Mary Lynn Boscardin

The Inclusive School: Integrating Diversity and Solidarity through Community-Based Management.

Confronts possibilities and problems associated with creating diverse, multicultural “inclusive” schools. Describes the inclusive school as being less hierarchical, embracing community, and celebrating diversity. Suggests that the inclusive school is supported by Sergiovanni’s (1993) concept of community and Maxwell’s (1994) concept of contiguity‐based solidarity. Demonstrates through working examples of inclusive approaches how schools can better serve their students by fostering a sense of community and promotes ways of advancing solidarity and diversity simultaneously. To further the argument, presents a general historic evolutionary overview to illustrate the theoretical underpinnings of the model along with a case example and discussion of key features of inclusive schools.

Telepractice in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review

Objective: Studies involving the use of telepractice in the delivery of services to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were reviewed with the intent to inform practice and identify areas for future research. Methods: Systematic searches of electronic databases, reference lists and journals identified eight studies that met pre-determined inclusion criteria. These studies were analysed and summarized in terms of the: (a) characteristics of the participants, (b) technology utilized, (c) services delivered via telepractice, (d) research methodology and (e) results of the study. Results: Telepractice was used by university-based researchers, behaviour analysts, psychiatrists and psychologists to assist caretakers and educators in the delivery of services to 46 participants with ASD. The services delivered included behavioural and diagnostic assessments, educational consulting, guidance and supervision of behavioural interventions and coaching/training in the implementation of a comprehensive early intervention programme. Conclusions: Results suggests telepractice is a promising service delivery approach in the treatment of individuals with ASD that warrants additional research. Guidelines for practitioners and potential directions for future research are discussed.

What is Special about Special Education Administration? Considerations for School Leadership

The challenge for school administrators is to direct system-wide initiatives that redefine leadership in ways that support the use of proven practices and link administrative interventions to increased educational achievement for each student who has a disability and for all the students who are in their charge. Leadership that embraces evidence-based practices promises new opportunities for collecting and using data related to student achievement, and determining which leadership practices contribute toward positive student outcomes. Responsive administrative interventions that support teaching and learning, system-wide progress monitoring, and collaborative problem-solving, are suggested as methods for promoting effective school outcomes for all students. This discussion proposes that administrators who organize teams to implement responsive leadership interventions, strategies for system-wide progress monitoring, and problem-solving, create cultures for data-based decisions that link leadership initiatives to instruction and learning outcomes for students who have disabilities.

Transforming Administration to Support Science in the Schoolhouse for Students with Disabilities

I examine the role that administrators play in facilitating the development, adoption, use, and evaluation of scientifically based interventions within the school culture to support the educational outcomes of students with learning disabilities (LD). Two ways of transforming the administrative role to support science in the schoolhouse are presented; one considers the importance of including language in future legislation that acknowledges the role of administrators in school reform, and the other focuses on establishing a national research agenda addressing issues of leadership and special education. I argue that these 2 venues should serve to identify and to stimulate the use of evidence-based administrative practices that ultimately increase educational outcomes for students with LD, improve teacher instruction, and transform the leadership mission.

Computer Attitudes and Opinions of Students with and without Learning Disabilities.

Little research exists regarding the use of computers among students with learning disabilities. This study investigated the attitudes and opinions of students with and without learning disabilities regarding the use of computers for school-related work. Using a quasi-experimental design with three non-equivalent groups, within and between subjects effects were studied using a survey instrument. The students, in grades five through twelve, at three school sites, completed pre- and post-test computer use and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of the school year. One site served as the “treatment” group, while the other two were comparison groups. At the beginning of the school year a campus-wide computer network for use by all students was installed at one of the schools. The survey results indicated that students at the school with new computers did not exhibit better attitudes toward computers than the students at the other schools. Furthermore, there were no differences in computer use or attitudes across students with and without learning disabilities. There were also no differences in the factors predictive of attitudes toward computers (prior computer skills, use of games, frequency of use) across students with and without learning disabilities. The results support the notion that students with disabilities could be successfully included in computer-based instruction in general education classrooms.

Ethics and Efficacy of Verbal Testing of Nonverbal Children A Case Study

This article focuses on the ethics and efficacy of using formal assessment instruments with a nonverbal student having physical handicaps. Following a review of the literature and court case analysis, a case study is presented. A 9-year-old nonverbal (except for the use of gestures, pictorial cues, and a basic form of sign language to communicate) female student with physical limitations on the right side of her body was selected. The evaluations conducted by professionals at a childrens hospital included eight areas, and the results were presented at a team meeting. Ethical and efficacy issues were generated because of the manner in which the scores for the assessment instruments were reported and used. Following observations made at home and in the classroom, it was concluded that the results of some of these instruments did not reflect the actual performance and ability levels of this student. The use of tests that require a nonverbal student with physical handicaps to answer verbally, or those that require the parents to make judgments based on the students verbal abilities, clearly challenge the validity of the results.