Special Education and Gender in the United States

Historically, Western hegemonic order has been established through cultivating and legitimating social categories of difference. Schools, among other institutions, reinforce difference through marking ability, race, and gender to signify which bodies are productive, deficient, or dangerous and therefore in need of control. This process of differentiation and control is evident in the social, political, and education contexts of disabled youth whose race, gender, and sexuality are read, controlled, and resisted through policy and pedagogy. Through the processes of hypervisiblity, pathologization, and underserving of Black girls in schools, and especially within special education, this animates the nexus of gender, race, and disability. Parallels are drawn to paradigms of the female body and femininity, where difference is constructed as inferior to the normative male body. Similarly, special education policy, practice, and literature conceptualize disability as subtractive difference, wherein what is considered a “deficit” relies on a subtractive interpretation of a normative body or a normative way of being. In this regard, disability, gender—and, crucially, race—are often thought of as a negative departure from a normalized embodiment. In special education, such normalized, essentialist approaches to gender, race, and disability contribute to the disproportionate overidentification of some social identities and the underidentification of others, most often along raced and gendered lines. Importantly, disabling processes are institutionalized in education through the mechanism of special education, which not only serves as an instructional and academic response to a student’s disability but also acts as an institutional process that determines a student as disabled. The determination of a student having a disability is mediated through law, policy, and interpersonal interaction between school professionals and parents and caregivers. Disproportionate identification has been the focus of research, and studies show that overidentification occurs most often in disability categories that are considered “subjective”: for instance, specific learning disabilities and emotional disturbances. Such identification has an impact on students’ learning; opportunities to interact with their peers in general education settings; access to high quality, challenging curriculum; and opportunities to engage critical thinking in educational activities that go beyond direct instruction. Disabling processes in schools related to the intersection of disability, gender, and race, in particular, are mediated by the local, cultural interactions of school personnel and are evident in the ways in which Black girls, in particular, are disabled in school.

Supporting staff in their interactions with children who have learning support needs: The role of a student music therapist

<p>This research explores the question “How can a student music therapist support staff in their interactions with learners in a special education setting?” To answer this question secondary analysis of data was used to examine clinical notes that had been collected as part of my music therapy practicum experience at a special education school. The data selected for thematic analysis was collected between March and May 2017, and focused on three groups which were co-facilitated by myself and other school staff. Six main themes emerged; Expanding on Existing Music use; Collaboration; Interaction Styles; Supporting Staff in Music; Staff Witnessing Student in Music; and Expanding on Māori Materials. In addition to this, three sub-themes emerged relating to the use of; Elements of Music; Instruments; and Repertoire. The main themes relate to ecological approaches to music therapy such as community music therapy (Ansdell, 2002) and resource oriented music therapy (Rolvsjord, 2016). They indicate that the student music therapist engaged with a broader approach to music therapy than traditional closed door models of practice. The integrated model of team work in the school was important in creating an environment of fluid knowledge sharing and collaborative approaches. This integrated approach to music therapy work can enrich the culture of the special education context and is in line with Ministry of Education Special Education policy and philosophy (Twyford, 2009).</p>

Supporting staff in their interactions with children who have learning support needs: The role of a student music therapist

<p>This research explores the question “How can a student music therapist support staff in their interactions with learners in a special education setting?” To answer this question secondary analysis of data was used to examine clinical notes that had been collected as part of my music therapy practicum experience at a special education school. The data selected for thematic analysis was collected between March and May 2017, and focused on three groups which were co-facilitated by myself and other school staff. Six main themes emerged; Expanding on Existing Music use; Collaboration; Interaction Styles; Supporting Staff in Music; Staff Witnessing Student in Music; and Expanding on Māori Materials. In addition to this, three sub-themes emerged relating to the use of; Elements of Music; Instruments; and Repertoire. The main themes relate to ecological approaches to music therapy such as community music therapy (Ansdell, 2002) and resource oriented music therapy (Rolvsjord, 2016). They indicate that the student music therapist engaged with a broader approach to music therapy than traditional closed door models of practice. The integrated model of team work in the school was important in creating an environment of fluid knowledge sharing and collaborative approaches. This integrated approach to music therapy work can enrich the culture of the special education context and is in line with Ministry of Education Special Education policy and philosophy (Twyford, 2009).</p>

Special Education Policy and EFL in Japan

Inclusive education is becoming increasingly important thanks in large part to international policy guidance by the United Nations, though country-specific policy often lags behind global standards. An overview of the history of inclusive education in Japan will be provided to help contextualize how different policies for compulsory and postsecondary education take different approaches to meet international standards as outlined in the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Key policies that included provisions for inclusive education in Japan are then analyzed and discussed. Finally, additional considerations will be provided for how English language teachers can teach inclusively and help safeguard quality language education as a human right for all students. インクルーシブ教育は、国別の政策が国際水準にたいして後れをとっていることが多いものの、国連主導の国際的な政策指針のおかげで、ますます重要性を増している。本稿は、義務教育と中等教育後の学習機関の異なる政策が、国連で採択された「障害者権利条約」にある国際水準を満たすべく、いかに異なるアプローチを取りうるのかを考察するために、日本におけるインクルーシブ教育の歴史を概観する。その後、日本におけるインクルーシブ教育に関する条項を含む重要な政策について、分析し検討する。最後に、英語教師がどのようにしてインクルーシブ教育をおこない、すべての学生の人権として言語教育の質を保証することができるかという点において補足的な検討を加える 。

Special and Inclusive Education in Southern Africa

Children with special education needs possess unique learning characteristics which may inhibit their effective learning in mainstream, general education classes. Special education practices are therefore designed to address the educational needs of students with disabilities through various strategies including thorough assessments of students’ characteristics, individualized curriculum planning, and provision of essential services and resources to maximize learning. Although there is extensive research on special education in developed countries like the United States of America (USA), literature on its development and practice in Sub Saharan African countries is somewhat scattered and inconclusive. This study reviewed special education policy, special education teacher professional development, and challenges to successful special education practice in five Southern African countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, and Namibia. An understanding of special education policy development and challenges is imperative to develop a more successful practice.

An Examination of Inclusive Practices for Students with Learning Disabilities in Botswana: A Literature Review

The country of Botswana has passed laws to support the human rights of their citizens, including people with learning disabilities. In accordance with the United Nations’ guidelines, Botswana’s human rights initiatives, and the international movement toward inclusive education, inclusive educational reform is taking place. We have conducted a comprehensive literature review, the purpose of which was to establish the progress Botswana has made in special education policy, implementation of policy into schools, and the strides made toward inclusion. However, there are still many struggles comparable to many school systems in African nations. Key findings include a nation with significant developments in human rights which includes a developing inclusive education system with both policy and implementation, yet, still coping with the growing pains of a young special education program.