This book examines real life reflections on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), current practices and issues related to assessing, instructing and life-long planning for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. School systems, mental health facilities, and society are being challenged to deal effectively with the growing number of people with autism and developmental disabilities. This is partly due to the inclusive philosophy of educating, training and treating individuals. This book provides regular, special educators, mental health professionals, clinicians and parents with information on best practices and research based findings related to: identification, characteristics, diagnosis; special, general, early and post-secondary education; and quality of life concerns. The book's chapters are topical, comprehensive and diverse. Chapters on assessment examine the emerging field of infant mental health, testing protocols, barriers to diagnosing diverse students, and recent developments in the diagnosing and assessment of autism spectrum disorders i.e. genetic testing, home movies and robots. A number of chapters on instructional aspects delineate curriculum innovations, procedures to implement social skills, assistive technology use and planning for postsecondary education. Life long planning, provides unique content on self-determination, social competence, sibling aspects, and employment and retirement considerations.

Dyslexia, a language communication disability, remains a little-understood and controversial disease among specialists, educators, and parents. This cuts through the controversies within the academic and medical communities to provide a commonsense approach to defining and diagnosing dyslexia.

Creative Response Activities for Children on the Spectrum is a clear, comprehensive and intuitive guide that offers a wide selection of hands-on interventions to be used in any therapeutic or educational setting with children who are 'on the spectrum'. From drawing and writing poetry to skiing and skateboarding, this book describes these and many other creative activities geared towards children with autistic features, attention deficits, hyperactivity, paediatric bipolar disorder and other related conditions. This new resource provides an innovative blend of theory and illustrative case examples designed to help therapists and educators assess children's needs, formulate therapeutic and aesthetic interventions, and analyze creative outcomes.

This collection explores the relationship between new equality regimes and continued societal inequalities, exploring change, ambivalence and resistance specifically in relation to compulsory and post-compulsory education. It seeks to more fully situate the educational journeys and experiences of staff and students.

First published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Gifted education has come to be regarded as a key national programme in many coutnries, and gifted education in science disciplines is now being recognised to be of major importance for economic and technological development. Despite these initiatives and developments internationally, there are very few discussions on gifted education in science drawing upon practices and experiences in different national contexts. In support of an international dialogue between researchers and practitioners, often working within isolated traditions, this book offers information on key influential approaches to science education for gifted learners and surveys current policy and practice from a diverse range of educational contexts. The volume offers an informative introduction for those new to studying gifted science education, as well as supporting the development of the field by offering examples of critical thinking about key issues, and accounts of the influences at work within education systems and the practical complexities of providing science education for the gifted. The contributions draw upon a variety of research approaches to offer insights into the constraints and affordancxes of working within particular policy contexts, and the strengths and challenges inherent in different approaches to practice. Chapters include: Teaching science to the gifted in English state schools: locating a compromised 'gifted & talented' policy within its systemic context Models of education for science talented adolescents in the United States: Past, present, and likely future trends Navigating the shifting terrain between policy and practice for gifted learners in Tanzania Science education for female indigenous gifted students in the Mexican context Gifted Science Education in the Context of Japanese Standardization This book will appeal to scholars, practitioners and policy makers who are in the field of gifted science education.

The contributors to "Internationalising the University: the Chinese Context "offer an in-depth understanding of the rapidly changing developments in the fields of institutional, social, management, curriculum and student concerns and changes.

This is an important book on the value of art education and the nature of having the affective dimension at the core of the visual art learning environment. The case studies are powerful and varied providing an unapologetic view of the transformative impact such learning environments can have upon students and the epistemic value of engagement in the visual arts. Moreover, the case studies speak to an emotional level of the reader. The author provides a digestible theoretical support for understanding the journey these students have undergone which can empower educators to rethink their existing pedagogy.

Offering a cross-cultural perspective, this book contains papers from internationally renowned scholars who provide fresh insights into the goals and ambitions for inclusion, participation and democracy and how these might be realized today. The 'insider' accounts highlight the complex political and cultural changes required to achieve success with the inclusion project. This book is for researchers studying inclusion, teacher educators and teachers.

Rather than approaching the art of precocious young artists with autism as enigmatic and symptomatic, their work is explored as having its origin in human physiology and in the intrinsic human need for meaning. The narrative images in these young artists' exceptional art serve as both evidence and focus, allowing us to see the commonalities of all art and image-making. No art has been considered more enigmatic than that of young children with autism, for their often extremely early drawings intrigue viewers with their vivid, visually-based, perspective emphasis. Such art, often spontaneously produced by artists frequently considered retarded, is difficult to understand within the usual constructs of drawing pedagogy that emphasizes the necessity of practice and experience for mastery. However, it is a useful means of expressing one's interior self and of sharing with others a tale of one's own creation. Finally, this expression forms enduring links with other people in the common human language of lines and forms.

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.

* Investigates new findings on the predictive brain and what these insights mean for autism and current interventions. * The book has already sold over 2000 copies within 7 months of publishing in Dutch * Peter Vermeulen has established himself as an expert in autism writing, his last books selling thousands of copies and being translated into 10 languages and 5 languages each.

Written for young people with disabilities and the people who care for and educate them, this unique resource offers both inspiration and advice to help disabled teenagers successfully meet the special social and academic challenges of high school and to find their paths into the future. Compiling a wealth of expertise on a range of issues in high school and all the accompanying major life events, this edited volume offers guidance, support, experience, and encouragement, providing everything from explanation of legal rights to guidance on effective study habits. Through the voices of disabled students and their teachers and family members, the book provides insights into the internal dilemmas that students face as well as problems they may encounter in the classroom, at home, and in society. This book is written to offer tools that empower students with disabilities face their challenges while providing educators, family members and friends insights into issues these students may encounter during their high school years. Every high school teacher, administrator, counselor, and librarian should familiarize themselves with the issues explored on these pages. The book is divided into five topical sections that each addresses a set of related issues. Section I provides a history of disabilitities across different times and cultures and a discussion of the legal rights of students with disabilities. Section II discusses the cultural and social issues disabled teens face in modern society and looks at representations in film and literature. Section III is devoted to the many interactions and relationships faced in high school, including dating, socialization, and extracurricular activities.Section IV addresses issues related to academic success and the concluding chapter offers tools for advocacy and empowerful. Appendicies complete this multi-facted volume with lists of additional readings and on-line resources for students with disabilities.

The goal of this book is to provide teachers with the theoretical and practical information needed to meet the daily challenge of individualizing instruction for gifted and talented students with different learning styles in regular classrooms. These students spend most of their time in regular courses. Teachers and counselors often are urged to provide for the unique needs of each of these learners without being shown how such adolescents differ from each offer in their learning style traits. This is the first book devoted entirely to the topic, and it is based on a two-year study in many different nations.

Early Childhood Education for Muslim Children foregrounds the marginalised perspective of Muslim children aged three to five and examines how they are cared for and educated in centre-based provision in two provinces in post-apartheid South Africa. Both theological and social science perspectives are carefully interwoven to make sense of the construction of service provision for Muslims as a minority group in a secular democracy.

This book uses a qualitative, reflexive approach to amplify the voices of mothers, managers and teachers as the community of agents who shape priorities for young children in the context of a rapidly transforming society. The research demonstrates that the quest to establish an appropriate care network and a sound educative environment for Muslim children is riddled with complexities, struggles and tensions. In the light of changes in the home-based network for early education, centre-based provision has become an important infrastructure for Muslim communities seeking one-stop academic and Islamic education. The internal struggles encountered in this form of provision include inequities in access, struggles to package an appropriate curriculum, and dealing with nurturance specific to the faith and for cultural formations supportive of citizenship.

This book calls for critical engagement with issues of religious education in early childhood, social cohesion, formal systematic teacher education for Muslim teachers, curriculum development and parental support. It will contribute not only to the development of early education from an Islamic perspective, but will also demonstrate how to expand discourses and practices to deal with diversity and faith development in early years. As such, it will appeal to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of early childhood education, religious studies, race and ethnic studies, and childhood studies

Table of Contents

1. Contextualising early childhood education in South Africa 2. An Islamic perspective of (early childhood) education 3. Contemporary models of early childhood education for Muslim children 4. Qualitative research in centre-based early childhood education for Muslim children 5. Muslim mothers framing early childhood education 6.The social construction of centre-based early childhood education 7. The making of Muslim children in early childhood centres 8. Conclusion

Autistic people are empirically and scientifically generalized as living in a fragmented, alternate reality, without a coherent continuous self. In Part I, this book presents recent neuropsychological research and its implications for existing theories of autism, selfhood, and identity, challenging common assumptions about the formation and structure of the autistic self and autism's relationship to neurotypicality. Through several case studies in Part II, the book explores the ways in which artists diagnosed with autism have constructed their identities through participation within art communities and cultures, and how the concept of self as 'story' can be utilized to better understand the neurological differences between autism and typical cognition. This book will be of particular interest to researchers and scholars within the fields of Disability Studies, Art Education, and Art Therapy.

Each book in the 10 Performance-Based Projects series provides 10 ready-made projects designed to help students achieve higher levels of thinking and develop 21st-century skills. Projects are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, allowing students to explore and be creative as well as gain enduring understanding. Each project represents a type of performance assessment, including portfolios, oral presentations, research papers, and exhibitions. Included for each project is a suggested calendar to allow teacher scheduling, mini-lessons that allow students to build capacity and gain understanding, as well as multiple rubrics to objectively assess student performance. The lessons are presented in an easy-to-follow format, enabling teachers to implement projects immediately. Grades 3-5

Achieving Outstanding Classroom Support in Your Secondary School shows how secondary school teachers and other school staff can work with Teaching Assistants to ensure that classroom support is maximised and an optimum working relationship is developed. Based on research taken directly from the classroom, all recommendations and guidelines explored in this book are based on the findings of those who have consulted Teaching Assistants about their work, in order to better understand the dynamics of classrooms where at least one of the adults present is supporting the other, directly or indirectly. Topics studied include: Understanding the roles and responsibilities of the Teaching Assistant What the research tells us about Teaching Assistants How to plan before the lesson How to involve the Teaching Assistant in the lesson How to provide feedback and advocacy for the Teaching Assistant after the lesson This accessible text provides a highly supportive framework to prompt teachers to be proactive and plan ahead for effective use of their Teaching Assistants in the classroom and will be of interest to all secondary teachers, SENCOs, heads of departments and school managers.

Parents, teachers, carers - whatever our role in a child's life, we all want them to thrive. There are many moments of joy in our relationships with our children: but what about those times we're faced with defiance, disruption and seemingly endless cycles of negativity? Miserable for the child and exhausting for those around them - and almost all completely avoidable. From everyday frustrations to more extreme manifestations, these behaviours may present differently but they are all rooted in one common thread: a need for emotional safety. When a child feels secure and truly heard, their behaviour is transformed. Marie Gentles draws on her decades of expertise supporting children across the behavioural spectrum, along with their parents and teachers, to show us how to establish positive relationships that bring out the best in our children. Using evidence-based research, case studies and her proven methodologies, this book shows you how to: * Establish connection, in order to give the emotional security every child needs to flourish * Take a step back to better understand the feelings behind the behaviour * Embrace even the most 'negative' of emotions * Actively listen to the child and in turn, be heard * See setbacks as positive learning and teaching tools With practical examples of how to prevent struggles before they emerge as well as detailed advice on resetting when you're fire-fighting one explosion after the next, this reassuring guide empowers parents and educators alike. Learn to equip children of all ages to deal with anything life throws at them, building their emotional security in the process - whether they are fifteen months or fifteen years, it's never too late to start.

This publication explores the impact of creative projects on the work of Pupil Referral Units and Learning Support Units around England. During 2003, writer and researcher Richard Ings visited a dozen centres that participated in First Time Projects, a programme devised and funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Arts Council England. He talked to the teachers and the learning support staff, the artists and arts companies, and the young people themselves about the benefits and challenges of engaging in arts practice. Creating Chances is an important contribution to the literature on how arts interventions can help to reach the marginalised and excluded child. It provides the teaching profession with fresh ideas and new approaches to making connections with our most troubled young people. And it examines the role of the artist as a catalyst for creativity and personal development. This report is of vital interest to professionals working towards social inclusion, including those responsible for funding and setting education policy. Its publication is intended to encourage better and wider use of creative approaches in PRUs and LSUs across the country.

In The Culture Trap, Derron Wallace argues that the overreliance on culture to explain Black students' achievement and behavior in schools is a trap that undermines the historical factors and institutional processes that shape how Black students experience schooling. This trap is consequential for a host of racial and ethnic minority youth in schools, including Black Caribbean young people in London and New York City. Since the 1920s, Black Caribbeans in New York have been considered a high-achieving Black model minority. Conversely, since the 1950s, Black Caribbeans in London have been regarded as a chronically underachieving minority. In both contexts, however, it is often suggested that Caribbean culture informs their status, whether as a celebrated minority in the US or as a demoted minority in Britain. Drawing on rich ethnographic observations, as well as interview and archival data from two of the largest public schools in London and New York City, Wallace interrogates the fault lines of these claims, and highlights the influence of colonialism, class, and context in shaping Black Caribbeans' educational experiences. As racial and ethnic achievement gaps and discussions about what to do about them persist in the US and Britain, Wallace shows how culture is at times used as an alibi for racism in schools, and points out what educators, parents, and students can do to change it.