One of the major features that will characterize classrooms of the new century is student diversity. Not only have classrooms become more diverse with respect to race, religion, and ethnicity, but also more students with disabilities than ever are being included in regular education classrooms. Data recently reported by the U.S. Department of Education indicate that nearly three-fourths of students with disabilities are now being served primarily within the general education classroom setting. Unfortunately, today's teachers consistently report that they do not feel prepared to teach students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. Only about one-fourth believe that they possess skills necessary for effective inclusive teaching. We have written this book to give teachers a wide variety of proven and effective strategies for students with disabilities and other special learning needs. Text Philosophy There are in existence today a number of high-quality textbooks on inclusive education. This in itself is a notable advance from just a few years ago, and indicates an increasing awareness of the important role of inclusive education in today's schools. We wroteThe Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instructionto add our own perspective on inclusive education. According to this perspective, we believe that teachers certainly should be provided with necessary information regarding legal issues and the characteristics of students with disabilities and other special needs. In addition, however, we describe a variety of practical teaching and learning strategies that are directly relevant to the tasks and academic demands required of teachers in inclusive classrooms in today's schools. However, we do not believe that "inclusion strategies" can be effectively implemented in the absence of overall effective teaching skills. That is, we believe that effective overall teaching and classroom management skills are necessary prerequisites for working with students with disabilities who attend inclusive classrooms. Therefore, we have described inclusion strategies within the overall framework of effective instruction and management of general education classrooms. The organization of this book reflects our perspective. Text Organization Part 1: The Fundamentals.The first section of this book presents the fundamentals of inclusive teaching, including information on the history of special education, the legal and political background of legislation for individuals with disabilities, and relevant, practical information on the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Chapter 2 provides specific information on strategies for consultation and collaboration with students, parents, and other school personnel, including special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and other specialized school personnel. Chapters 3 and 4 provide information on the various characteristics of specific disability areas identified in IDEA, the federal special education law, and general adaptations that can be made for each of these disability areas. Chapter 3 discusses higher-incidence disabilities, such as learning disabilities and speech or language impairments, that teachers are very likely to encounter in their classrooms. Chapter 4 covers lower-incidence disabilities, such as severe disabilities and visual impairments. Chapter 5 describes other special need areas not specifically covered under IDEA, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, at-risk students, and students with special "gifts" and talents. Part 2: Developing Effective Teaching Skills.The second section of this book describes a range of strategies that can be applied across curriculum areas and grade levels to address special needs and particular problems. Chapter 6 describes the general teacher effectiveness strategies that have been demonstrated to be very helpful in promoting learning in inclusi