Learning from Other Communities

This paper reflects a synopsis of the work in person/family-centered planning representative of its implementation across a variety of disability service systems, including prisons, schools, community-based service agencies and institutional settings. The authors who have contributed to this paper have direct experience in the field working with individuals who have disability labels of severe and persistent mental illness, mental retardation and developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities. It is their hope that this paper will serve to guide the emerging best practice in the design and delivery of person-centered service delivery systems

Educational practices and strategies that promote inclusion: Examples from the U.S.

In this article, the authors review promising practices and strategies that have been demonstrated to support and promote inclusive education in the U.S. at school, in classrooms, in small groups, and at individual levels. Selected strategies that promote instructional, social, and psychological inclusion (e.g., response to intervention, inclusive service learning, guided reading, and incremental rehearsal) are discussed in detail. Potential adaptions and adoption of these strategies are suggested in order to assist in promoting inclusion within the Czech education system

Education for Diversity in Initial Teacher Preparation Programmes: a Comparative International Study

Despite the growing diversity in school polulation, many teacher educators fail incorporating diversity-related content into the courses they teach. As a result, numerous preservice teachers lack quality learning opportunities to become well versed on issues of diversity in meaningful ways. This article reports the results of an international study which explores preservice teacher perceptions of opportunity to learning to teach in diverse inclusive classrooms. A questionnaire was used to document the perceptions of a cohort of kindergarten and elementary student teachers from Spain and the US. Results indicated that strong international differences existed in the perceptions of respondents towards opportunity to learn theoretical aspects of teaching for diversity (e.g., know intervention strategies to meet student diverse educational needs), opportunity to learning to teach inclusively (e.g., learn how to develop an inclusive curriculum), and opportunity to observe and analyse practical aspects of diversity teaching (e.g., conduct diversity-related field-work), all these differences favouring US respondents. The results highlight the need for increased attention to teaching diversity in preservice teacher education programmes. Implications for ongoing development of initial teacher preparation are discussed within the context of improving educators and student teachers’ training for diversity.This study was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport (Secretary of State of Education, Professional Training and Universities) within the framework of the Programme “State Programme for the Promotion of Talent and its Employability” I+D+i 2013-2016 (Ref. PRX16/00530), and by the University of Alicante, Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Planning (Ref. 2015/00003670)

Moving Toward an Inclusive Education System: Lessons from the U.S. and Their Potential Application in the Czech Republic and Other Central and Eastern European Countries

In this article, we present the historical and current developments of inclusive education (IE) in the U.S. in the context of recent changes toward a more inclusive approach to education (IE) in the Czech Republic. We highlight the lessons learned with respect to the implementation of IE practices in U.S. schools as a means to uphold the right to education for all. Research findings of the impact of IE on the academic and social outcomes of children and youth with disabilities, from other diverse backgrounds and for students without disabilities are summarized. The goal of this article is to inspire educators and scholars in the Czech Republic and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe to utilize the presented information on IE research and implementation practices in their local educational contexts, taking into account both the local context and current needs

The Spanish version of the teacher efficacy for inclusive practice scale (TEIP-e): a tool to measure competence for teaching in inclusive settings

There is little doubt that the movement towards inclusion has made enormous impact on education systems and schools worldwide (UNESCO, 2007). While initially focusing on providing for students with disabilities in mainstream schools, inclusion now encompasses a much broader definition that refers to all students who may have been historically marginalized from meaningful education, who come from varied multicultural and multidiverse backgrounds or who are at risk of not achieving their full potential (Forlin, 2013). This educational trend has been encouraged internationally as a positive means of enhancing students’ overall development and functioning and basically means giving access and bringing support services, when necessary, to all. Inclusion requires generalist teachers to be able to cater to the needs of the most diverse student population academically, socially, and culturally, responsibility that has impacted the task of teachers more than anything

Risk Adjustment in Home and Community Based Services Outcome Measurement

The purpose of this study was to review and evaluate existing research that used risk adjusters in disability research. Risk adjustment controls for individual characteristics of persons when examining outcomes. We have conducted a systematic review and an evaluation of existing studies that included risk adjusters for outcomes of people with disabilities receiving services (home or community based). The process included coding each study according to the type(s) of risk adjusters employed and their relation to the specific population and outcomes within a framework. Panels were utilized to prioritize the risk adjusters. Findings indicate that four risk adjusters can be tentatively recommended as potential candidate risk adjusters: chronic conditions, functional disability, mental health status, and cognitive functioning. Holistic Health and Functioning far outweighed other outcomes studied to date. Further, there is a need for testing recommended risk adjusters across multiple outcomes and different populations of people with disabilities.The development of this manuscript was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), federal grant # 90RT5039

Community Adjustment of Young Adults with Mental Retardation: A Developmental Perspective

The community adjustment of young adults with mental retardation remains a crucial issue for all human service providers. No longer does adjustment imply simply the physical integration of persons with disabilities into community settings. Rather, it refers to the adjustment and integration of the whole person into community life. Whether one describes community adjustment as a process, an outcome, a philosophy, or a multidimensional concept (Bachrach, 1981), community adjustment has become synonymous with the term quality-of-life, a quality that depends in large part on one’s happiness and success in socially sanctioned, age-appropriate tasks

Community Adjustment of Young Adults with Mental Retardation: Overcoming Barriers to Inclusion

Movement of persons with mental retardation out of institutions and into community settings is occurring at an ever-increasing pace (Amado, Lakin, & Menke, 1990). State and federal laws have legitimized the basic rights of persons with mental retardation to live, work, and participate in typical community settings. Yet, physical integration is not synonymous with full community inclusion. Numerous barriers remain that serve as obstacles to successful assimilation into community life. For instance, successful social integration depends on attitudinal changes of persons without mental retardation—families, friends, service-delivery professionals, and the general public—toward persons with mental retardation. The way young adults with mental retardation are perceived by others often restricts their opportunities for participation in activities that allow for development of social relationships, enhancement of self-esteem, and enjoyment of life. Removal of such barriers requires that they first be identified. Action plans and strategies can then be developed to remove, or at the least minimize, effects upon the quality-of-life experienced by this segment of the population