Exceptional Children: An Introduction To Special Education

For courses in Introduction to Special Education or Exceptionalities.

Long recognized as a market leader for its innovation, strong research base, and accessibility, the eighth edition of William L. Heward’s Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education continues its tradition of excellence.  Through rich examples and time-tested, research-based practices and strategies, this new edition gives readers the knowledge, insight, and tools to become exceptional teachers who are engaging as well as effective in their teaching of special education students in a variety of settings.

For over two decades, professors at more than 350 colleges and universities have relied on this comprehensive, engaging text for professional research, current practice, and trends in special education. Grounded in scholarship, yet written with the human experience in mind, this best-selling book effectively conveys the stories of teachers and children in special education.

Long recognized as a market-leader for its innovation, strong research base, and accessibility, the eighth edition of William L. Heward’s Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education is no exception and continues its tradition of excellence. Through rich examples and time-tested, research-based practices and strategies, this new edition gives readers the knowledge, insight, and tools to become exceptional teachers who are both effective and engaging in their teaching of special education students in a variety of settings.

Exceptional Teachers Are Engaging in the Classroom

• Featured Teacher Essays: Each chapter begins with an essay written by a master teacher featured for his or her work in special education. Drawn from urban, suburban, and rural areas across the country, these teachers’ stories reflect the joys, challenges, and realities of actual classrooms and allow readers to observe master teachers at work.

• Exceptional Students, Exceptional Teachers: Video Cases on CD-ROM: This new CD-ROM packaged with the text features six teachers ― both general education and special education teachers ― and their students in a variety of settings. All of these teachers, classrooms, and the strategies employed are integrated throughout and referenced in the text. (New!)

Exceptional Teachers Use Effective, Time-Tested Strategies in the Classroom

• “Teaching and Learning” feature: These features describe proven intervention strategies that are both classroom-based and validated by research. In addition, each strategy is extended with step-by-step tips on how to incorporate the strategy into classroom teaching. Further resources and questions for reflection are also provided on the Companion Website.

• “Tips for Beginning Teachers” features: Every chapter culminates with practical, quick tips for beginning teachers (offered by the master teachers featured in the chapter) on how to avoid common pitfalls in the classroom. (New!)

Exceptional Teachers Are Culturally Responsive

• Multiculturalism/Diversity features: These features infused throughout the text describe classroom and research-based strategies for working with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. (New!)
• Chapter 3: Working with Parents and Families in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Society. (New!)

Other New Features of the Eighth Edition:

• Chapter on Autism Spectrum Disorders (Chapter 7).
• Chapter on Learning Disabilities (Chapter 5).
• Focus on lifespan approach in special education (Part III).
• Coverage of Standards ― CEC Standards Margin Notes link critical chapter content to knowledge and skill statements from CEC’s Professional Standards for Beginning Teachers; A PRAXIS Competencies Appendix links text content to the PRAXIS Competencies covered on its tests for special educators.