Are the Culturally Diverse Needs of Children Being Met in Special Education?
A mail survey was conducted of 149 students (grades 4-8) with special needs in 19 school systems in inner city, suburban, and rural settings to determine their knowledge of cultural diversity and to identify their educational needs in this area. Results are organized around the seven areas of multicultural emphasis in the survey: (1) knowledge of folklore; (2)multicultural aspects of everyday life; (3) social studies; (4) leadership; (5) traditions; (6) the arts; and (7) sports and leisure activities. The study concluded that all these cultural diversity areas are crucial for the student with special needs, that students with special needs did not demonstrate a broad cultural knowledge in any of the seven areas explored, and that teachers need to review the quality of information presented in the classroom as it relates to the understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity. Much of the document consists of appendices which provide a copy of the questionnaire and detailed analysis o
