ABSTRACT
Students with special education needs (SENs) are “those who, because of a disability, require special education and related services to achieve their fullest potential” (Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000; p. 103). However, the umbrella term belies the diversity that exists within this group. This section captures the full range of strengths, difficulties and needs by discussing four very different groups of students, all with SENs – those with reading difficulties, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), gifted students and writing difficulties. The increasing placement of these students in mainstream educational settings with typically developing peers since the 1990s, or “inclusive education” (e.g., Ainscow & Cesar, 2006; Lindsay, 2007), necessitates the revamping of classrooms to meet a wide range of learning needs (Gavish & Shimoni, 2011). Likewise, educators must be informed about the latest research on SENs in order to employ evidence-based instructional supports and respond with versatility to their diverse needs. Therefore, each chapter in this section is devoted to one of these four SENs, with a focus on Chinese-speaking children in Asian classrooms and some reference to their English-speaking counterparts.
