Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (with InfoTrac and CD-ROM) [Hardcover]

Richard M. Gargiulo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534574831 | ISBN-13: 978-0534574833 | Publication Date: March 29, 2002 | Edition: 1

This engaging text, designed for students of special and general education, provides comprehensive coverage of human exceptionalities across the life span. It employs a traditional organization beginning with four foundations chapters covering such important topics as the history of special education, key litigation and legislation, including up-to-date coverage of the reauthorization of the IDEA, service delivery models, cultural and linguistic diversity, and a full chapter on parents and families. Nine "categorical" chapters, each of which follows a common format, follow these chapters. The book features a strong emphasis on inclusion with coverage of inclusion in each of the categorical chapters. Each categorical chapter also features sections on transition, multicultural consideration, and use of technology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The emphasis on [ADHD] history, definition, etiology, assessment, characteristics, and interventions provides just the right overview for special education and other related majors."

"[This text] is comprehensive, easy to read, and understandable to novices just entering the teacher education program, and has features that make it a valuable resource for instructors and students alike. I think the greatest strength of the book is its seamless flow between and within chapters. The reader knows up front what will be forthcoming in each chapter, and that predictability makes for better comprehension by students."

"I found it very well organized, balanced, and open to an array of professional perspectives (e.g. continuum rather than full inclusion). It was clearly written and user-friendly."

"Overall, I think the textbook is very well done. The greatest strength is the readability of the text. The author has taken some very complex diagnostic information and made it understandable and user friendly. The use of personal case studies is also a good feature. Another strength is that this book is user friendly to all teachers, not just those in special education."

"The "etiology" theme throughout the text gives an overall focused discussion of disabilities. The in-depth discussion of cultural issues, autism, and TBI are excellent." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Richard M. Gargiulo"s interest in special education began at the age of 10, when he first encountered residents of a local facility serving individuals with mental retardation. While working in the Milwaukee public school system, he spent three years teaching young children with exceptionalities. After this experience, he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in the areas of human learning, child development, and behavioral disabilities. Richard currently serves as the professor in the Department of Leadership, Special Education, and Foundations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 1999, he was awarded this University"s President"s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has also served as a Fulbright Scholar to the Czech Republic in 1991, and his research has appeared in a wide variety of professional journals. In addition to SPECIAL EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY, Richard has also authored or co-authored four other books ranging in topics from counseling parents of children with disabilities, to child abuse, to early childhood education, and most recently, young children with special needs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (March 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534574831
• ISBN-13: 978-0534574833
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Informative, April 23, 2011

By 

BradyTeacherOfMath - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality, 3rd Edition (Paperback)

This text is full of knowledge and useful information. Whether you are a general education or special education teacher this book is a must.

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some good information, but waaaaay watered down, January 26, 2006

By 

R. Baker "Squirrel" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (Paperback Version with First Person CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Paperback)

This book is 692 pages and, I swear, it could be 69. The chapters are very tedious to read, though there is some useful information in it and ideas that anyone interested in the topic needs to know, but it seems like there'd have to be a more interesting and less repetitive (not to mention cheaper) way to do it. Typical dry, dry, dry textbook (the sole exception being the accounts by real people of their experiences with family members with special needs..those were very interesting and moving).

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of the topic, doesnt dive too deep, September 23, 2011

By 

twindaddy "twindaddy" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (Paperback)

This is a great intro text, with chapters that are broken up by real world stories and diagrams. It gives you a great overview of the Special Ed field. If you want more detail, there are entire textbooks on each topic, but if you are just getting your feet wet, this is a great text to do it with.