TY - JOUR
T1 - The changing paradigm of special education in Mexico
T2 - Voices from the field
AU - Fletcher, Todd
AU - Dejud, Carlos
AU - Klingler, Cynthia
AU - Mariscal, Isabel López
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.1080/15235882.2003.10162601
DO - 10.1080/15235882.2003.10162601
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85011195907
SN - 1523-5882
VL - 27
SP - 409
EP - 430
JO - Bilingual Research Journal
JF - Bilingual Research Journal
IS - 3
ER -