Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

First published in 2000. This book looks at 'inclusive' education in the context of policy and practice in a number of different countries, particularly in relation to children and young people of school age. At the heart of the idea of inclusive education lie serious issues concerning 'human rights', 'equal opportunities' and 'social justice'. The papers in this book will, hopefully, contribute to stimulating further debate and dialogue over both the conceptualisation and understanding of a cross-cultural approach to inclusion and exclusion.

Demonstrates how the fields of special education and inclusive education have evolved philosophically and technically over the past 30 years.

Much has been written about special education and about inclusive education, but there have been few attempts to pull these two concepts and approaches together. This book does just that: sets special education within the context of inclusive education. It posits that to include, effectively, all children with special educational needs in schools requires an integration of both concepts, approaches, and techniques. It has never been more timely to publish a book that helps professionals who work with schools, such as psychologists, special education professionals, and counselors, to identify effective practices for children with special needs and provide guidelines for implementing these in inclusive schools.

Inclusive Education at the Crossroads explores the short and long-term effectiveness of government plans to reform policy for special needs education, confronting difficult questions on policies about inclusion and suggesting alternative ways forward for achieving more effective education of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Inclusion has been a central concern for education systems globally for over three decades. However, has preoccupation with inclusion been at the expense of effective education for children with SEND? Where do policies for inclusion lead, and do they amount to the special education reform that is needed? What do the worldwide experiences of inclusion and special education reveal about how to improve the quality of education systems for all children in the future? How effective is the provision for children with SEND today? Through this informative and topical book, Gordon-Gould and Hornby shine an interrogating spotlight on current provision for SEND and ask if current legislation and policy inadvertently reinforce problems; if they cause many children with SEND to fall short of their potential, as well as preventing many schools from improving their levels of overall academic attainment. Inclusive Education at the Crossroads provides theory and research for teachers, school leaders, governors, policy makers, researchers, parents, post graduate students and anyone seeking practical solutions to meeting the needs of pupils with SEND in any global context. It will encourage open debate about the essence of educational inclusion in order to stimulate creative thinking among all stakeholders.