Susan Stainback

A Commentary on Inclusion and the Development of a Positive Self-Identity by People with Disabilities

A growing number of concerned individuals throughout the world, including people with disabilities, their parents, and educators, are advocating that students with disabilities be educated in the mainstream of neighborhood classrooms and schools. However, some disability-rights advocates believe that if people with disabilities are to have a well-developed sense of identity as adults, they need to have had opportunities in their school years to associate with other people (both children and adults) having similar characteristics and interests. In this article, we examine this issue and provide one perspective on how it might be addressed.

Methodological Considerations in Qualitative Research

There has been a growing interest in the potential contributions qualitative research could make to “scientific”/scholarly inquiry in special education (Edgerton, 1984; Stainback & Stainback, 1984; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984). The purpose of this paper is to provide an impetus for more widespread familiarity with and use of qualitative research methodology among educators concerned with the education of persons with severe handicaps by drawing together and attempting to clarify the present state of the art in qualitative research methodology.

Using Qualitative Data Collection Procedures to Investigate Supported Education Issues.

There is growing interest in the potential contributions of qualitative research to scholarly inquiry, and what was a quiet and perhaps peripheral aspect of educational research has been moving rapidly toward center stage in recent years. This article identifies two data collection procedures employed in qualitative research and discusses how these procedures can be used to investigate emerging issues in supported education.

Acquisition and Generalization of Physical Fitness Exercises in Three Profoundly Retarded Adults

A systematic individual instruction program was employed to teach three profoundly retarded adults selected physical fitness exercises. Measures were taken to determine if the subjects (a) learned the exercises under the individual instruction program, (b) generalized the exercises to a group physical fitness program, and (c) generalized learning the exercises to the point of learning nontrained exercises in the group physical fitness program without additional individual training. Data were also gathered on the maintenance of the exercises in the individual and group settings. Results indicated that the profoundly retarded adults learned the selected exercises and generalized the exercises to a group physical fitness program. Performance on nontrained exercises in the group physical fitness program also improved without additional individual training. The subjects maintained all exercises, trained and nontrained, in both the individual and group settings.

Some Trends in the Education of Children Labelled Behaviorally Disordered.

The educat ion of chi ldren label led behavioral ly disordered, as wel l as special educat ion in general , is undergoing a rapid t ransi t ion as t radi t ional assumptions regarding the k inds of services provided except ional students and the environments in which those services are provided are being quest ioned. Because of the rapid changes occurr ing, i t is becoming increasingly di f f icul t to maintain a c lear focus in regard to exact ly where the f ie ld is headed and why. In other words, i t is becoming di f f icul t to maintain an integrated, organized perspect ive of the t rends and movements. l { we should lose perspect ive of where special educat ion is going and why, the resul t ing confusion could cause a dis integrat ion of the cohesiveness of the f ie ld and subsequent progress. The purpose of th is art ic le is to present, f rom one perspect ive, an interpretat ion and rat ionale regarding a few of the major t rends in Special Educat ion, part icular ly as they relate to the educat ion of chi ldren label led behavioral ly disordered. Since many of the current t rends have the potent ia l for considerable impact on the futures of chi ldren, i t is imperat ive that we have a c lear understandinq of these trends and the rat ionale(s) behind them.

Teaching Language to the Severely Behaviorally Handicapped: A Review of Procedures.

Severely behaviorally handicapped children are being placed in public school classrooms. As a result, teachers are in need of procedures for teaching these children. This article reviews procedures for teaching language to children who have been given labels such as seriously disturbed or psychotic.

Teaching Basic Eating Skills

The basic process of teaching eating skills to seriously handicapped children is extremely pertinent to teachers of this population. The development of basic eating functions such as sucking, swallowing, chewing, and spoon and cup use constitutes an important part of the daily curriculum for many of these children. The purpose of this article is to organize some of the techniques and considerations that may provide helpful hints for teachers who will be required to initiate this basic training.

Teaching the Profoundly Handicapped in the Public School Setting: Some Considerations

Profoundly handicapped children present the classroom teacher with a wide variety of characteristics and problem areas previously not recognized in the educational domain. These traits, such as physical rigidity and incorrect body alignment, must be considered in pinpointing instructional methods to promote the optimal potential of this population. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the primary instructional methods needed to effectively enhance the growth and development of the profoundly handicapped.