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Teaching Students With Special Needs: Parent and Classroom Integration

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Abstract

This annotated bibliography examines two key strategies for augmenting the education of students with special needs. The first study explores the PLAY Project Home Consultation (PPHC) program, which trains parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders using the DIR/Floortime model, finding meaningful improvements in children's functional development. The second study investigates the sociometric status and self-image of Dutch students with learning disabilities integrated into general education classrooms, revealing mixed outcomes — particularly for girls and students with general learning disabilities. Together, the studies address the broader question of how well non-specialist parents and teachers can supplement formal special education systems.

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What makes this paper effective

The paper grounds each annotation in a specific, peer-reviewed source, giving the analysis credibility and allowing readers to trace claims back to original studies.
Each annotation moves logically from methodology to findings to implications, modeling a clean structure for annotated bibliography entries.
The paper consistently connects study findings back to the central problem statement — whether non-specialist parents and teachers can effectively augment special education — maintaining thematic focus throughout.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates the annotated bibliography format effectively: each entry summarizes a study's design, reports quantitative findings with specificity (e.g., "45.5 percent of children showed good to very good functional progress"), and then offers a brief critical commentary on limitations and implications. This combination of summary and evaluation is the hallmark of a strong annotated bibliography entry.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with a problem statement that frames the central research question. It then presents two annotated bibliography entries, each beginning with a full citation, followed by a summary of methodology and findings, and ending with a short critical reflection. A shared conclusion briefly synthesizes both entries and calls for further research. The two-entry structure is lean but well-organized, and each section is clearly delineated by its citation heading.

Introduction: Augmenting Special Education

Normalization of student routines for those with learning disorders is a major goal of any pedagogical system. The central problem this paper addresses is how well this goal can be achieved by training parents and teachers who are not specialists in special education to augment the formal special education system.

Parent Training to Support Children With Autism

One of the key questions this annotated bibliography examines is whether a program of intensive parent training can significantly augment the hands-on help that children with disabilities receive. A study published in the Journal of Autism describes the PLAY Project Home Consultation (PPHC) program, which trains parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders using the DIR/Floortime model developed by Stanley Greenspan, MD (Solomon, Necheles, Ferch, & Bruckman, 2007, p. 209).

Solomon, R., Necheles, J., Ferch, C., & Bruckman, D. (2007). Pilot study of a parent training program for young children with autism. Journal of Autism, 11(3), 205–224.

Findings of the PLAY Project Home Consultation Study

In the study, 68 children completed an 8–12 month training program involving both parents and children. Parents were instructed to deliver approximately 15 hours per week of one-on-one interactions. Pre- and post-intervention ratings of a series of videotapes were conducted by blind raters using the Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), revealing substantial increases in child subscale scores. When interpreted clinically, approximately 45.5 percent of children showed good to very good functional progress in development.

No significant differences were found between parents on the FEAS subscale scores at either the pre- or post-intervention stage. All parents scored at levels suggesting they would be effective in working with their children. Overall satisfaction with the PPHC program was 90 percent. Despite its limitations, this pilot study of the PLAY Project Home Consultation model confirms that it has the potential to provide cost-effective intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ibid., pp. 210–221).

The evidence suggests that pre-training parents in strategies for working with autism meaningfully augments the hands-on support children receive. While further research is needed, the relationship between parent training and improved child outcomes appears significant.

3 Locked Sections · 250 words remaining

Integration of Students With Disabilities in General Education Classrooms · 75 words

"Dutch study on inclusive classroom integration"

Findings of the Dutch Inclusion Study · 120 words

"Sociometric and self-image data from Dutch students"

Conclusions and Directions for Future Research · 55 words

"Synthesis and call for further subgroup research"

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Key Concepts in This Paper

Parent Training Autism Intervention DIR/Floortime PLAY Project Inclusive Education Learning Disabilities Mainstreaming Special Education Sociometric Status General Education Classroom