ABSTRACT
The quality of special educational provision depends on the ability of schools and teachers to provide learning experiences which are appropriate to the needs of the children in their charge. The importance of training for the efficacy of special education has been widely recognised. In the United States special educational certification is a pre-requisite for appointment as a special education teacher. M. Ainscow and J. Muncey describe a comprehensive training programme for an entire local education authority based on a self-contained multi-media package. Recently interest in special needs training of this kind has been superseded by more general management training and training related to the introduction of the National Curriculum. The supply of specially trained teachers is thus reliant on the availability of such courses at the post-experience level. There is also an increasing emphasis on part-time training as a cost-effective means of maximizing the potential for staff development within limited budgets.
