Abstract:
As the inclusion of students with high support
needs in regular classes begins to be an option
in NSW, the resources necessary to provide
appropriate programs to these students must
be established. Current literature (texts and
journal articles) which described ideal and
actual practices in the American context was
examined to extract information about the role
special educators play in supporting students
with high support needs and their teachers in
regular classes. Models of ideal practice in texts
and descriptions of actual practices in papers
describe special educators as having significant
involvement as members of a collaborative
planning team, as consultants, as co-teachers,
as teachers of individual students in school and
community, and as supervisors ofthe activities
of teacher assistants.
