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Little is known about the mathematical development of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in inclusive classrooms. It is important to have a research-based understanding of the subject since inclusive education is becoming the norm in many countries, and an increasing number of students with an ID now attend mainstream schools. We investigated the learning gains of 38 students with ID from 31 grades 2 and 3 inclusive classrooms. Data on mathematics achievement were collected at the beginning and at the end of one school year. A cluster analysis revealed four homogeneous groups that differed significantly in their mathematical progress. Students in the same cluster improved in the same subskills. Prior knowledge is a significant predictor for progress and explains more variance than IQ. In addition, the acquisition of the quantity-number concept, especially the linkage of quantities and numbers, seems to be an important factor for mathematical development. These results show that mathematics instruction needs to be tailored to the specific knowledge profiles of students.

The purpose of this study was to identify the different profiles and patterns of progress in numerical skills of 6- to 10-year-old elementary school students with mild or moderate intellectual disability (ID). A standardised test of numerical and arithmetic skills was administered to 57 students with ID at the beginning and at the end of a school year. A cluster analysis was conducted with the participants' numerical skills at Time 1 and Time 2. Four groups of children which exhibited significantly distinct profiles at the beginning of the school year were identified: (1) children with inconsistent basic numerical skills with numbers up to 10, (2) children with basic numerical skills with numbers up to 10, (3) children with numerical skills with numbers up to 20, (4) children with numerical skills with numbers up to 100 and arithmetic skills. The group of children with inconsistent basic numerical skills with numbers up to 10 did not progress significantly during the school year. In contrast, most children with the second, third and fourth profile extended their numerical skills to larger number domains (respectively up to 20, 100 or 1000) during the school year. The implications of these findings are discussed.

This study investigates the relations between teachers' attitudes towards persons with intellectual disability (ID), in-service training on ID, and prior contacts with persons with ID. A sample of Canadian elementary school teachers (N?=?118) completed the Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire, which measures cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitudes towards persons with ID. Correlational and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Frequent contacts with persons with ID and experience of including a child with ID increased the likelihood of reporting prior positive contacts with persons with ID. In turn, this was associated with less discomfort towards persons with ID and more willingness towards interactions. In-service training on ID was related to better knowledge of rights and capabilities of persons with ID. Experience of including a child with ID in general education classrooms increased the likelihood to report feeling competent in teaching children with ID, which predicted more willingness to include children with ID.

Background: This study aimed at assessing the impact of including children with intellectual disability (ID) in general education classrooms with support on the academic achievement of their low-, average-, and high-achieving peers without disability. Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with an experimental group of 202 pupils from classrooms with an included child with mild or moderate ID, and a control group of 202 pupils from classrooms with no included children with special educational needs (matched pairs sample). The progress of these 2 groups in their academic achievement was compared over a period of 1 school year. Results: No significant difference was found in the progress of the low-, average-, or high-achieving pupils from classrooms with or without inclusion. Conclusions: The results suggest that including children with ID in primary general education classrooms with support does not have a negative impact on the progress of pupils without disability. (Contains 2 tables.)