This article describes disability laws and special education provisions in China, Kuwait, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States making note of the important role they have in the lives of people with disabilities. Anti-discrimination, rehabilitation, and special education laws enhance the quality of the lives of individuals with disabilities…

Since the Declaration of Salamanca in 1994, many countries, including China, have been moving toward a more inclusive approach to schooling. This column discusses the history, status quo, and future directions of Chinese inclusive education. It also examines facilitators, barriers, and challenges in the development and implementation of Chinese…

Breaking with discriminatory views and segregated education for children with disabilities, regions often referred to as Confucian Heritage Regions (CHRs) have been moving towards inclusive education. Although some of these regions have been at the centre of attention in global education recently, there is a lack of research and information about…

Special education has come a long way in the past several years, but it still needs work. Federal and state laws have been passed in order to allow children with disabilities a chance to earn a free appropriate education in a least restrictive environment. Federal Regulations have been enacted by both Congress and the U.S. Department of Education.…

With rapid economic development and increasing awareness of the importance of early childhood intervention (ECI), China is re-examining its social and educational practices for young children with disabilities. This re-examination may have a significant impact on young children with disabilities in China. It may also set an example for other…

The purpose of this article is to understand the Learning in Regular Classrooms (LRC) initiative for inclusive education in China. First, the paper reviews the policy, legislation, and practice in relation to the LRC. It then goes on to explore the specific social-political context of the LRC, and compares the Chinese LRC with the Western…

As classrooms are becoming more diverse, teachers are now faced with the responsibility of creating an inclusive classroom community. As such, researching classroom pedagogies and practices is an imperative step in curriculum planning. The "Handbook of Research on Classroom Diversity and Inclusive Education Practice" is an authoritative…

The preparation, recruitment, work, and career of teachers are important in education. This is no exemption for special education. However, the shortage of qualified teachers serving students with disabilities has long been an international problem. In China, both the quantity and the quality of special education teachers are of concern. This…

Early intervention services to young children with developmental delays in China have experienced significant growth since 1978, the beginning of the period of Reform and Opening. This article described the present situation of early intervention practices in mainland China, framed around the key components and guiding principles of Guralnick's…

Since 1948 when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all students have been declared the right to education. The rights of disabled students have not been explicitly addressed, however, and each country has developed their own rules and regulations. Although similarities exist among the different countries,…

This study explores the effects of traditional beliefs, Confucian ideology, Chinese government policy and western influences on China's inclusion of people with a disability in the Chinese community in the 21st century. Using visual ethnography and an auto-ethnographic approach, the study examines data obtained over a period of five years to…

An overview of Chinese rehabilitation policy, laws, services, educational practices, and the implications for rehabilitation counselor education in the United States are presented. China and the United States have different political systems and cultural backgrounds that demand different strategies for change; however, each is taking equally…

It is the urgent problem to quickly develop the graduate education of disabled college students for Chinese special higher education. Through the comparison of the foreign and domestic disabled graduate education actualities, we should constitute the postgraduate cultivation scheme and the education layout which could not only possess Chinese…

In the global arena, governments and educational professionals struggle with issues such as providing educational opportunities for all students, including identification and placement of students with disabilities. In spite of eligibility and placement issues, and a tremendous population of school aged children the Chinese have made inroads in…

Cultural characteristics impact on parents' attitudes and perceptions toward children with disabilities. Therefore the unique family background could create a challenge for service providers. Professional who works with children with disabilities need information from families in order to provide effective intervention (Parette, Summer 2004). The…