The current study was conducted to examine the types of adjustments used to support students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms and how schools monitored the effectiveness of the adjustments they use. A range of stakeholders were interviewed in 22 mainstream schools across New South Wales, Australia, and the interviews were analysed for key themes. Some schools had a narrow focus on a few key areas, with teaching assistants being the most commonly reported adjustment. Few schools used formal formative monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of adjustments. Options for improvement schools could consider include examining the breadth of adjustments, establishing clear measurable goals, considering alternative strategies for use of teaching assistants, and ensuring adjustments are monitored.

The present research attempted to examine the relative importance of student-related and school-related factors in accounting for teacher efficacy in inclusive education. The research adopted a predictive research design, and the sample of the research consisted of teachers (N = 292) working in public middle schools in the province of Niğde in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. To determine the factors influencing teacher efficacy in inclusive education, Teacher Demographic Information Questionnaire and Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale were used. In the research, multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine how well each set of independent variables — student-related factors and school-related factors — predicted teacher efficacy in inclusive education. According to the findings, student-related and school-related factors significantly influence teacher efficacy in inclusive education. Regarding the student-related factors, parental involvement, among other variables, was the most substantial predictor of teacher efficacy in inclusive education. Also, in terms of school-related factors, class size was the most substantial predictor of teacher efficacy in inclusive education.

Self-determination skills, including competencies such as decision-making, are regarded by parents and teachers as important for students with special needs. Although not necessarily regarded as appropriate, teaching assistants often take substantial responsibility for delivering educational programs to students and little is known about their perspectives on self-determination. Perspectives of teaching assistants may impact on their support of programs to enhance self-determination that are developed by teachers. Teaching assistants in New South Wales mainstream schools (N = 320) were surveyed regarding their views on the importance and frequency of instruction of seven competencies related to self-determination of students with special needs. Consistent with previous research, assistants rated all the competencies highly in terms of importance, but frequency of implementation was more variable. Moderate correlations were found between ratings of importance and frequency of implementation, suggesting that greater instructional time was devoted to competencies viewed as more important. Limited differences were found between assistants working at primary and secondary levels. Although features of the interactions of teaching assistants that can inhibit self-determination have been often identified in previous research, it is argued that, paradoxically, assistants may be well positioned to facilitate the development of self-determination with appropriate training and supervision. Directions for future research are identified.

The aim of this systematic review was to map the peer-reviewed literature (2009–2019) relating to school involvement with wraparound models in the support of students with complex needs. Specific research questions addressed explored the evidence base of the efficacy of wraparound with these students and barriers and enablers in the provision of wraparound services. Database searches were conducted and a total of 50 articles were identified. The analysis revealed eight different aspects of wraparound efficacy, with mixed results. Nine factors were identified as having a positive enabling, or disabling, effect on the provision of effective wraparound services. The wraparound programs were varied in their nature and in their successful implementation, with time to allow the program to mature and adherence to the 10 principles of the wraparound process emerging as enabling factors for wraparound success.

Parents whose autistic1 child’s needs are not met within mainstream schooling may seek alternative modes of education, such as home or distance education. There is a paucity of research on the delivery of home or distance education programs for autistic students. This study reports on the experiences of parents, students and teachers in the inaugural year of Australia’s first hybrid distance education program (distance education with parent/carers as supervisors) specifically designed for autistic students. Interviews with eight parents, four students and two teachers gathered their perceptions of the program’s benefits, challenges and suggestions for improvements. All parents, students and teachers reported positive overall perceptions of and experiences in the program, and a range of outcomes for students and parents. Flexibility was identified as a key benefit of the program. Challenges identified included a lack of opportunities for students’ social interactions and the effort required of parents to support their child’s participation. Additional longitudinal research is needed to determine the long-term impact of programs of this type and to evaluate strategies for increasing student independence.

Recent sociometric research has described students with special educational needs (SEN) as less accepted and experiencing more social difficulties than their classmates without SEN. This study addresses the social participation of students with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) in regular schools while also focusing on the quality of their best friendship. In this longitudinal study, 313 secondary students, including 46 with MLD, were first examined while at Grade 7 (T1) and 2 years later at Grade 9 (T2). In line with previous studies, the students with MLD held reduced peer acceptance, had fewer friendships, and engaged less often in social interactions with peers than their typically developing classmates on both administrations. However, students with MLD held positive perceptions of social self-concept and friendship quality, with the two measures being positively associated. At T2, students with MLD reported poorer socio-emotional skills, which were positively correlated with their perceptions of both social self-concept and friendship quality. The paper concludes by outlining the importance of supporting students’ socio-emotional development through implementing relevant school-based interventions.

Differentiated instruction (DI) is an inclusive teaching approach that recognises and values student differences. Teachers teaching in inclusive schools practise DI to accommodate students with special educational needs and disabilities. However, no research has yet been conducted to explore teachers’ perceptions of DI in Bhutan. The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore teachers’ perceptions of DI and the differences in their perceptions based on demographic variables. Data were collected via an online survey from 185 teachers in 19 inclusive schools and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that the majority of teachers had favourable perceptions of DI. No significant perceptual differences were found on qualifications and teaching experiences. However, special education teachers’ perceptions of DI were significantly higher than general education teachers (M = 4.14, SD = .37), (M = 3.89, SD = .41), respectively, t(183) = 4.194, p = .000, and trained teachers’ perceptions of DI were also found to be significantly higher than untrained teachers (M = 4.09, SD = .39), (M = 3.81, SD = .40), respectively, t(183) = 4.090, p = .000. The implications of the research findings are discussed with recommendations for further research in this area.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect a person’s ability to manage the complexities of varied social and environmental situations. This is particularly evident in the dynamic context of a school classroom. To assist students with ASD to navigate the complexities of Australian primary and secondary mainstream classrooms, educators are required to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support learning; that is, to make changes that are practicable and achievable in order for students to access learning on the same basis as their peers. We present an argument that the ‘reasonable adjustments’ made by schools to ensure that students with ASD have equitable learning opportunities should meet a criterion of acceptability where the adjustment is evidence based. The paper also offers a summary of evidence-based pedagogical strategies that have been effective for students with ASD and concludes with a discussion offering evidence-based practices as a solution to meeting legislative requirements for students with disability.

The increasing inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classes still leads to debate and many advocate for full inclusion of all students. Arguments for full inclusion are generally rights-based, but proponents also claim research supports the effectiveness of full inclusion over specialist provision for all students with disabilities. In this article, we analyse and critique the use of the research literature in an Australian advocacy paper as an example of the broad claims made concerning full inclusion. We examine the extent to which the sources used provide conclusive evidence about the merits of full inclusion. We find the advocacy paper relies heavily on opinion and non-peer-reviewed literature, with little use of quantitative research that compares outcomes for students in different settings. We suggest that policymakers should treat the conclusions drawn in this paper cautiously and give due consideration to the literature that is not supportive of full inclusion.