Disability Classification in Education: Issues and Perspectives

"Makes a strong contribution to the field, illuminating many issues and significant concerns."
―Mary Carlson, Special Education Teacher
Park Hill K–8 School, Denver, CO

"A unique, timeless collection that raises interesting questions about disability classification internationally."
―Wendy Dallman, Special Education Teacher
New London High School, WI

Promote equal educational opportunity through improved classification practices!

The identification of children for special educational services has long been a topic of debate. Are students classified accurately? Do current classification systems produce adequate education services? Have systems designed to ensure equity instead resulted in discrimination?

Disability Classification in Education offers a comprehensive analysis of current classification systems and categorical labels in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Covering specific national policies from historical, sociological, and legal perspectives, this collection of articles from a group of esteemed educational researchers identifies the disparities between different classification systems and suggests changes based on recent requirements, challenges, and trends. Aligned with NCLB and the reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this edited volume examines:

• The evolution of special education classification policies
• The relevance of existing disability classification systems
• Dilemmas educators face in using current classification procedures
• Alternatives for serving learners with special needs
• Approaches to developing a standardized or universal classification policy

Intended to stimulate discussion and spark change, this guide helps school or district administrators and university faculty improve the professional practice of those entrusted with the development and well-being of children with disabilities.

Lani Florian is a Professor and Bell Chair of Education at the University of Edinburgh and Visiting Professor of Special Education at the University of Vienna. She is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK). Her research interests include models of provision for meeting the needs of all learners, and inclusive pedagogy. She is co-author of Achievement and Inclusion in Schools, winner of the 2008 NASEN/Times Education Supplement academic book award. She has consulted on special needs education and inclusion for a number of international organisations including Open Society Foundations, UNICEF, and the OECD. 

Margaret McLaughlin has been involved in special education all of her professional career, beginning as a teacher of students with serious emotional and behavior disorders. Currently she is the associate director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children, a research institute within the College of Education at the University of Maryland. She directs several national projects investigating educational reform and students with disabilities, including the national Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (EPRRI), a consortium involving the University Maryland; The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO); and the Urban Special Education Collaborative. She also directs a national research project investigating special education in charter schools and leads a policy leadership doctoral and postdoctoral program in conducting large-scale research in special education.

McLaughlin has worked in Bosnia, Nicaragua, and Guatemala in developing programs for students with developmental disabilities. She has consulted with numerous state departments of education and local education agencies on issues related to students with disabilities and the impact of standards-driven reform policies. McLaughlin co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Goals 2000 and Students with Disabilities, which resulted in the report Educating One and All. She was a member of the NAS committee on the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education.

McLaughlin teaches graduate courses in disability policy and has written extensively in the area of school reform and students with disabilities. She earned her PhD at the University of Virginia and has held positions at the U.S. Office of Education and the University of Washington.