This book fills a gap in the dissemination of practitioner research on special and inclusive education in Ireland. The successful implementation of an inclusive education policy is a process which depends largely on the attitudes, knowledge and competencies of teachers. In this volume, teacher-researchers report on work undertaken within the Special Education Department of St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin. The studies are grouped around three key issues: responding to diversity, access to the curriculum and collaboration for inclusion. They offer valuable insights into the challenges and barriers to inclusive education and point to ways that schools can address these challenges from the perspective of small-scale research. The authors draw on a range of research methodologies, from single case experimental design to case studies, in order to illuminate the issues at the level of the individual student, teacher, class and school. The book is relevant to all who have an interest in practitioner research, the implementation of inclusive education and how policy translates in individual contexts.

Historically, interventions designed to impact the lives of disabled people were predicated upon deficits-based models of disability. This began to change with the introduction of World Health Organization (WHO) frameworks, particularly the International Classification of Function (ICF), that emphasized that disability could only be understood in the context of interactions among health, environmental factors, and personal factors and by examining the impact of such factors on a person's activities and participation. The ICF identified personal factors as among the elements of a social-ecological model of disability but did not provide an extensive taxonomy of what constitutes such factors. Understanding Disability examines personal factors that come from the field of positive psychology and, as such, to begin to identify and build strengths-based approaches to promoting the full participation, dignity, and well-being of disabled people.

Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education is a professional learning tool for practitioners who are working to create more culturally responsive school and classroom environments. This book: Focuses on gifted and talented students from special populations, including those who are culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse. Is presented as a collection of essays written by educational advocates. Aims to increase the cultural competence of teachers and school leaders. Is organized in three sections: Culturally Responsive Practices; Race, Ethnicity, and Culture; and Gender, Sex, and Sense of Self. Provides readers with personal insights into the implicit biases that exist within the educational system and gifted programs. Each chapter illustrates the lived experiences of students from special populations and includes reflection questions for continued conversations and planning. Finally, an Educator Inventory is provided that tasks educators with reflecting on their own personal implicit biases and classroom practices related to the diverse populations of gifted and talented students in our schools.

Acts of bullying and victimization experienced by gifted individuals is a seriously neglected problem, leaving many of these students emotionally shaken and subject to extreme anxiety and depression. Even more, based on certain common characteristics of giftedness in particularly, some gifted individuals can find themselves very vulnerable to bullying, which can cause even more difficulties in their interpersonal relationships and development. Despite its importance in the social-emotional wellness and mental health of gifted children, many related books do not discuss bullying as a primary or exclusive topic for students with high abilities. Identifying, Preventing, and Combating Bullying in Gifted Education provides a critical review and expanded context within gifted education to include social, emotional, and cultural (SEC) components of the bullying phenomenon. It offers a global, multidisciplinary perspective and has the differential of helping all stakeholders of gifted education and programming identify, prevent and combat different forms of bullying and other aggressive behaviors that negatively impact the quality of education for all gifted students. It presents a balance between theoretical, methodological and empirical chapters with research, testimonies and experiences of the authors, clients, and students shared. Structured and integrated around a coherent central theme, an additional introduction stages the three sections of the book with each of the chapters strategically crafted to better equip readers with ways to identify, prevent and intervene in actions of bullying in gifted education. Specifically, it serves as a fundamental resource for educators, teacher-trainers, mental health professionals, and families of gifted students at all grade levels. As a call to action, this book aims to better equip readers as advocates in their service to all students, and gifted students in particular. Research-based content and topics include identifying the aggressors, the victims, and the bystanders of bullying; peer-to-peer bullying; in-depth, personal, and global look at the relationship between giftedness, vulnerable populations, and bullying; gifted and talented education policy and practices that foster a micro-aggressive environment; and issues of equity for special populations, such as underrepresented student in gifted education. Culminating a unique and more comprehensive perspective, the contributors are internationally recognized and award winning experts who have committed their professional life to work that positively impact the emotional well-being of students as a critical element to their cognitive and talent development. Leading authors and specialists from around the world, and from different academic disciplines and backgrounds to include education, engineering, physics, counseling, and psychiatry are featured.

This book is essential for teachers of reading and Native American Children to improve the reading scores of Native children. The book promotes the use of read alouds with Native American children in order to develop oral language, vocabulary and background knowledge. In addition, American Indian English and Standard English are discussed as issues for Native American Children. The importance of code-switching and bilingualism are examined so teacher have a better understanding of their students' worldviews. This will lead to a respect for the children;s culture and subjugated knowledge. The book includes an annotated bibliography of books to use as read alouds. Many books have been field tested at Menominee Tribal School on school children in grades K-8. The books include some classic award-winning books and Native American books. The books were chosen for their use of Standard English. The Menominee Reservation is a focus of the book.

Responding to the need for educational stakeholders to be equipped to plan for constantly evolving developments in policy and practice for learners with learning and behavioral disabilities, this edited collection collates contributions from authors who predict what the next big things in the field will be, and offer recommendations on how to prepare for the future they envision. The chapters cover a broad range of topics that include developments related to students' legal rights and services, how research is utilized by practitioners, using practice-based evidence to promote the use of evidence-base practices, open science, neuroscience and special education, professional development for teachers, adaptive tier-2 interventions, the field of emotional and behavioral disorders, reading and students with autism spectrum disorder, and innovations in early writing. Chronicling, too, the concerns and cautions that the authors have about what they see as the next big thing, this collection is a compelling resource for anyone looking to the future of the field, and thinking about how they can be at the front of developments in order to navigate change in a way that generates positive effects.

This book discusses the issues of equity-based education in India and advocates for providing fair and inclusive system of education. It focuses on the practice of democratic education to promote critical thinking and develop problem-solving attitudes among learners in learner-centric classrooms. Offering insightful comments on the contemporary issues related to Education in India, the book underlines the need for teachers to draw from the reforms suggested in the New Education Policy 2020 to ensure equitable learning. It aims to develop teachers’ capacity to identify students’ needs and ensure community participation. The book discusses a range of topics such as holistic assessment, reflexive pedagogy, ICT, innovations in education, and inclusiveness among others. While providing theoretical as well as empirical insights on the approaches needed in classrooms for better learning, it also provides anecdotal evidence and case studies to support equity-based education. The book will be of interest to teachers and researchers of education, vocational education, and teacher education. It will also be useful for educators, educationists, education administrators, Special educators, academicians, policymakers, in-service teachers, teacher educators and teacher trainees.

Communication at the Heart of the School introduces a simple, practical approach for communication development in schools, with a specific focus on children with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) or Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). The tried-and-tested framework offers a shared approach to communication development between teachers and speech and language therapists, moving through three crucial stages: the communication assessment, the communication pathway and the classroom environment. It provides a clear structure for the role of each professional and explains how they contribute to every aspect of the child's communication development. Key features include: A communication pathway that follows a yearly cycle of assessment, plan and intervention, identifying specific communication needs and offering advice on creating communication-friendly environments A focus on the shared vision of teachers and speech and language therapists, creating a united and team-led approach to communication development, ensuring that both therapists and teachers feel supported in tackling complex communication challenges effectively Photocopiable and downloadable assessment forms for accurately measuring outcomes in a time-friendly and accessible way Underpinned by the Communication and Cognitive Framework currently used by teachers, speech and language therapists and families, this resource offers a complete package of communication support. It is an essential tool for speech and language therapists and teachers supporting children communicating at early developmental levels.

This handbook discusses early childhood special education (ECSE), with particular focus on evidence-based practices. Coverage spans core intervention areas in ECSE, such as literacy, motor skills, and social development as well as diverse contexts for services, including speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and pediatrics. Contributors offer strategies for planning, implementing, modifying, and adapting interventions to help young learners extend their benefits into the higher grades. Concluding chapters emphasize the importance of research in driving evidence-based practices (EBP). Topics featured in the Handbook include: Family-centered practices in early childhood intervention. The application of Response to Intervention (RtI) in young children with identified disabilities. Motor skills acquisition for young children with disabilities. Implementing evidence-based practices in ECSE classrooms. * Cultural, ethnic, and linguistic implications for ECSE. The Handbook of Early Childhood Special Education is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, clinicians, and practitioners across such disciplines as child and school psychology, early childhood education, clinical social work, speech and physical therapy, developmental psychology, behavior therapy, and public health.

Authors are very experienced in the field Techniques are easy to follow and comprehensive allowing therapists to direct families to continue exercises at home Additional printable resources for families Testimonials from families supported by the Total Speech approach are included The advantage of the proposed book is the combining of clinical experience with describing techniques that are not commonly used or acknowledged (i.e. using tactile input in addition to auditory and visual) to support the speech of children with additional or complex needs.

Parent’s Quick Start Guide to Dyslexia provides parents and caregivers with an immediate overview of dyslexia and steps they can take to support and encourage their child. Each chapter is packed with detailed and helpful information, covering identification, public schools versus private settings, and how (and when) to seek professional help. Summary and resource sections at the end of each chapter give quick guidance to busy readers. Topics include a wealth of research-backed activities, nurturing talent and creativity, motivating your child to read, and more. Offering straightforward, easy to understand, and evidence-based information, this book is a go-to resource for caregivers parenting a child with dyslexia.

To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), this book is a compilation of the work conducted by network scholars. This volume is the first comprehensive overview of the studies conducted by ISLDN members engaged in examining how social justice leaders and leaders of high-needs schools address the social conditions, learning experiences, and performance of their students. Other international school leadership research consortia have emerged in the 21st century; however, the ISLDN is the second longest operating project, after the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). Since its creation in 2010, ISLDN scholars have delivered papers at a variety of international conferences and shared findings in research publications, including books and special issues of journals. Until now, ISLDN research findings have been disseminated separately for the project's two strands: (a) social justice leadership and (b) leadership in underperforming high-needs schools. Therefore, the purpose of the book is to document the history and evolution of the ISLDN and to provide descriptions and reflections of the project's research findings, methodologies, and collaborative processes across the two strands. This volume captures studies of school leaders from 19 countries representing six continents - Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. The authors examine important external and internal contextual factors influencing schools in different cultural settings and provide insights about the values and practices of social justice leaders working in high-needs school settings. Numerous practical strategies are provided for school leaders working in schools with similar conditions. The concluding chapter by the co-editors synthesizes the structural factors, personal beliefs and values, and contextualized change management strategies that shape school leaders' actions aimed at ensuring the best learning outcomes for their students. Besides capturing the range of findings emerging from various ISLDN studies conducted over the past decade, several chapters critically examine the project's current contributions to the field. Authors suggest broadening the dissemination of our findings to increase the visibility of the project, expanding the research methods beyond qualitative interviews, incorporating studies from non-Anglophone countries, and augmenting the scope of our analyses and research focus. These researchers' journeys also reveal the obstacles to and benefits of engaging in these types of international collaborative research ventures.

Intensive, individualized interventions are certainly the hallmark promise of special education. In a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), tier 3 interventions are the most intensive and require individualized delivery to address the learning and behavioral needs of students who are most often identified for special education services. MTSS, such as Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), are comprised of universal assessment, progress monitoring, and databased decision-making as intervention is implemented with increasing intensity and individualization based on the needs of the learner. The chapters in this volume cover a broad range of topics that address issues surrounding the identification of students who need the most intensive intervention, intensive intervention features and delivery considerations, behavioral interventions, academic interventions, and preservice teacher preparation. The authors of the chapters are recognized as international experts on these topics and provide specific recommendations that are based on research evidence as well as discuss considerations for future enhancement of multi-tiered systems of supports and intensive interventions. This is a contemporary resource for teachers, administrators, and teacher-educators who are charged with delivering special education and/or supporting those who do.

A Teacher's Guide to Preventing Behavior PRoblems in the Elementary Education Classroom includes straightforward, feasible, and evidenced-based strategies designed to prevent behavior problems in K-5 classrooms. With an exclusive classroom focus, this practitioner-friendly book encourages teachers to be proactive in classroom management and guides them through the process of setting up their classrooms to maximize learning while focusing on prevention. Its emphasis on behavior problems before they occur enables teachers to run their classrooms more efficiently and experience less frustration, while also increasing student learning. A well-organized, systematic, and predictable teaching environment helps to prevent behaviors, and this book presents ways to achieve this type of classroom environment. Using real-life classroom scenarios, this guide equips teachers with management techniques that break the common cycle of frustration, aggression, rejection, and hostility, so they can create positive elementary classrooms.

Why does a public high school, despite having resources and educators with good intentions, end up graduating English learners (ELs) without preparing them for college and career? This book answers this question through a longitudinal ethnographic case study of a diverse high school in Pennsylvania. The author takes the reader on a journey with seven EL students through their last two years of high school, exploring how and why none of them reached the postsecondary destinations they originally aspired to. This book provides a sobering look into the systemic undereducation of high school ELs and the role of high schools in limiting their postsecondary options.

Why does a public high school, despite having resources and educators with good intentions, end up graduating English learners (ELs) without preparing them for college and career? This book answers this question through a longitudinal ethnographic case study of a diverse high school in Pennsylvania. The author takes the reader on a journey with seven EL students through their last two years of high school, exploring how and why none of them reached the postsecondary destinations they originally aspired to. This book provides a sobering look into the systemic undereducation of high school ELs and the role of high schools in limiting their postsecondary options.

Over the past 40 years, Jim Cummins has proposed a number of highly influential theoretical concepts, including the threshold and interdependence hypotheses and the distinction between conversational fluency and academic language proficiency. In this book, he provides a personal account of how these ideas developed and he examines the credibility of critiques they have generated, using the criteria of empirical adequacy, logical coherence, and consequential validity. These criteria of theoretical legitimacy are also applied to the evaluation of two different versions of translanguaging theory - Unitary Translanguaging Theory and Crosslinguistic Translanguaging Theory - in a way that significantly clarifies this controversial concept.

Adopting a UDL attitude within Academia bridges the gap between the theory and practice of UDL (Universal Design for Learning). It guides the reader through the origins of the development of UDL as an innovative way of thinking about inclusion and the evolution of this theory into practice, as it explores UDL and its relevance beyond the classroom. Including reader-friendly descriptions and case studies supplemented with international research, this book allows the reader to think and see through a UDL lens, ultimately emphasising their part in the inclusion agenda. From the outset this book shares the attitude necessary to promote UDL and inclusion across higher education and addresses some of the most common questions: Is this a scientific theory or just a new practice, and why is it important? How can I be more inclusive in my current practice? Is it sustainable and how do I ensure I'm implementing it correctly? The book will have a broad appeal and is essential reading for anyone looking to understand and implement UDL across their learning environment - be it a university or any higher education institution.

Adopting a UDL attitude within Academia bridges the gap between the theory and practice of UDL (Universal Design for Learning). It guides the reader through the origins of the development of UDL as an innovative way of thinking about inclusion and the evolution of this theory into practice, as it explores UDL and its relevance beyond the classroom. Including reader-friendly descriptions and case studies supplemented with international research, this book allows the reader to think and see through a UDL lens, ultimately emphasising their part in the inclusion agenda. From the outset this book shares the attitude necessary to promote UDL and inclusion across higher education and addresses some of the most common questions: Is this a scientific theory or just a new practice, and why is it important? How can I be more inclusive in my current practice? Is it sustainable and how do I ensure I'm implementing it correctly? The book will have a broad appeal and is essential reading for anyone looking to understand and implement UDL across their learning environment - be it a university or any higher education institution.

Putting Critical Language Pedagogy into Practice explores the practice of language teaching through the lens of critical pedagogy, reflexivity, and the importance of reflexivity for teacher development. It also shows how these reflexive practices can contribute to more inclusivity and decolonization of the curriculum. A range of experts argue persuasively for epistemological reflexivity in practice and demonstrate how to implement this critical thinking into daily instructional practice. Each chapter is structured around three themes in order to help readers connect challenging theoretical ideas into day to day teaching practice: Reflection - The author's story and issue of concern Epistemic Reflexivity - personal epistemologies reflecting on the social conditions influencing the theory underpinning that author's practices Resolved action - how the epistemic reflexivity leads to purposeful decision-making enacted in classroom contexts. Original, thoughtful and challenging, this text is fascinating and instructional reading for language education advanced students, researchers and practitioners.

Although a number of books have appeared on learning disabili ties, we feel that the present book has two distinct features which are not found in most others. It is multidisciplinary and it com bines theory with practice. A group of researchers from the disciplines of Psychology in cluding medical psychology and information processing, Reading, Special Education and Physical Education interacted with each other before and after their presentations in a conference (November 1980, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada), and then wrote their chapters for this book. We hope that their chapters were enriched by the discussions and arguments which happened in formal and informal settings during the authors' stay in Edmonton. Dr. Leong could not attend the conference, but was asked to write the introductory chapter for the book. The contributors to this volume have been involved with basic research as well as with clinical and educational research in learning disabilities. Some of them have a theoretical rather than a practical interest. However, a serious interest in a handicapping condition perhaps compels one to consider its amelioration no matter how 'pure' is the researcher. It is because of such a feeling.that those who do basic research have sug gested procedures for applying their findings. The result is a balanced product, entailing theory and practice."

This accessible book provides an overview of fluency disorders. Written by a team of speech language pathology researchers and practitioners in India, it examines the concepts of fluency and dysfluency with illustrative examples in English and Indian languages. Understanding and Managing Fluency Disorders introduces different fluency disorders and gives an overview of current research and the theoretical background. Clinical aspects of each fluency disorder are also described, and the book outlines assessment protocols and intervention methods. Maruthy and Kelkar address the definitions and prevalence of fluency disorders, stuttering assessments as well as acquired neurogenic stuttering. One of the highlights of the book is the chapter dedicated to typical disfluency, which could be of immense use to beginning clinicians who wish to increase the specificity and accuracy of their assessment. Other salient features include case vignettes, activity examples, easy steps to carry out intervention approaches, and the added advantage of an ICF perspective, making this a practitioner's guide to management of fluency disorders. Offering a comprehensive overview of theoretical and clinical aspects of stuttering, cluttering and fluency disorders, this volume will be highly relevant reading for students of fluency disorders and speech and language therapy. It will also provide clinicians and trainees working in the field with up-to-date theoretical and clinical information about assessment and intervention.