Special Education: A Practical Approach for Teachers Education is changing. Special education is changing. More and more students with disabilities are being taught and held accountable for the same content in the same classes as their neighbors and peers. More and more students who are gifted and talented are being identified and expected to demonstrate outstanding achievement as evidence of America's willingness and ability to provide a world-class education to its citizens. More and more, students with disabilities are also being expected to attain world-class standards. We support these changes with one reservation. We believe they cannot and will not happen without providing support for general and special education teachers who will be expected to make them happen. We revised our introduction to special education to meet this need. This is the most practical edition we have written-it contains hundreds of strategies and tactics for teachers working with students with disabilities as well as those who are gifted and talented. Audience and Purpose This book is for people who want to learn more about special education. It is for people attending colleges and universities who are enrolled in undergrad¬ate arid graduate teacher preparation programs. It is for people who are currently teaching who want to learn more about how to make the educational experiences of their students more productive and successful. It is for people who live and work with people with disabilities, gifts, and talents who want assistance with activities of daily living and transition to the world of work. It is a book for teachers, parents, and other professionals who believe as we do that special education is important, necessary, and deserving of change.