Special Educational Needs And Inclusive Education Systems And Contexts

Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

"This book presents a stimulating and up-to-date overview of the context of education in SEN and suggests how educators can address special needs most effectively by keeping in mind an image of the development of the whole child. The editors have assembled an impressive range of thought-provoking contributions to the ongoing debate on the actual, the possible and the ideal responses that our education system makes or could make to the needs of its most vulnerable students." Tony Cline, Educational Psychology Group, University College London, UK. "This book provides readers with a fresh, often incisive approach to many perennial issues in education. These include but are not limited to socio-political agendas in inclusion, labelling, learners' self esteem and the delicate balance between different specialists within school systems that must be achieved in the best interest of the child with or without special educational needs and disabilities. Although written for a UK readership, the editors have ensured that the content of most chapters transcends national and systems boundaries with a healthy balance between psychological / educational theory and its real world application in contexts that may not be instantly responsive to the child's changing needs." Dr Victor Martinelli, University of Malta, Malta. "This book provides a welcome overview and commentary on current complex issues and problems affecting all those with an interest in children and young people with special educational needs. Ranging, as it does, from matters surrounding individuals such as labelling, therapeutic work and self-esteem to wider political, historical and socio- cultural influences, it provides the reader with a challenging, informed and critical set of perspectives. Its strength is the manner in which it tackles complex issues, providing thought-provoking views for those well versed in the world of special educational needs but also ensuring clear, comprehensive background information for novice readers of this topic. This book is an excellent compilation of relevant contemporary pieces thoughtfully woven together by highly skilled, well-placed editors." Jane Leadbetter, University of Birmingham, UK. This thought-provoking and accessible book provides an overview of key issues in the education of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Written by highly experienced practitioners and educationalists, the book explores a range of approaches for working with this diverse group of learners and invites you to consider your possible responses. The book begins with an historical overview of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and a critical guide to current policy. The contributors then expertly explore and summarise many of the fascinating topics which arise in practice and scholarly research in this area, including: Ethical and practical implications of labelling children and young people with forms of special educational needs or disability The role of special schools, particularly in light of enduring debates about inclusion/exclusion What increased student participation, student voice and other facets of a democratic classroom mean for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities The contributions psychology can make to developing and enriching educational practice Understanding 'behaviour' in relation to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Case studies are used to illustrate these discussions and the book includes suggested protocols for good practice throughout. Throughout the book the reader is asked to reflect on the issues presented and come to their own decisions about what represents good practice in their setting.The journey concludes with a look at a possible 'ideal' school or educational setting for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Contemporary Issues in Special Educational Needs is an invaluable guide for trainee and qualified teachers, learning support staff, SENCO's, local authority officers, educational consultants and educational psychologists.

Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

First published in 2000. This book looks at 'inclusive' education in the context of policy and practice in a number of different countries, particularly in relation to children and young people of school age. At the heart of the idea of inclusive education lie serious issues concerning 'human rights', 'equal opportunities' and 'social justice'. The papers in this book will, hopefully, contribute to stimulating further debate and dialogue over both the conceptualisation and understanding of a cross-cultural approach to inclusion and exclusion.

"Today, school is becoming a rapidly changing learning environment. Thinking about students as a homogeneous population is no longer allowed, as diversity – in terms of culture, language, gender, family organisation, learning styles and so on – has emerged as a key challenge for education today.The debate on Special Educational Needs largely reflects this challenge, as working in school implies careful reconsideration of what we mean by “normal” and “special”. Current educational intervention is generally based on a deficit and “within-child” model of facing SEN, whereas very little attention is given to the role of learning environments. The focus is on the child more than on the whole class, and on cognition and technical provisions more than on affective, sociocultural and community dimensions of learning. Conversely, regarding students and their needs as “hidden voices” allows us to adopt a transformative approach which sees diversity as a stimulus for the development of educational practices that might benefit all children and help school to become an inclusive and “moving” organisation.The aim of the book is twofold: on the one hand, it offers a systematic overview of the inclusive education state-of-the-art in six countries (Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, UK, and USA) based on the contributions by well-known scholars such as Christy Ashby, Barbara Brokamp, Fabio Dovigo, Kari Nes, Mara Westling Allodi, Tony Booth, and Beth Ferri; on the other hand, the book analyses five cases of good practices of inclusion related to different subjects and school levels."

In today's schools the number of students who receive additional resources to access the curriculum is growing rapidly, and the ongoing expansion of special education is among the most significant worldwide educational developments of the past century. Yet even among developed democracies the range of access varies hugely, from one student in twenty to one student in three. In contemporary conflicts about educational standards and accountability, special education plays a key role as it draws the boundaries between exclusion and inclusion. Comparing Special Education unites in-depth comparative and historical studies with analyses of global trends, with a particular focus on special and inclusive education in the United States, England, France, and Germany. The authors examine the causes and consequences of various institutional and organizational developments, illustrate differences in forms of educational governance and social policy priorities, and highlight the evolution of social logics from segregation of students with special educational needs to their inclusion in local schools.

Much has been written about special education and about inclusive education, but there have been few attempts to pull these two concepts and approaches together. This book does just that: sets special education within the context of inclusive education. It posits that to include, effectively, all children with special educational needs in schools requires an integration of both concepts, approaches, and techniques. It has never been more timely to publish a book that helps professionals who work with schools, such as psychologists, special education professionals, and counselors, to identify effective practices for children with special needs and provide guidelines for implementing these in inclusive schools.

Must Inclusion be Special? examines the discord between special and inclusive education and why this discord can only be resolved when wider inequalities within mainstream education are confronted. It calls for a shift in our approach to provision, from seeing it as a conglomeration of individualised needs to identifying it as a conglomeration of collective needs. The author examines the political, medical and cultural tendency of current times to focus upon the individual and contrasts this with the necessity to focus on context. This book distinguishes the theoretical perspectives that are often associated with special or inclusive education and the broad range of interests which depend upon their ongoing development. This examination leads to a problematisation of mainstream education provision, our understanding of why social inequities emerge and how additional support can overcome these inequities. Further chapters explore the underlying challenges which emerge from our use and understanding of the notions of special and inclusive, outlining an alternative approach based upon a community of provision. This approach recognises the interconnectedness of services and the significance of context, and it encapsulates the aspiration of much international legislation for participation and inclusion for all. But it also assumes that we tend towards diffuse practices, services, policies, settings and roles, spread across provision which is variously inclusive and exclusionary. In seeking to create equitable participation for all, support needs to shift its focus from the individual to this diffuse network of contexts. Must Inclusion be Special? emerges from the research base which problematises inclusion and special education, drawing upon examples from many countries. It also refers to the author’s research into pedagogy, language and policy, and his experiences as a teacher and the parent of a child identified with special educational needs.