Exceptional Children: Integrating Research and Teaching

Exceptional Children: Integrating Research and Teaching provides a com­ prehensive introduction to the constantly changing area of special educa­ tion. The book is research-based, and its title reflects our opinion regarding the important link between research and classroom practice. There is one feature of Exceptional Children: Integrating Research and Teaching that warrants attention and perhaps justification; it was written specifically to address the graduate student or sophisticated undergraduate student mar­ ket. As such, the book is written at a higher level and with a greater concept density than typical introductory special education texts. We feel that this type of book is very much needed and will be received favorably by the special education community. There are also several unique features of Exceptional Children: Integrat­ ing Research and Teaching that we feel will be quite valuable. First, we have emphasized the area of teaching practices and not simply included basic facts about definitions, characteristics, and causes. Although some intro­ ductory texts include information about teaching considerations, that area is not discussed as in depth as it is in our text. We feel that it is important that readers not only understand the educational needs of exceptional chil­ dren, but also can identify the best educational practices to meet those needs.