Visuospatial working memory in individuals with non-specific intellectual disabilities (NSID) was investigated under different modes of presentation. Individuals with NSID and mental-age-matched controls were asked to remember locations presented either simultaneously or sequentially. Results showed that individuals with NSID outperformed mental-age-matched controls in the simultaneous task. Their performance in the sequential task was comparable. Furthermore, the advantage of simultaneous over sequential presentation was greater in individuals with NSID than in the mental-age-matched controls. On the whole, the results suggest that visuospatial working memory in individuals with NSID is preserved. Furthermore, simultaneous and sequential processes in visuospatial working memory are not developed homogeneously. Further evidence for visuospatial working memory in individuals with NSID and the benefits of distinguishing between simultaneous and sequential processes in visuospatial working memory was revealed.

In the study, background factors involved in Kanji writing difficulty in Japanese second to sixth graders (N=1398) were investigated. Children with both Kanji reading and writing difficulties were grouped into those with low vocabulary attainment (Group A) and those without it (Group B). Children with only Kanji writing difficulty were classified into those with low vocabulary attainment (Group C) and those without it (Group D). Because of the small number of children, Group C was removed from the analysis. In Group A’s third and fourth graders, the contribution of verbal working memory was observed by employing multiple logistic analysis; Group A’s odds ratio values were larger than those of Groups B and D. In Group B, the contribution of fluent Hiragana reading was observed, which was not observed in Group D. These results reveal that background factors involved in Kanji writing difficulty might depend on a combination of Kanji reading difficulty and low vocabulary attainment.

This study develops and promotes a practical framework for inclusive education, in which human rights and justice are championed. This framework draws from a wide range of scholarly work and is based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (hereafter, ICF), theoretical orientation, and critical ideas. Its overall purpose is to nurture diversity and to address differences among children, while at the same time enabling us to discover underlying pervasive issues obstructing learning. This study aims to critically analyze the four fundamental factors (hereafter, FFF) based on its human and socio-environmental factors through a) Living, b) Learning, c) School activities, and d) Community life. I examine the FFF within a conceptual framework, and I also set forth the definitions and principles. The obtained results will help policy makers, school administrators, teachers, parents, children and society in general to understand each other’s needs. It enables us to discover underlying questions and pervasive issues related to inclusive education in school and social life.

In this study, the reforms that took place among schools for the blind in 1960s England and the reasons thereof as well as the extended opportunities for open employment are clarified. Barriers such as lack of basic knowledge of machine operation and the sighted community dissuaded blind school graduates from entering open employment. These barriers were associated with two complications. The first was related to the school curriculum and the second to segregation from the community because all the schools for the blind were residential. The first further education college for blind people was established to bridge this gap. Furthermore, the schools for the blind introduced alterations such as expansion of extra-curricular activities and curriculum revisions with a stronger focus on the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE).

In this study, a child with autism was taught to respond to the question, “What else?” The purpose of this study was to examine an effective procedure to acquire appropriate responses when asked for additional information. The participant was first asked what he associated with an animal before being asked for additional information. To teach correct responses, a prompt fading procedure was used. The results revealed the procedure was effective. Furthermore, the behavioral variability of the participant increased at the completion of the procedure. The results revealed that children with autism can acquire appropriate responses, and the acquisition of these responses affects the degree of behavioral variability.

This study was conducted on the selection of and intervention in social play based on an ecological assessment of a child with autism spectrum disorder at a kindergarten. The ecological assessment was based on the five following factors: (a) the participant’s preferences, and social and cognitive play levels; (b) the peers’ preferences, and social and cognitive play levels; (c) the human and physical aspects of the play setting; (d) the frequency and duration of play per week; and (e) the teachers’ rules governing the play. The selection of the target play was based on the ecological assessment. The participant was taught the play skills in the classroom. The results revealed the participant engaged in the play and increased his playtime with his peers. Interaction between the participant and peers also increased during the free playtime. This study suggests that the ecological assessment indicated the necessary conditions for play and enabled the researchers to select the social play that the participant could engage in and which was feasible in the classroom.