- Ostrosky, M. M., Mouzourou, C., Dorsey, E. A., Favazza, P. C., & Leboeuf, L. M. (2015). Pick a book, any book: Using children’s books to support positive attitudes toward peers with disabilities.Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 30.
This article discusses the impact of reading on child development, the use of books featuring characters with special needs, children’s understandings about and interactions with peers with special needs, including books about special needs in early childhood classrooms, and using guided discussions to support young children’s positive attitudes about individuals with special needs. It concludes that the careful selection of children’s books and thoughtfully structured discussions provide a direct path for supporting acceptance of children with special needs, which is consistent with the attitude construct. At the very time when young children are forming early perceptions about peers and adults in the community, children are provided “indirect experiences” to special needs through the use of high-quality books and guided discussions, with an emphasis on similarities. It also provides a page length list of books that could be used in the classroom as a teacher resource.
- Yanoff, J. C., & Ebrary Academic Complete (Canada) Subscription Collection. (2006). The classroom teacher’s inclusion handbook: Practical methods for integrating students with special needs(2nd;2; ed.). Chicago: Arthur Coyle Press.
This handbook discusses fourteen types of special-needs students on meeting the needs of a diverse student population within a mainstream classroom. Ranging from students with behavior disorders, ADHD, and intellectual disabilities, to the blind, terminally ill, and gifted and talented. Each profile includes a clear definition, characteristic behaviors, and suggestions for working with that student’s specific strengths and weaknesses. A section devoted to inclusion strategies helps educators set goals for special needs students, define the roles of other students in the classroom, and work with the administration if mainstream placement is unsuccessful. This is very handy for teachers who are looking for strategies to support all types of students with special needs.
- Ferguson, D. L., Desjarlais, A., Meyer, G., & Education Development Center, Newton, MA. National Inst. for Urban School Improvement. (2000). Improving education: The promise of inclusive schooling.
The mission of the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is to partner with RRCS to develop powerful networks of urban LEAS and schools that embrace and implement a data-based, continuous improvement approach for inclusive practices. Embedded within this approach is a commitment to evidence-based practice in early intervention, universal design, literacy and positive behavior supports. This paper is an excellent resource for educators looking to improve and expand inclusive educational practices in their schools. It was developed by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement and it includes examples of inclusive educational environments, assessment and observation tools, and guidelines for supporting inclusive practices.
- Dictionary of Disruption:A practical guide to behaviour management (2007).
This is a very useful informational text that provides suggestions on how to deal with specific behaviours that are commonly found in the classroom. It talks about physical aggression, self-esteem, group behaviour and much more, all laid out in alphabetical order. I find that this book will be very useful because I can look up almost any behavioural issue and find ways to deal with it.
- Cassady, M. J. (2011). Teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism and Emotional Behavioral Disorder. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 2(7), 1-23.
General education teachers have differing views about the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. However, the type and severity of the children’s disorder affect teachers’ willingness to accommodate certain students and their confidence that they will effectively manage their classroom. It has been reported that teachers have expressed concerns about having students with autism and emotional behavioral disorder in the general education setting because of the children’s lack of social skills, behavioral outbursts, modifications made to the curriculum, and lack of training and supports. Many instructors do not believe they are able to teach these populations effectively while simultaneously teaching a large group of typically developing students. Using a snowball sampling method, 25 general education teachers were surveyed regarding their willingness to include a child with autism and a student with EBD in their classroom to determine if there was a significant difference in their attitudes toward the disorder. Results suggest that the presence of typical characteristics of the two disorders influence teachers’ willingness to have the populations in their classrooms. Results also show that the participants were more accepting of having a student with autism in their general education classrooms than a student who has EBD.
- Idol, L. (2006). Toward inclusion of special education students in general education: A program evaluation of eight schools.Remedial and Special Education, 27(2), 77-94. doi:10.1177/07419325060270020601
The primary intent of this program evaluation was to determine the degree of inclusion of students with special needs in general education classes in four elementary and four secondary schools; the similarities and differences in how special education services were offered; and the ways in which students with special needs were supported in the least restrictive environment. Staff perceptions of special education services were examined by conducting personal interviews with a large majority of the classroom teachers, special education teachers, instructional assistants, and principals in each school. The findings include descriptions of how far along each school was with inclusion, the amount of time students spent in general education, the roles of the special education teachers, the rates of student referrals for special