The role of the library media specialist in the education of learning disabled students in southern New Jersey

Inclusion has become a major force in education. Special needs students are being placed into regular education because of legislation such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act \u2797 (IDEA\u2797). Unlike previous legislation the federal funding for this act may be used in part for teacher training. This inquiry questioned media specialists in elementary schools in the eight southern New Jersey counties about training they had received in educating learning disabled students and any accommodations they have made in their program to better serve these students. It also compared how library is viewed in each school. Library may be a graded subject or a preparation period for teachers. Media specialists were also asked how they feel about working with learning disabled students. Results of the survey indicate that training is still needed in most school districts so that the districts are in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act \u2797