teacher attitudes, policy-practice gaps, lack of resources, and lack of teacher training. Seeking diverse ways forward that represent new visions and innovations from around the world, this text features voices and ideas from both early career and established scholars, to enliven debate and promote a more positive and productive dialogue. Global Directions in Inclusive Education is ideal for students, researchers, and scholars of inclusive education; development practitioners seeking new ideas; and practitioners seeking to gain a deeper and more global understanding of inclusive education both in theory and in practice.

Now in its seventh edition, Creativity in the Classroom helps teachers link creativity research and theory to the everyday activities of classroom teaching. Ideal reading for any course dealing wholly or partially with creativity and teaching, this foundational textbook covers definitions, research, and theory in the first half, and reflects on classroom practices in the second. Thoroughly revised and updated, the seventh edition features new research on neuroscience and creativity in specific disciplines; new sections on social-emotional learning, teaching engineering, and leadership; and an entire new chapter on building creativity at the school or district level.

At least one in seven people are thought to be neurodivergent. So what exactly is neurodiversity? What does 'executive functioning' mean? What are 'spiky profiles'? In this simple guide, expert speaker and trainer Daniel Aherne provides a clear introduction to neurodiversity and the four most common neurodivergent identities of autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Using an analogy of a cactus needing a desert to grow in, he emphasises the importance of getting the environment right for neurodivergent people, rather than expecting them to adapt to the neurotypical world. Daniel, who himself has ADHD, also explains how neurodivergent people often have great strengths alongside areas of difficulty, and writes about the interplay between diagnoses, as well as unpacking tricky concepts such as working memory, sensory processing, communication differences and more. Busting common misconceptions and setting out simple tips and guidance for supporting the neurodivergent people around you, whether among your family, friends or at your school, college or workplace - or if you yourself are ND and want to improve the understanding of others - this essential guide will help us all celebrate neurodiversity and foster more inclusive communities.

This book presents "Action Over Inertia," a recovery-orientated, strengths-based approach to address the profound disruptions in daily activities and community participation often experienced by those living with serious mental illnesses. With a focus on supported "doing", the Action Over Inertia approach engages individuals in small activity and participation efforts as an opening to making longer term and sustained changes that offer meaning and well-being. The book helps service providers develop their own knowledge of activities and the health and well-being benefits an individual might receive from activities. It also asks them to consider the biases, assumptions, and constraints that might impact their ability to implement interventions related to activity and participation. A range of worksheets, resources, vignettes, and other tools are provided to support this practice. The manual was developed from the knowledge and practice of occupational science and therapy, but it will be of interest to any mental health professional, peer-provider, administrator, or policy maker interested in promoting recovery for people with serious mental illness

The category of learning disabilities continues to be among the most contentious in special education. Much of the debate and dissent emanates from a lack of understanding about its basic nature. The failure to evolve a comprehensive and unified perspective about the nature of learning disabilities has resulted in the concept being lost. The loss is best illustrated through the failure to answer this seemingly simple question: "What is a learning disability?"
Using historical, empirical, theoretical, conceptual, and philosophical analyses, this volume explores a number of problems and issues facing the field of learning disabilities. The chapters cover historical influences, definitional problems, primary characteristics, assessment practices, theoretical development, major themes, research and measurement models, and long-term outcomes. The goal is to explicate the nature of learning disabilities by analyzing what it was supposed to be, what it has become, and what it might be. A predominant theme running through this text is the necessity for the field of learning disabilities to regain integrity by recapturing its essence.

Educational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities provides readers with the most current perspectives on outcomes that are certain to have an influence on the services they provide. A shift from a focus on the process of education for students with disabilities to a focus on measurable outcomes is occurring and is permeating every level of education, from policy on down to the classroom. This book helps readers think about and prepare for changes in how they provide services.To begin preparing readers for change, the book presents a wide range of topics, beginning with clarifying definitions and historical groundings for the emphasis on outcomes. The authors cover everything from a perspective on the controversial Outcome Based Education (OBE) approach to guidelines on how to use existing data on outcomes. Ways to think about outcomes beyond academics and in alternative settings are addressed as well. Chapters also address different perspectives on what outcomes should be for even young children with disabilities.The contributing authors of this book represent a range of professionals--researchers, policymakers, advocates--whose work helps support student attainment of positive educational outcomes. Individual subjects addressed include: assessment data collection standards opportunity to learn outcome based education (OBE) school reform alternative programs indicators accountabilityEducational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities is a current synthesis of what specialists know about educational outcomes for students with disabilities. It highlights how new ideas will change how school personnel--school counselors and psychologists; supervisors; social workers; speech and language therapists; occupational and physical therapists; and SEA/LEA administrators--educate their students with disabilities.

The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs has significantly changed the way in which schools assess and provide for pupils with special needs.
The various chapters of the book cover:
* recent legislation
* the needs of children with different types of special needs
* school policy and the whole school approach
* approaches to the National Curriculum
* possible ways of organising for special educational needs
* the role of the special needs co-ordinator
* the role of the class teacher
* assessment and record keeping
* working with parents
* staff development
* support services
Written with the needs of primary school teachers and heads in mind, this book addresses the implications which the Code of Practice has for primary schools, focusing in particular on these issues from the management point of view.

In September 1994, the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs was enforced, and with it a major increase in the expectations placed on teachers in mainstream schools, in particular on the SEN co-ordinators. This handbook dicusses the implications this will have for schools and gives practical guidance on how to implement the code effectively. Throughout, the book provides: further information, expanding upon that given in the Code; examples; ideas for dealing with SEN in schools; checklists; and proformas for photocopying and direct use in schools. The book begins by explaining and expanding on the Code of Practice, setting it in the context of recent developments including the Education Reform Act and OFSTED criteria for evaluating policy and provision for children in SEN. It then goes on to provide guidelines for implementing the Code of Practice at each of the five stages which it specifies and discusses issues which are raised by this. Specific chapters cover: identifying and assessing SEN within the school; liaison with outside specialists; statementing; and annual reviews.

In this unique and original book, Jamel Carly Campbell and Sonia Mainstone-Cotton come together to have an open and honest conversation about developing positive and responsive relationships in the early years. The book is divided into three main chapters - building positive relationships with children; with other professionals; and with families and the wider community - and each conversation explores a range of key themes, from building trust and listening to the voice of the child, to diversifying practice and creating a setting that represents the wider community. These discussions encourage the reader to consider the connections we make every day, to rethink and empower their practice, and to place a much higher value on their position as an early years advocate. With reflective questions included to allow the reader to think about their own practice, as well as suggested further reading to explore the themes in more depth, this engaging and accessible book is a must-read for all early years professionals - and, importantly, encourages every practitioner to begin new conversations of their own.

School Social Workers in the Multicultural Environment is a new approach for creating diversity in classroom and field curricula. The contributing authors offer practical advice for the effective teaching of multicultural content, which is now a requirement in the Curriculum Standards of the Council on Social Work Education. The authors address existing fears some readers may have regarding the teaching of multicultural content in social work and provide educators and field instructors with a model for overcoming these fears and for creating classroom excellence. Multicultural Education offers educators a chance to explore how to implement the required material effectively.While offering guidance to educators, School Social Workers in the Multicultural Environment focuses on fundamental and controversial approaches to multicultural social work education by answering these questions: Do educators know how to teach multicultural social work content? Where should multicultural content be taught? Should schools offer courses or workshops to facilitate faculty development? How should schools monitor multicultural outcomes? In what way should content be evaluated--peer evaluation, formal teaching observations, or other methods?School Social Workers in the Multicultural Environment, written by experienced educators, field instructors, and practitioners, provides advice on the teaching of multicultural social work content in both urban and rural areas and among many different populations. The book examines in depth the unspoken myths and fears encountered in teaching multiculturalism to students and helps educators and curriculum planners avoid common, unfortunate mistakes often made in multicultural classrooms and field instruction. Topics discussed include: Student Learning Processes for Multicultural Content Classroom-Tested Teaching Strategies for Cultural Competence in Practice Classes A Model for Measuring Multicultural Outcomes Perceived Racism and Minority Student Retention Differing Student and Educator Perceptions in Field Instruction Field Instruction Strategies for Successfully Teaching Cultural, Ethnic, Gender, Class, and Age Characteristics Rural Diversity Education Strategies American Indian Social Work Student Issues Human services educators and curriculum planners, who must effectively teach and implement multiculturalism in their programs, will find School Social Workers in the Multicultural Environment leads the way in creating classroom excellence. It stresses the importance of creating a new model for teaching and practice, for students and educators.