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Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education
An up-to-date introduction to the characteristics of exceptional learners and their education
Exceptional An Introduction to Special Education focuses on exceptional learners and classroom practices, as well as the psychological, sociological, and medical aspects of disabilities and giftedness.
Based on the authors’ premise that professionals working with exceptional learners need to develop not only a solid base of knowledge, but also a healthy attitude toward their work and the people whom they serve, this book is designed to reach the heart as well as the mind. It asks both general and special educators to challenge themselves to acquire a solid understanding of current theory, research, and practice in special education, and to develop an ever more sensitive understanding of exceptional learners and their families.
The 14th Edition includes the new definitions of Specific Learning Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) from the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, along with expanded coverage of topics like Universal Design for Learning, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
Also available with MyLab Education
MyLab™ is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. MyLab Education helps teacher candidates bridge the gap between theory and practice–better preparing them for success in their future classrooms.
You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Education does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Education, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Education search
0134806379 / 9780134806372 Exceptional An Introduction to Special Education plus MyLab Education with Enhanced Pearson eText -- Access Card Package
Package consists
Exceptional An Introduction to Special Education focuses on exceptional learners and classroom practices, as well as the psychological, sociological, and medical aspects of disabilities and giftedness.
Based on the authors’ premise that professionals working with exceptional learners need to develop not only a solid base of knowledge, but also a healthy attitude toward their work and the people whom they serve, this book is designed to reach the heart as well as the mind. It asks both general and special educators to challenge themselves to acquire a solid understanding of current theory, research, and practice in special education, and to develop an ever more sensitive understanding of exceptional learners and their families.
The 14th Edition includes the new definitions of Specific Learning Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) from the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, along with expanded coverage of topics like Universal Design for Learning, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
Also available with MyLab Education
MyLab™ is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. MyLab Education helps teacher candidates bridge the gap between theory and practice–better preparing them for success in their future classrooms.
You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Education does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Education, ask your instructor to confirm the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Education search
0134806379 / 9780134806372 Exceptional An Introduction to Special Education plus MyLab Education with Enhanced Pearson eText -- Access Card Package
Package consists
640 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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June 28, 2025read cover to cover so yes I'm logging my textbook
May 5, 2022
I enjoyed it.
December 4, 2020
Cool book except for the introduction which had weird eugenicist vibes. Other than that it was great.
November 22, 2011
I don't know that I can rate a textbook the same way I do my personal reading, but here goes: I liked the format of the book; it was consistent and made things easy to find from chapter to chapter. It gives a pretty good general overview on the various subjects it covers (and it covers quite a few areas of disability, as well as gifted and talented students). It's not very specific, and I don't think it's intended to be, so it would be a frustrating reference if you're looking for details on a certain topic or intervention. Still it's one that I plan to keep around for a good quick reference on general disability subjects.
I can't believe I finished the first textbook of my Special Education graduate career!
I can't believe I finished the first textbook of my Special Education graduate career!
May 3, 2020
This is a really great resource that I will keep in my teacher library forever. I learned so much about different exceptionalities, including great details about my own child that I hadn't considered before. Unlike most textbooks, this was actually readable and enjoyable.
August 3, 2017
I think it's a must read book for special education students. It has many contents and this is one of the book that I'm looking for. I just wanna start read this book :)
December 10, 2018
A good intro to special education.
June 7, 2020
Very informative in a simplistic manner. Really enjoyed reading this book to further understand how working with exceptional children is practiced.
Want to Read
July 1, 2020full
April 22, 2021
This could have been a lot worse but thankfully it was written pretty lightly.
July 21, 2020
Outstanding introduction to exceptional learners and their education, emphasizing classroom practices ,the psychological, sociological, and medical aspects of disabilities and giftedness.
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June 2, 2019I only had to read like 5 chapters of this for class but idk how else to mark it because this isn't a DNF situation, so. The overall book is fairly balanced and updated (my class...less so).
Previously:
Despite this being an updated edition published LAST YEAR, I've already found that it uses the actual phrase "transgendered to male" so this should be fun...
Previously:
Despite this being an updated edition published LAST YEAR, I've already found that it uses the actual phrase "transgendered to male" so this should be fun...
April 27, 2016
I had so many problems with this textbook. It does try to cover a huge amount of content in fewer than 400 pages, but this means that many issues are glossed over or ignored. Massive amounts of text are used detailing history and causes (which are interesting) while topics more relevant to educators such as diagnosis and teaching strategies are far less detailed. There are also many examples of political and cultural bias in the book that will leave new educators wondering why they are getting pushback from parents and community members if they speak on some disabilities the way that the book does. And even though my edition was printed in 2015, there are several errors I found regarding IDEA and Section 504 laws. There are many errors in the text. I'm not talking about typos, but entire lines of print that repeat themselves. I also did not like the formatting of the book. I understand that a lot of students may purchase an electronic copy of the book, making the hyperlinks that are embedded in the text easy to follow, but this is not the case if you have a print edition. Hyperlinks in the main text are written out, but links within captions or special focus sections are hidden under linked key words, making them completely unavailable to a reader. Even if I had an electronic copy I would prefer a section at the end with the links listed, because leaving in the middle of the text would probably lead me into hours of off-topic link-chasing, but that's just a personal preference.
April 1, 2014
Pretty standard textbook. Each chapter follows a similar format so it is rather predictable. At times I found the subjects extremely interesting and other times I found them boring and redundant. One of my pet peeves is when a book says the same thing over and over again. I did end up learning a lot but would not recommend for light reading or in-depth study.
December 5, 2016
I did not find this book a particularly helpful resource. It is heavy on anecdotes, which I understand is an important way to better understand a disability, but I find video interviews and resources (like F.A.T. City) much more helpful in this regard.
August 21, 2009
Seriously, this text has the most abstract, worst prose of any text I've ever read. I have a friend who prefers a poor grade to reading it. It is, however, very informative, with good politics.
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June 29, 2010non-fiction,special education
July 18, 2011
Zzzzzzz. Pretty standard textbook, I suppose. They could have included a lot more teaching methods and a lot less history, though.
July 24, 2011
required for education classes talks about individuals and case work behind exceptional learners, very breif
April 29, 2013
REALLY great text for school!
August 23, 2013
Informative and comprehensive as far as reference texts go; however, it was at times poorly organized and structured.
February 3, 2010
Pretty good for a textbook...
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June 19, 2013nice
September 2, 2013
Very useful resource for those working with children with special needs.
March 10, 2014
good book
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews


















