American Public School Ideologies: A Need for Reform?

Historically, American education has been based on the democratic ideologies that education will provide equality of opportunity and enhance economic benefits. However, public education has not been very successful in achieving these goals. Because of this, disillusionment has grown and alternatives to monopoly public education, such as vouchers and tax credit plans, have been offered. Criticism and analyses directed toward these new options for public schooling are discussed. Effects they could have on public education, expected and unexpected, are addresses. It appears that public education is at a critical discussion point in its ideological history. Some of the choices facing American education today are presented

The Emergence of Inclusion for Students with Disabilities in Ukraine

Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled with restructuring its Soviet style educational system. The process has been sluggish and fraught with tension, resistance, and set backs, mirroring Ukraine\u27s efforts to revamp its economy and regain productivity levels that characterized it prior to independence (Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 2003). One of the initiatives currently being discussed is integration of students with disabilities with their nondisabled peers in educational and social settings. The debate has prompted heated discussions and caused some to recommend a reexamination of the special education system (Zasenko, 2004). This article discusses some of the initial actions taken in this debate, and presents some of the pressing barriers that will have to be addressed to make inclusion a reality for Ukraine\u27s young people and citizens with special need

India: Training Teachers for Children with Mental Retardation

India is a country of contradictions. On one hand, India is a modern country moving toward becoming a world leader in computer technology and boasts the second most computer literate population in the world (Babington, 2000; Kumar, 1999). On the other hand, India is a developing nation with 14 constitutionally recognized languages, 25% of the world\u27s malnourished (Babington, 2000), and a majority that practices customs in everyday life that are 5,000 year old (Kumar, 1999). India is rich in natural resources and yet, because its population grows as quickly as its economy, it has one of the world\u27s lowest per-capita incomes (Choudhury, Gamkhar, & Ghose, 1990). This article discusses the efforts being made in India today to break from past treatment of individuals with disabilities. In 1995, India passed The Persons with Disabilities Act the first comprehensive legislation intended to require services for individuals with disabilities. Under this law, the education of children with mental retardation has the potential of undergoing some of the most dramatic changes ever experienced. This article discusses this law, its implementation, and the hopes and challenges the law poses for India in the new millennium

Comparison of Perceptions of Inclusion Between University Instructors and Students with Disabilities in Ukraine

Ukraine is currently involved in a heated debate about inclusion at all levels of education. This debate has become part of the country\u27s efforts to improve human rights. Prior to independence in 1991, students with disabilities in Ukraine who desired higher education were not permitted to attend universities. How instructors and students with disabilities perceive the process of integration is important for Ukraine\u27s continued movement toward becoming an egalitarian society. This study examined the differences in attitude regarding inclusion and university life between university instructors and students with special needs attending Open International University of Human Development “UKRAINE,” the only Ukrainian university that welcomes students with disabilities. Results revealed no significant differences in the attitudes of the two groups. However, when individual questions were analyzed, instructors and students differed in their perception of instruct or willingness to change locations of classes if they were unsuitable for students with physical disabilities, instruct or willingness to change their teaching style to communicate with students with disabilities, and instruct or ability to make students with disabilities feel accepted. Nonetheless, both instructors and students rated their experience with integrated university education as satisfactory

Gains, Losses, and Life Goals Identified by Caregivers of Individuals with Disabilities in the United States

It is often reported that caregivers of individuals with disabilities experience stress as they manage caregiving responsibilities while they make the effort to balance family and work. Thirty-one caregivers of individuals with an array of disabilities in the United States completed a qualitative survey in this pilot study that asked them to identify their gains and losses from providing care and to identify their life goals. The gains from caregiving were identified as enhanced empathy and compassion, and the losses as strained family relationships, and less personal time. The most commonly identified life goals were experiencing happiness and achieving financial stability. The implications of these results on professionals’ attempts to support caregivers and their families are discussed

Comparison of Quality of Life Perceptions of Caregivers of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities in the United States and the Czech Republic

Caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the United States have been reported to experience additional hardships than families with typical children as they attempt to balance family and work (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman, & Andrews, 2008). In this study, 31 caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities from the United States and 225 from the Czech Republic completed a qualitative quality of life survey. Similarities in the two groups were found in reported gains and losses from caregiving responsibilities. Differences in perceived spirituality, personal sense of peace and serenity, life optimism, ability to rejoice in life, personal life perspective, health, financial changes, changes in the family social life, feelings of enrichment, family caregiving responsibilities, and attitudes about the future were also revealed. The implications for supporting families through governmental programs and individualized services are discussed

Impact of an Activity Mini-Schedule on the Inattention of Preschoolers With Cochlear Implants During a Group Activity

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of using an activity mini-schedule which divided a circle time activity into four sub-activities with four preschoolers who were deaf and had received cochlear implants. Often preschoolers with cochlear implants display difficulty directing attention to appropriate stimuli during large group activities (Chute & Nevins, 2003). It was hypothesized that the use of an activity mini-schedule would decrease inattention. Using a multiple baseline design across participants, an activity mini-schedule was introduced to each participant sequentially by a paraeducator who sat behind the children during circle time. Participants\u27 behaviors were videotaped and coded. The introduction of an activity mini-schedule decreased inattention in all participants, yet individual outcomes varied. Although this study offers some evidence that activity mini-schedules may positively impact attention in young children, more research is needed

Effect of Parallel Talk on the Language and Interactional Skills of Preschoolers with Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

Children with profound congenital hearing loss often do not have the same prelinguistic opportunities for social and verbal interaction as their peers with typical hearing [14]. Consequently, language and social skills may be challenging for this group, even after they are provided with amplification or a cochlear implant. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of using a parallel talk intervention to increase the language and interactional skills of three preschoolers with deafnesss. Results revealed that all participants increased verbal turn-taking and that two of the three increased initiated and responded vocal/verbal comments, and initiated and responded nonverbal responses during a 5-minute play session in which parallel talk was utilized. Additionally, all children displayed some generalization in the two types of generalization probes employed. Implications for facilitating the communication of preschoolers with communication and social delays are discussed

Alterations in MicroRNA Expression Contribute to Fatty Acid–Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Dysfunction

OBJECTIVE—Visceral obesity and elevated plasma free fatty acids are predisposing factors for type 2 diabetes. Chronic exposure to these lipids is detrimental for pancreatic β-cells, resulting in reduced insulin content, defective insulin secretion, and apoptosis. We investigated the involvement in this phenomenon of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression by sequence-specific inhibition of mRNA translation