This paper examines the role that parents play in Individual Educational Program (IEP) planning in Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) in NSW. Quality Assurance reports on these schools provide information about parent participation and about teacher and parent attitudes to this participation. Many of the practices and attitudes found mirror the experiences reported in USA in the late 1970s and 1980s as parent participation in IEP planning became established in that country. Some suggestions are made as to possible strategies to increase parent involvement by recognising parent values as important determinants of IEP content.

This paper focuses on the concerns facing families of young children with disabilities as their child approaches transition to school. Three families were interviewed to gain insight into a) their feelings and concerns about their child’s transition to school, b) their understanding of the supports that currently exist and those that are needed to facilitate transition, and c) the influence of society on the development of the family’s values and attitudes which affect decisions about transition to school.

The results of the three interviews confirm earlier research findings which indicate the necessity to involve parents fully in the transition to school planning process. The anxiety and stress expressed by these families highlights the need for systematic planning, regular communication with families about the processes available to support them and the provision of opportunities to share information about their child with staff in the school setting.

By listening and reflecting on the feelings and concerns expressed by these three families, the complexity of the transition to school period is highlighted. Each family’s uniqueness needs to be respected. The perceptions they have developed about the situation, guide their beliefs and actions at this time. Such perceptions develop over time resulting from previous experiences, the influence of friends and family, and the attitudes and acceptance of members of the community.

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the integration of an exceptional child with Down syndrome into a regular primary school. In investigating the demands made on the teachers in this situation, the researcher attempted to discover personal, professional development and support needs. The data revealed that there were greatly increased demands placed on the teachers of the exceptional child and their personal and professional needs were significant. The study concluded that it is only with adequate professional, financial and moral support of the entire school community that justice for teachers of exceptional children in integrated classrooms is both done and seen to be done.

This paper describes application of behavioural consultation in an Australian special education setting. Consultation focused on assisting teachers in the development, implementation and evaluation of systematic instructional programs in a number of priority goal areas (e.g., community, domestic, language, recreational, and vocational domains). Consultation occurred in four areas: (a) assessment, (b) goal selection and scaling, (c) developing and implementing instructional procedures, and (d) evaluating child outcomes. Five teachers and five of their students with developmental disabilities participated. After goals were selected, an initial rating of each child’s level of performance with respect to these goals was made using Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). Next, instructional procedures to achieve each goal were designed and implemented with a subsequent GAS rating made after six months. Progress was noted on 84% of the goals. This result suggests the model may be of some assistance to teachers of children with developmental disabilities. However, the present description should be viewed as a pilot project and case study. Further research would be needed to validate the approach described in this study.

Children’s literature has the power and potential to reflect societal attitudes. Changes in attitudes towards disability in Western literature can be traced by “turning the pages” through the history of children’s books. This paper addresses issues concerning children’s literature published during the past few decades. Have there been improvements since Baskin and Harris’ (1977) major review of children’s fiction depicting characters with disabilities written between 1940 and 1977? This study revealed that stereotypical portrayals of characters with disabilities were common. Furthermore, have there been attempts to move away from the educative properties of “quasi-fiction” used to promote integration of children with disabilities into regular schools? This paper concludes that many recently published children’s books of the 1980s and 1990s are presenting a more realistic and positive picture of characters with disabilities. Three new titles have been examined in detail. The success of these books in creating a climate of tolerance and empathy towards characters with disabilities is due to their high standards of literary merit and attractive, sophisticated presentation.