ABSTRACT
Reforms in relation to special education needs in the Asia-Pacific region appear to have followed a similar trend to those in the West. In many ways this is not surprising, given that delegates from several countries in this region were amongst those who met in the formation of the Salamanca Statement (Forlin, 2006). In parallel to this, the publication of Provision for Children with SEN in the Asia Region by the World Bank (Lynch, 1994), and the gradual emergence of legislation for people with disabilities in Asia-Pacific regions throughout the 1990s (Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disabilities, 2007), has meant that the notion of inclusion has gathered support in the region. However, as has been the case in the West, the degree to which legislation has been fully implemented as planned varies considerably (Forlin, 2007). There are also clear differences to be acknowledged though, such as the influence of philosophy (e.g. the Confucian philosophy that has so greatly influenced many Eastern countries is considerably more tolerant and accepting than the individualist paradigm that has dominated Western thinking) and economics (e.g. the influence of poverty).
