The present research examined the difficulties and needs of young people with physical disabilities when entering high school and in their school life, through a questionnaire survey. Useable replies were received from 109 individuals. More than half of the survey respondents were individuals with spina bifida who needed medical assistance with urination. They reported that, when they chose a high school, they focused on schools with barrier-free facilities in the school zone. However, unexpected problems with the facilities developed before and after they had enrolled in high school. Half of the respondents reported difficulties in participating in physical education classes and expressed dissatisfaction with the contents of lessons and the grades that they had received. Many respondents reported that they had problems making friends and with interpersonal relationships, and that they thought that other students did not understand their disability. Those who had gone on to universities reported a need for more course guidance, and demanded changes in the content of courses and the teachers' attitudes. Some respondents reported that they had been unable to continue to a university or fınd employment because the career guidance that they had received in high school was not adequate. Future studies should improve the method of investigation, collect data more widely, and examine issues in relation to each type of illness.

The new course of study for special needs schools, and improvements in lifelong learning for individuals with special needs, require changes and improvements in the curricula at special needs schools. Using a nationwide questionnaire, the present study asked teachers what the current situation was at special needs schools, what current issues were in relation to educational goals and objectives, and what educational curriculum planning was being done to orient students to independence and social participation. Of the questionnaires sent, replies were received from 520 schools (53.1％ response rate), of which 512 were useable. Analysis of those responses revealed that representative contents of educational goals and objectives included social independence, social participation, and a warm heart. The educational curriculum in special needs schools for students with intellectual disabilities was rated higher on the actual condition of the students, ability, and communication than on the actual condition of graduates and external experts. From these results, it seems to be important when preparing curriculum for special needs schools to consider the characteristics of the schools with a view to changes in the times and the environment, and the students' life after graduation.

The present research investigated individual factors that may impact self-efficacy in teachers who provide consultation services in early intervention at schools for children who are blind. Individual questionnaires were distributed by mail to 65 such schools. Teachers at 58 schools completed all items which resulted in 335 valid questionnaires (70.68% response rate). The results from the principal component analysis indicated homogeneity with a principal component loading of at least 0.59; Cronbach's α reliability coeffıcient indicated internal consistency with a value of at least 0.88, allowing creation of subscales consisting of 7 consultation topics. Categorical multiple regression analysis indicated that the following personal factors impacted all subscales: (a) the total number of years a teacher had worked at schools for children who are blind, (b) whether a teacher possessed a special educational teaching license for children with visual impairments (no < yes), and (c) whether a teacher had experience providing consultation (no < yes). In addition, visual, medical, and psychological scales were affected by gender (female < male), and parenting scale, developmental scale, school readiness scale, support scale, and psychological scales were all affected by whether a teacher held a kindergarten license (no < yes). However, the total number of years teaching, affiliated school group (preschool elementary, junior high or high school) and if the school had a preschool program did not have any impact on the results.

The present study examines actions taken by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) when appealing for the passage of legislation about the education of children with disabilities, in the general context of an examination of activities of professional organizations that try to improve special education and of groups that advocate for children with disabilities. At hearings of Congressional subcommittees, the CEC advocated for the proposed bill, urging that it contain a compliance mechanism, a provision for children to be served in the least restrictive environment, and a requirement for individualized education plans. Although previously published studies of the background of the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act examined it from the viewpoint of lawsuits over the right to education for children with disabilities and federal funding of state programs, the details of the CEC's activities have not been investigated. For the present study, the following documents were reviewed: (a) a publication of the CEC titled “State Law and Education of Handicapped Children” (Weintraub, Abeson, & Braddock, 1971), which was examined in order to demonstrate that the CEC had begun to pursue education for all children with disabilities before litigation began, (b) a CEC policy statement on the organization and administration of special education (CEC Policies Commission, 1973), which was examined in order to probe the ideas upon which the CEC's recommendations for the least restrictive environment and individualized education plans were based, and (c) reports of hearings before subcommittees of the Senate and the House of Representatives on bills related to education for children with disabilities, which were examined in order to illustrate points made by spokespeople for the CEC about the assurance of the appropriateness of special education and a guarantee of education for each child with a disability. The present analysis concludes that the meaning of the CEC's activities when lobbying Congress was that it was the CEC's mission and responsibility not only to advocate for the right to education for all children with disabilities, but also to aim at equal education for children with disabilities in the U.S. That led it in the direction of calling for each handicapped child to receive education designed for his or her needs.

In the present study, two 9-year-old children with autistic tendencies and intellectual disabilities were given instruction on street-crossing skills and basic pedestrian skills, based on individual educational support programs. Before the instruction, the traffic environment between the children's school to the bus stop was surveyed. The children were then taught street-crossing skills and basic pedestrian skills, first in a study room and then in the actual traffic environment. In the study room, a scene was constructed that simulated the traffic environment, and the children were taught street-crossing skills and basic pedestrian skills. In the actual environment, effects of the instruction in the study room were evaluated, and further necessary training given. After receiving the combination of training in the simulated environment and teaching in the traffic environment, both children acquired street-crossing skills and basic pedestrian skills. It would be helpful if marks on sidewalks indicating where pedestrians should stop and traffic signal displays were standardized.