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Including Students with Special Needs: Implications for Social Justice

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Globalization, Education and Social Justice

Part of the book series: Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research ((GCEP,volume 10))

Abstract

At the general level, special education can be defined as “instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of children and youth who are exceptional” (Winzer, 2002: 4). Founded on the proposition that all children can reach their full potential, given the opportunity, effective teaching, and proper resources, the overarching aim of special education is to serve children and youth who have differences that change substantially the way they learn, respond, or behave. Contemporary special education draws on a long and honorable pedigree (see Winzer, 1993). In the two centuries of progress toward today’s philosophy and practice, reform has been the zeitgeist, a dominant theme determining goals and hoped-for outcomes. Reform movements such as progressive schooling and noncategorical approaches have sought to alter the entire structure; micro reforms relevant to discrete disability groups such as oral modes of communication for deaf students and the currency of new labels such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Asperger’s ­syndrome have wielded much impact (see Winzer, 2003; Winzer 2008).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

    Margaret Winzer & Kas Mazurek

Authors
  1. Margaret Winzer
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  2. Kas Mazurek
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Catholic University, Victoria Parade 115, Fitzroy, 3065, Australia

    Joseph Zajda

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Winzer, M., Mazurek, K. (2010). Including Students with Special Needs: Implications for Social Justice. In: Zajda, J. (eds) Globalization, Education and Social Justice. Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3221-8_7

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