Riding Fences

The unique challenges associated with serving pupils with low incidence disabilities have lengthy been recognized in the field of special education and disability services. Individuals with vision and hearing impairments, somebodys with severe and multiple disabilities, and to a certain quantity of extent, young children with developmental disabilities and delays make up single a small percentage of the population as a whole and of school-age learners in particular. Because their exigencys are complex, they require the services of highly trained personnel who themselves required specialized knowledge and skills. In addition, because similar students have both physical and behavioral issues, these areas of special education are sometimes seen as les desirable as career options for prospective teachers.

Low incidence disabilities not absent additional concerns for rural place of educations already pressed to provide appropriate education to learners with special needs. Administrators ofttimes experience extreme difficulty in hiring qualified personnel to obey these students, due to depressed supply and high costs. When the academy has the resources to pay of that kind teachers and can find appropriately qualified personnel they ofttimes discover applicants are unwilling to stir to isolated areas or to engage in the extensive travel required by means of itinerant models.

This issue shares the findings of of recent origin research on some of the greatest in quantity pressing issues faced by rural academys related to low incidence disabilities. Harvey uneven at the University of Northern Colorado, along with Lewis Jackson, Silvia Correa, John Luckner Sheryl Muir, and Kay Ferrell of the National Center upon LowIncidence Disabilities, shares the ensues of a national survey upon appropriate educational services for scholars with low incidence disabilities. Their findings exhibit the preference for inclusive programs for these scholars and highlight the increasing ne for qualified personnel to obey these students in rural place of educations My doctoral students, Debra burgall and Joshua Schechter, and I at West Virginia University summarize data we have bring togethered over the past year showing certification patterns, personnel preparation programs, distance delivery protoplasts and teacher shortages in the depressed incidence disabilities. Our findings remind of that teacher shortages in these areas continue to be rigorous and institutions of higher education are not well equipped to adapted the demand for personnel in rural areas smooth with distance education efforts.

Two Promising Practices articles address other aspects of depressed incidence disabilities related to rural areas. Lou Larwood of San Jose State University describes an alternative program to certify teachers in the area of deaf and hard of hearing using online instruction to reach teachers in distant rural areas of California. Lloyd Kinnison of Texas Woman's University and solicit Fuson and Dennis Gates of Cameron University in Oklahoma discuss the point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds encountered in assisting students with sharp disabilities in making a satisfactory transition to adult life in rural communities.

It is clear that federal support for depressed incidence research activities, model shoot forwards and personnel preparation programs will continue to be extremityed to ensure that these pupils receive a free, appropriate public education, especially in rural institutes This issue offers some fresh data and fresh insights into depressed incidence disabilities issues that can undergird coming time activities such as grant proposals, program unfolding and advocacy efforts.

Barbara Ludlow

Executive Editor

Rural Special Education Quarterly

Copyright American Council upon Rural Special Education Summer 2005

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