Different agendas? The views of different occupational groups on special needs education

Teacher Perceptions of Factors for Successful Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong

“…Do these perspectives vary depending upon the full-day and half-day models and years of experience of the teacher? The international literature proposes a copious number of potential factors that may indeed impact on the success, or otherwise, of inclusive education (e.g., Alquraini & Gut, 2012;Berry, 2011;Gal, Schreur, & EngelYeger, 2010;Lindqvist, Nilholm, Almqvist, & Wetso, 2011). The literature, however, has failed to adequately address these questions in the context of Hong Kong.…”

“…Korkmaz (2011) emphasised that the standard curriculum, which has been developed for students without disabilities, may not suit those with special needs, and therefore teachers are responsible for adapting and developing additional curriculum for students with disabilities. Key features of such adaptations include individualised education programs (Zhang, 2011), small group instruction (Lindqvist et al, 2011), and differentiated instructions, and these adaptions have been increasingly applied to inclusive classrooms (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2006;Tomlinson, 2014).…”

To include or not to include : Teachers’ social representations of inclusion of students with Asperger syndrome

“…For example, it is the principal's duty to establish an individual educational plan for students with special educational needs (Isaksson, Lindqvist, & Bergström, 2007; and organize support for students with special needs (Heimdahl Mattson & Malmgren Hansen, 2009;Lindqvist et al, 2011). Also, the issue of need for guidance and development of skills and continuing education decisions are made by heads.…”

An exploration of parental decisions to transfer children from regular to special schools

“…Observations that educators retain a deficit view of disability (Lindqvist et al, 2011), held true in Josh's case. In contrast to this view, Nelly embraced an "alternative and positive…”

“…For example, school processes continue to rely on sorting children into disability categories and a deficit approach is used to address school difficulties. The location of the "issue" of disability remains firmly bound to individual children (e.g., Lindqvist, Nilholm, Almqvist, & Wetso, 2011). Education systems, such as DET, continue to use disability definitions to identify children eligible for special schooling, equating disability with impairment, and lack of educational success with "deficits in individual minds and bodies" (Lalvani, 2014(Lalvani, , p.1222.…”