Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

There is little consensus regarding which articles have shaped the field of special education and are therefore classics. To begin to address this issue, this article uses an objective, data-based procedure to identify the 50 most frequently cited articles in general special education journals (i.e., Exceptional Children, Remedial and Special Education, and The Journal of Special Education) over the last 40 years. These articles address the major trends in the field of special education, such as school reform, inclusion, and mainstreaming; families and early childhood education; and assessment and classification of students with disabilities. From among these 50 articles, 10 are subjectively identified as classics that have shaped the field of special education. A rationale is provided for the selection of each of these articles.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown, L. , Branston, M.B. , Hamre-Nietupski, S. , Pumpian, I. , Certo, N. , & Gruenewald, L. (1979). A strategy for developing chronological-age-appropriate and functional curricular content for severely handicapped adolescents and young adults. The Journal of Special Education, 13, 81—90.

Cronbach, L. (1992). Four Psychological Bulletin articles in perspective . Psychological Bulletin, 112, 389—392.

Deno, S. (1985). Curriculum-based measurement: The emerging alternative . Exceptional Children, 52, 219—232.

Dunn, L. (1968). Special education for the mildly retarded—Is much of it justifiable? Exceptional Children, 35, 5—22.

Fuchs, D. , & Fuchs, L. (1994). Inclusive schools movement and the radicalization of special education reform. Exceptional Children, 60, 294—309.

Giangreco, M. , Dennis, R. , Cloninger, C. , Edelman, S. , & Schattman, R. (1993). “I've counted Jon”: Transformational experiences of teachers educating students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 59, 359—372.

Hammill, D. , & Larsen, S. (1974). The effectiveness of psycholinguistic training . Exceptional Children, 41, 5—14.

Hasazi, S. , Gordon, L. , & Roe, C. (1985). Factors associated with the employment status of handicapped youth exiting high school from 1979 to 1983. Exceptional Children, 51, 455—469.

Keogh, B. , & Becker, L. (1973). Early detection of learning problems: Questions, cautions, and guidelines. Exceptional Children, 35, 5—11.

10.

Kirk, S. , & Bateman, B. (1962). Diagnosis and remediation of learning disabilities . Exceptional Children, 29, 73—78.

11.

Liberman, I. , & Shankweiler, D. (1985). Phonology and the problems of learning to read and write. Remedial and Special Education , 6(6), 8—17.

12.

O'Leary, K. , & Becker, W. (1967). Behavior modification of an adjustment class: A token reinforcement program. Exceptional Children, 33, 637— 642.

13.

Patton, J. , Polloway, E. , & Epstein, M. (1989). Are there seminal works in special education? Remedial and Special Education, 10(3), 54—59.

14.

Scruggs, T. , & Mastropieri, M. (1985). The first decade of the journal Behavioral Disorders: A quantitative evaluation. Behavioral Disorders, 11, 52—59.

15.

Swanson, L. , Hughes, G. , & Nicholes, J. (1988). Characteristics of frequently cited articles in mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities , 9, 213—227.

16.

Swanson, L. , Plank, D. , & Still, J. (1988). The characteristics of prominent articles with “special education ” in the title. Remedial and Special Education, 9(5), 41—49.

17.

Wade, N. (1975). Citation analysis: A new tool for science administrators . Science, 188, 429—432.

18.

Walberg, H. , Rasher, S. , & Mantel, H. (1977). Eminence and citations in educational psychology . Educational Researcher, 6(3), 12—14.

19.

Will, M. (1986). Educating children with learning problems: A shared responsibility. Exceptional Children, 52, 411—415.

Classic Articles in Special Education

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References