Special Education in Contemporary Society

An Introduction to Exceptionality

• Learning Objectives at the beginning of each chapter align better with chapter content and the Chapter in Review sections at the end of each chapter.
• Each chapter utilizes the latest Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) initial-level special educator preparation standards.
• All chapters in Part II: A Study of Individuals with Exceptionalities have been thoroughly edited for consistent format and structure. 
• Updated terminology and images offer more contemporary discussion and views of children and classrooms.
• Chapter 3 has an updated and expanded discussion of culture, with particular attention to intersectionality as well as emergent bilingual students.
• Chapter 7 has a new section on instructional approaches, with information on explicit instruction.
• Chapter 10 provides new information on the impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on families and under-diagnosis in females.
• Chapter 13 has additional information on deaf-blindness. 
• A glossary of key terms in Spanish is available in the text and on the companion website.
• Updated or new tables and figures illustrate the most current information.
• References have been revised and updated to reflect the most current thinking in the field.

KEY FEATURES:

• The text is organized into two distinct parts to offer students a truly comprehensive and humane understanding of exceptionality:
  • In Part I, readers are provided a strong foundational perspective on broad topics that affect all individuals with an exceptionality.
  • In Part II, the authors engage students with thorough examinations of individual exceptionalities and discuss historical, personal, and educational details of each exceptionality as it affects a person across the lifespan.
• Chapter-opening vignettes in the categorical chapters, primarily written by parents of children with disabilities, offer personal stories on the exceptionality studied in a specific chapter. Through these vignettes, students gain a firsthand, vivid account of these parents, their fears and frustrations, their accomplishments and triumphs, and the issues they face on a daily basis.
• Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning boxes provide instructional strategies, tips, techniques, and other ideas for the classroom.
• The Insight feature contains relevant information that adds depth and insight to particular discussion topics.
• The First Person feature adds a human touch to the information students are learning. These stories, written by or about individuals with exceptionalities, provide an up close and personal encounter with children, adults, and families.
• The Making Inclusion Work feature highlights special and general educators offering candid perspectives and practical advice about providing services to students with special needs in inclusive settings.
• A chapter-specific Spotlight on Technology feature illustrates the value of technology for individuals with exceptionalities.
  Each chapter concludes with study questions designed to help students focus on key chapter content and gauge their understanding of the material.
• A series of learning activities brings the content to life, many asking students to engage in a wide variety of meaningful and worthwhile tasks.
• A list of professional organizations and associations to contact is provided to those seeking additional information about a topic of particular interest.