Mainstreaming

Abstract

Readers of Academic Therapy are being presented, in this issue, with several excellent suggestions on handling mainstreamed students in special education and particularly those in learning disabilities classes. We all recognize the value of follow-up, but it seems significantly more urgent now that we are seeing shrinking enrollments, cutbacks in funding, and improved methods of identification of special education students.Follow-up communication has three specific objectives: -It aids both regular and special education professionals in evaluating the progress of the mainstreamed student in his or her placement. -I f problems are found to exist with that student, followup assists in developing strategies to intervene and minimize identified problem areas. -Follow-up communication assists special educators in evaluating their mainstreaming readiness programs as well as school-wide mainstreaming policies.Mainstreaming follow-up communication should be periodic. The frequency of communication will vary depen-Spencer J. Salend, EdD, is associate professor,

Technologies Used in Education of Hearing Impaired Individuals

“…Many studies show that computer training programs positively influence academic skills, language, mathematics, literacy, and competence in children with disabilities, improving attention span and learning performance [16]. With computer programs and adapted tools, students with hearing impairments can read materials created on the computer [32]. Computer-assisted instruction is a teaching method that consists of an environment in which learning takes place in the computer environment, a combination of self-learning principles with computer technology, which strengthens the teaching process and student motivation, which the learners can take advantage of according to their own learning speed [17].…”

Otizmli Kaynaştırma Öğrencilerinin Sınıflarında Akran İlişkilerinin Geliştirilmesine Yönelik Eğitim Programının Etkililiğinin İncelenmesi

“…Gerekli koşullar yerine getirildiğinde kaynaştırma hem özel gereksinimli öğrenciler hem de normal gelişim gösteren çocuklar için sosyal ve akademik anlamda pek çok fayda sağlamaktadır. Normal gelişim gösteren akranlarını model olmaları, özel gereksinimli çocukların daha iyi öğrenmelerine ve öğrendiklerini pekiştirmelerine fırsat sağlamaktadır (Batu ve Kırcaali-İftar, 2006;Lewis & Doorlag, 1999;Sucuoğlu ve Kargın, 2006;Salend, 1998). Özel gereksinimli çocuğun ailesinden uzaklaşıp diğer bireylerle ve akranlarıyla ilişki kurması, çocuğa bağımsızlık duygusu aşılamakta, yeni uyarı kaynakları ve yeni davranış örnekleri sağlayarak dünyasını zenginleştirmekte, benlik kavramının gelişmesine yardımcı olmaktadır (Disalvo & Oswalt, 2002;Leaf, Taubman, Bloomfield, Palos, Leaf, McEachin & Oppenhaim, 2009;Akçamete ve Ceber, 1999).…”