Deconstructing Special Education And Constructing Inclusion

This revised edition of a popular text offers students an updated and comprehensive overview across special education. It critically examines the intellectual foundations of special education and considers the consequences of their influence for professional and popular thinking about learning difficulties. The chapters place inclusion within a social and political context to highlight how concepts have been influences by theory and ideology across the years. The book offers guidance to students on specific issues such as reading and behavioural difficulties with theoretically grounded information. With a fresh chapter discussing current research, intersectionality and increased marketisation within education this book reflects the new landscape and legislation of special education. “Essential reading for anyone studying or working in either special or inclusive education… Few could build the case as well as Thomas and Loxley.” Melanie Nind, Professor of Education, University of Southampton, UK “Few books in the field of education merit the soubriquet 'must read'. This is one such." Philip Garner, Professor, Brunel University, UK “An absolute must-read for all of us committed to realising genuine inclusion within schools and society!” Jan Valle, The City College of New York, USA "Finishing your first reading of their book makes you realise that you must return to it, such is the richness of the analysis and reach of its detail. This is a tour de force, a line in the sand for all successive work in the field of inclusive education." Roger Slee, Diamond Jubilee Professor of Disability Studies, University of Leeds, UK

Previous editions of the bestselling Deconstructing Special Education set a landmark for the understanding of inclusion. This completely re-written third edition continues in the tradition of critical analysis set by the first two editions and assesses how ideas and practice surrounding inclusion adapt to modern pressures and expectations. The new edition addresses: •The influence of intersectionality on the ways we think about special education and inclusion •Contemporary understandings of ‘mental health’ and how these affect the way that we think about behaviour at school •Changing understandings of ‘disability’ •The impact of research on the development of inclusion •Marketisation and its corrosive influence on inclusion •The impact of social media on children and young people •How spending on special needs impacts the development of inclusion The authors address these complex issues in an open and accessible way, making the book essential reading for a broad audience including students, teachers, educational psychologists, policymakers and researchers. “Essential reading for anyone studying or working in either special or inclusive education… Few could build the case as well as Thomas and Loxley.” Melanie Nind, Professor of Education, University of Southampton, UK “Few books in the field of education merit the soubriquet 'must read'. This is one such." Philip Garner, Professor, Brunel University, UK “An absolute must-read for all of us committed to realising genuine inclusion within schools and society!” Jan Valle, The City College of New York, USA "Finishing your first reading of their book makes you realise that you must return to it, such is the richness of the analysis and reach of its detail. This is a tour de force, a line in the sand for all successive work in the field of inclusive education." Roger Slee, Diamond Jubilee Professor of Disability Studies, University of Leeds, UK Professor Gary Thomas is Emeritus Professor of Inclusion and Diversity at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. Dr Andrew Loxley is an Associate Professor at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

"In this book the authors look behind special education to its supposed intellectual foundations. They find a knowledge jumble constructed of bits and pieces from Piagetian, psychoanalytic, psychometric and behavioural theoretical models. They examine the consequences of these models' influence for professional and popular thinking about learning difficulty. In turn, they explore and critique the results of this dominance for our views about children who are different and for the development of special education and its associated professions. In the light of this critique, they suggest that much of the 'knowledge' of special education is misconceived, and they proceed to advance a powerful rationale for inclusion out of ideas about stakeholding, social justice and human rights. Concluding that inclusion owes more to political theory than to psychology or sociology, the authors suggest that a rethink is needed about the ways in which we come by educational knowledge. This is important reading for students of education, and for teachers, advisers and educational psychologists."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"As the COVID-19 era continues to expose inequities, inefficiencies, and areas of need across our education system, leaders and educators have a unique opportunity to press pause and reimagine school. Now is the time to take the lessons of 2020 and turn them into action: by closely examining the "old ways," letting go of practices that don't serve students, and creating new routines and environments that meet the needs of every learner. Education professionals need to investigate critical questions: Which established routines and practices have always worked in school? Did those practices really work for all students? What hasn't worked so well? What would it look like to rethink school in a way that eliminates practices that keep some students struggling while others thrive? Explore the answers to these questions-and more-in this forthcoming release, a visionary guide to the reimagined school from inclusion experts Jenna Rufo, Ed.D., and Julie Causton, Ph.D"--

Inclusive education retains significant complexity associated with creating a definition, and there is significant importance within the surrounding narratives reflecting the broader definitions. Due to the flexibility within the definition, investigating current practices across an array of definitions becomes essential to developing best practices in special education. Inclusive Theory and Practice in Special Education is an essential research book that examines current shifts in the field within the overarching philosophy of inclusion and inclusive education. It reports recent research that focuses on the experiences of teachers and students in classrooms and ways of enhancing the practices of inservice teachers and early career teachers, as well as the preparation of preservice teachers. Besides presenting research from these perspectives, it also addresses a selection of broader issues that impact on policy and curriculum, thus identifying related concerns, including those of the wider community. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as learning disabilities, student mobility, and early childhood education, this publication is ideal for researchers, professionals, administrators, curriculum designers, academicians, policymakers, and students.

Intended for parents, general and special education teachers, Inclusion: The Dream and the Reality in Special Education is a book about laws and practices that impact the inclusion of students with disabilities in public schools. Each chapter illustrates a child who presents a challenging problem. The book presents inclusion issues through compelling stories. People rarely change their attitude based on facts. Stories can change the way we think and feel about issues. Written by a college professor, teacher candidates find these experiences hilarious or tragic, but always illuminating. As new teachers they must be prepared to confront the important challenge in our schools- reaching every single student, black, white, indifferent or frightened. This is the secret strength and wonder of the American educational system.

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.

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

This book is a panoramic view of inclusive education, past, present, and future. Grounded in historical perspective and fueled by contemporary accomplishments, the insightful discussions in this volume cover a wide range of issues, from program implementation and classroom supports to court decisions and financing. The authors compare successes and setbacks from schools and studies nationwide, drawing the big picture of practice and research. Complementing their highly informed, balanced analysis of special education and inclusion programs are highlights of the results from a revealing national study of inclusive education. Emphasizing the need for the concurrent development of inclusion and school restructuring, this book gives policy makers, administrators, school board members, teachers and parents a solid understanding of the process of school reform, as well as a vision for the 21st century. - Back cover.

The current emphasis on individualised intervention programmes for students with special needs may not only be impractical, but also undesirable. This book compares and contrasts special needs approaches with school effectiveness strategies. The author sets out theories about inclusive schooling that arise out of a detailed scrutiny of practice. The link between theory and practice will be welcomed by many practitioners. With extensive examples from the field to illustrate Ainscow's ideas, this is an eminently accessible text.