The role of fatherhood appeared to change during the last century such as shifting the role as a breadwinner to caregiver and deepening and strengthening father-child attachment. Recent investigators have drawn attention to the importance of fathers in the development of children with various disabilities. Also, fathers are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility toward their disabled children's educational programmes. However, studies in Asia, especially in Hong Kong regarding the issues related to fathers towards disability, are still limited. There is a need to increase the collection and dissemination of such information regarding the fathers of young children with disabilities. The purpose of this paper was to examine fathers' views about early childhood special education in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews were obtained from nine fathers whose children had disabilities and were studying either in special or inclusive child care centres in Hong Kong. Their opinions on early childhood special education for young children with disabilities and its implication for the service providers are discussed.
[Copyright © Common Ground Publishing].

就新高中課程發展，香港教育學院特殊學習需要與融合教育中心與香港特殊教育學會，於2011年合作進行一項關於「香港特殊學校智障學生中學畢業後持續教育課程需求」的研究。研究目的是收集特殊學校智障學生畢業後持份者對特殊學校智障學生畢業後持續教育課程的認識、期望、課程內容及支援。調查結果有助發展為智障畢業學生而設的持續教育課程。
[Copyright © 2013 The Hong Kong Special Education Society.]

This study investigates the use of inquiry learning (IL) approach for intellectually disabled (ID) students. It draws on findings from the trial lessons of 6 classes of ID students in a project developing an adapted General Studies Curriculum for ID students at primary level. Data analysis focuses on examining how IL was employed for ID students. Evidences were collected from lesson plans, video-taped teaching periods and post-lesson reflection of teachers to identify teaching strategies of applying IL for ID students. These strategies, which were classified into seven aspects of concern, were put under scrutiny from the perspective of Cognitive Load Theory to uncover the foundation and effect of these strategies on enabling IL opportunities for ID students. The study concludes that teachers should take an active role to ensure the appropriate IL process to cater the students' learning needs so as to develop their fundamental skills for inquiry.
[Copyright of European Journal of Special Needs Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2014.986907]

Nowadays, the application of computer technology in assisting the classroom teaching and learning is common and popular, particularly in special education. Many researches have indicated the inherent value and significance of using CAL in teaching children with special educational needs (SEN). It has been stated that the computer may serve the communicative, instructional, training, recreational, learning or adaptive purposes. School success in applying the technology depends on many factors but familiarity and proficiency of teachers to the increasing demand of such technology are essential elements. However, there is not much available literature illustrating the use of computers in mentally handicapped schools in Hong Kong. The purposes of this paper are to investigate the instructional use of the computers and the difficulties encountered in different types of mentally handicapped schools. The research has been carried out in different types of mentally handicapped schools in Hong Kong. By questionnaire, the resources, facilities and frequencies of use in computers have been identified. Variables such as school types, school policy, budget, teacher attitude and commitment and instructional practices were identified and their contribution to the effectiveness of the program have been examined. By the follow-up case studies in the three different categories of mentally handicapped schools, an in-depth study on the organizational factors, teachers' attitude and commitment, pupils needs and instructional practices have been investigated. Such quantitative and qualitative analysis aimed at illustrating a clear picture about the use of resources in the classrooms. The results indicated that nearly all the mentally handicapped schools used the computers in teaching their SEN students. However, the students encountered different sorts of difficulties in using the computers, owing to their physical and intellectual disabilities. It was found that some of the teaching activities

This research article is intended to arouse teachers' interest in the possibility of using creative drama as a supplementary instructional tool for enhancing their teaching as well as their students' learning. The article investigated: (1) the difficulties a teacher encountered in using creative drama as a supplementary instructional tool in a Hong Kong mentally retarded school; and (2) how creative drama can be a powerful medium for enhancing the language development of moderate mentally retarded children. The result found that creative drama has a positive effect upon the mild mentally handicapped students. The discussion will be of great significance as it provides substantial implications on curriculum development of creative drama in the teacher education programme for special education teachers.

本研究以「想法解讀」教導一位在香港主流學校就讀小一的自閉症學童。「想法解讀」是指推測別人想法的能力 (想法包括了信念、需要、意圖、感受等) 。Wing 和 Gould (1979) 認為自閉症兒童有人際關係、語言溝通及想像力三方面的認知性障礙，而一些西方學者，如 Howlin、Baron-Cohen 和 Hadwin (1999) 以「想法解讀」的理論來解釋自閉症兒童在這三方面的表現。本研究以「想法解讀」為藍本的一個本地的教材套，在十周的訓練期間，教授學童感情、想法及假想三個範疇的認知能力，結果顯示學童能夠完成感情及想法範疇的活動，假想遊戲方面則因學童欠缺想像力的關係，表現未算理想，這方面的訓練仍要加強。
[Copyright © 2007 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

In response to reform of the senior secondary school curriculum, parents, professionals and schools voiced out the significance of the learning equity and opportunities of school graduates in special schools. Different parties urged the government to clarify the academic structure, curriculum arrangement and resources for these SEN students in senior academic structure reform. This was a territory-wide study on parental views and preferences of the senior secondary curriculum among special schools for students with mental handicap, physical handicap and visual impairment in Hong Kong. In the study, it was found that at the initial stage of policy planning, the further education opportunities of children with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities after the 9-year basic education were not fully considered. The opportunities remained unchanged and were of limited variety. Other than the extension program in the special schools, there was no innovative policy and practice in offering further education for these students. Parents were dissatisfied the limited choice of the further education and career placement for their children after the graduation at the age of 18. They expressed their strong view on the equal opportunity in the reform of senior secondary academic structure. With regard to the scenario of development, the study further reported the views and expectations and preferences of parents. Parents expected a clear division of secondary education into junior and senior, two stages, as opposed to a six-year education without such distinction. The curriculum, arrangements and assessment of senior secondary education should be further enriched and strengthened. Education and vocational training for schools leavers were expected. The results were significant and the empirical data provided teachers, school administrators, curriculum planners, teacher educators and the authority with the insights for further actions. The teacher education in empowering