Current trends in special education in Spain: do they reflect legislative mandates of inclusion?

Abstract

Over the past decades significant changes have occurred throughout all aspects of the field of Special Education in Spain. One of these changes is related to appropriate and effective instruction for students with disabilities and diverse educational needs in inclusive classroom placements. All of these change efforts have created the need to redefine the roles of regular and special teachers, as well as the services provided for students who may have special educational needs (SEN). This article uses national based data to investigate current trends regarding the inclusion of students with SEN in Spain. The data were examined in order to determine if there were significant variations regarding (a) the number of students with disabilities served in regular classrooms after the publication of PL 13/1982, Act on Social Integration of People with Disabilities, and (b) changes to the distribution of students with SEN by disability category and educational placement. The identified trends are discussed in the context of current legislation on inclusive schooling and special education.