Foundations of Special Education

This volume was written to address the reality that the foundational knowledge most influencing public policy and practice in special education has been drawn from a research base driven by empirical evidence that ignores a broader base of humanistic, ethical, and cultural knowledge. This volume brings together many of the most respected thinkers representing the social and neurosciences as well as the humanities who examine the contributions of these respective fields to special educations knowledge base. These chapters encourage readers to reexamine the fields primary assumptions, belief systems, and knowledge bases in light of the complex challenges now facing contemporary American society and its education of students with disabilities.