Twenty-five preservice and nine inservice educational technologists who were surveyed about their roles in the education of handicapped children expressed willingness to be involved in teamwork with special educators. Special educators are largely unfamiliar with the contemporary functions of the educational technologists. (CL)

A survey was undertaken to examine the roles of supervisor/diagnosticians in the Fort Worth Independent School District Special Education program. Special education classroom teachers were surveyed about time spent in the classrooms by supervisor/diagnosticians, objectives and effects of these visits, and teachers' perceptions of these visits.…

A study of 103 (of 143) teachers' expectations of occupational therapists working with exceptional children in Ontario public schools found that (1) teachers consider therapists to be important; (2) they think therapists should define their role and responsibility further; and (3) they believe therapists should work with special needs children…

The perceptions of 14 teachers from 14 different public schools about their changing roles and responsibilities as they moved into inclusive settings with students with severe disabilities were explored. Their experiences of cultural dissonance as they left the segregated culture of special education and attempted to assimilate themselves into…

This study investigated differences between teachers' and teacher aides' perceptions of their relationship along the dimensions of authoritative/democratic supervision style, ownership of classroom outcomes, role dynamics of the relationship, and the perceived adequacy of the other participant. Results were obtained through administrations of four…

Using the results of 50 returned surveys, the study examined the beliefs of elementary and secondary school teachers concerning what they think the principal does in special education, with particular emphasis on the mandates of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). Among findings were the following: nearly half stated that…

Analysis of questionnaire responses of 51 regular elementary teachers and 50 paraprofessionals in British Columbia classes which included handicapped children found both groups tended to agree on actual, preferred, and not appropriate paraprofessional tasks. Task endorsement was primarily determined by the age, grade level, abilities, and needs of…

Four groups of raters (clinical psychologists, school psychologists, teachers, and parents) evaluated the psychological importance of items on the Child Behavior Checklist. Results suggested that role groups could be differentiated on the basis of ratings. Findings included role group differences, gender differences, age differences, and parental…

Professional role performance difficulties experienced by 23 first year itinerant specialists in the field of special education were studied in Illinois public schools (excluding Chicago). An itinerant specialist is a teacher with specialized training in a particular disability who provides services to students on a homebound basis, in a hospital…

Twenty principals, 45 special, and 45 regular education teachers were surveyed on their understanding of role assignments for 49 professional tasks. Results revealed a considerable amount of role ambiguity, with the greatest level in the area of educational administrative responsibilities. There also was confusion over the role of appraisal…

A survey of 228 Indiana elementary educators examined the administrative role behavior of service deliverers to handicapped students. Role perceptions of special education directors and principals were compared with the expectations of regular and special class teachers and superintendents. The study revealed considerable ambiguity and the…

Fifty early childhood special educators and 82 school psychologists responded to questionnaires analyzing the school psychologist's role and potential contributions to early childhood programs. While psychologists viewed their primary responsibility as conducting psychological assessments, educators' greatest expressed need was for assistance with…

This survey of 508 Alberta (Canada) classroom teachers, administrators, parents, university trainers, and resource room teachers found consistency in the overall responsibilities expected of, perceived by, and performed by resource room teachers. Implications for service delivery, for teachers and parents, and for government and administrators are…

Special educators experiencing stress are urged to take greater responsibility for their own well-being by maintaining a balanced lifestyle, planning for success, expanding their support network, creating a positive belief system, making learning a lifelong priority, and learning to cope with complexities and challenges. (DB)

A study explored six Canadian regular class elementary teachers' attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities into their classrooms. Participants experienced difficulty in articulating their roles in integration and viewed resource teachers as being responsible for included students. Segregated placement was seen as superior to…