The changing paradigm of special education in Mexico: Voices from the field

Todd Fletcher, Carlos Dejud, Cynthia Klingler, Isabel López Mariscal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mexico's new model of special education integrates children with special needs into the regular classroom. In this model, a team called Unit of Support Services for Regular Education (USAER) is assigned to a number of schools, and the USAER team works with regular classroom teachers to meet the needs of special needs students. This study examined the integration process of this new model and its ramifications for elementary and special education teachers. Results revealed concerns about a number of issues, including the lack of preplanning; lack of inclusion of special and regular education personnel in the integration process; lack of communication between regular and special education teachers; and the need to create a community of learners among all of the participants dedicated to the common goal of providing quality education for special needs children. This focus group study of educational integration in Mexico revealed that it is difficult to achieve fundamental changes on a national level in long-entrenched educational practices and beliefs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)409-430
Number of pages22
JournalBilingual Research Journal
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

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