Deconstructing Special Education and Constructing Inclusion 3e

Book excerpt: Previous editions of the bestselling Deconstructing Special Education set a landmark for the understanding of inclusion. This completely re-written third edition continues in the tradition of critical analysis set by the first two editions and assesses how ideas and practice surrounding inclusion adapt to modern pressures and expectations. The new edition addresses: •The influence of intersectionality on the ways we think about special education and inclusion •Contemporary understandings of ‘mental health’ and how these affect the way that we think about behaviour at school •Changing understandings of ‘disability’ •The impact of research on the development of inclusion •Marketisation and its corrosive influence on inclusion •The impact of social media on children and young people •How spending on special needs impacts the development of inclusion The authors address these complex issues in an open and accessible way, making the book essential reading for a broad audience including students, teachers, educational psychologists, policymakers and researchers. “Essential reading for anyone studying or working in either special or inclusive education… Few could build the case as well as Thomas and Loxley.” Melanie Nind, Professor of Education, University of Southampton, UK “Few books in the field of education merit the soubriquet 'must read'. This is one such." Philip Garner, Professor, Brunel University, UK “An absolute must-read for all of us committed to realising genuine inclusion within schools and society!” Jan Valle, The City College of New York, USA "Finishing your first reading of their book makes you realise that you must return to it, such is the richness of the analysis and reach of its detail. This is a tour de force, a line in the sand for all successive work in the field of inclusive education." Roger Slee, Diamond Jubilee Professor of Disability Studies, University of Leeds, UK Professor Gary Thomas is Emeritus Professor of Inclusion and Diversity at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. Dr Andrew Loxley is an Associate Professor at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.