Introduction to Special Education: Teaching in an Age of Opportunity, Fifth Edition - Hardcover

With its continued emphasis on the voices of people with disabilities and their unique perspectives, the Fifth Edition of Introduction to Special Education: Teaching in an Age of Opportunity provides students with the most applied introduction to Special Education available. Using a problem solving approach, this highly-regarded text presents current special education dilemmas and challenges students to think about their solutions.

“Introduction to Special Education is well organized, easy to follow, and accurate...Advance organizers and good organization of subtitles make the topic easier for students to grasp the material...the text offers a fresh approach to special education topics.”
Peggy Reader Moore, University of North Carolina Charlotte

“I find Introduction to Special Education to be well detailed and well organized.”
Nancy T. Capulo, Hudson Valley Community College

“The greatest strengths of Introduction to Special Education are: the reading level and organizational format that make it easy for students to use, the teaching suggestions at the end of each chapter, (and) the organization that represents the areas identified in the law.”
Terry Jentsch, University of Idaho

"This book is the rule rather than the exception."

"I believe a specific strength is the concise delivery of ideas in the text. The sections have good content but are not too detailed as to be off-putting for the general educator."

"I really like [Chapter 3] and find it significantly superior to the Heward text. In fact, I spend little time with students on this chapter and use my own information. The 'History of the Field' section in Smith provides important background information and is followed by well presented information in this subfield of special education. [...] Smith's Introduction to Special Education  is the best overall text I have seen for a survey course in special education. [... ] I would also highly recommend this text to any instructor looking for a new text in any introductory special education course."

"I like the fact that she has a chapter that focuses on Multicultural and Bilingual Special Education because this is an area that I believe is overlooked not only in other textbooks but in Special Education classes. [...] In many ways I believe that this book is easier to follow and relate to than the Turnbull book."

"Deb has included a great deal of current research to define and explain ADHD. It is refreshing to see her elaborate on the information we do not have as well as what we do know about ADHD. [...] I am particularly delighted to see an emphasis on post-secondary transition planning with a view to higher education."

"The sections on Families and Technology are not found in all books of this type. These were helpful to me as someone who teaches a course on Collaborating with Families and seeks to implement the requirement of the state standards regarding the use and incorporation of technology. The life-span emphasis [is] appropriate for my students and I particularly like the fact that they reflected different regions of the country."

"The features of this text are interesting and extremely relevant to the topics. They add multiple ways to access the information from different points. [...] The Advanced Organizer is a particular favorite of mine."

"Novices to special education would find the writing level and tone acceptable, not talking down or too difficult for their ability. Students with learning disabilities will find the terminology defined within the text and multiple examples to aid their comprehension."

"The 'Tips for Effective Teaching' are some of the best suggestions that one could ask for."