Coping with special needs

Published in 1986, this book arrived as schools began moving children with special needs into mainstream classes, a shift set in motion by the Warnock report. Many teachers had never worked with such pupils, and the change was expected to be a demanding one for them. Written for teachers without experience, particularly those just starting out, it offers practical guidance on teaching these children in ordinary classrooms.

The author draws on his own classroom work and research, and he is frank about the difficulties involved. Rather than offering an idealised picture, he sets out what actually tends to happen and builds his advice on methods that have been shown to work.