Misunderstanding of special education is common, even among educators. Just what special education is, who gets it or who should get it, and why it is necessary are matters that relatively few teachers, parents, school administrators, or educators of teachers can explain accurately or with much confidence. This new book will help readers build a foundation of understanding from which to fashion a realistic, rational view of the basic assumptions and knowledge on which special education rests. Beginning with a thorough examination of the basic concept of special education, the authors move to a discussion of exceptionalities and appropriate instructional responses, and then to the ways in which special education is different from general education. A concluding chapter outlines the common criticisms of special education, in which the authors offer thoughtful, constructive responses to each criticism, drawing on material in the book. Each chapter ends with a ";Case in Point,"; profiling a student with disabilities and asking readers to think through the application of the chapter's concepts to that particular student's instructional challenges. Kauffman and Hallahan's clear-eyed and persuasive guide provokes a fresh consideration of the importance of special education not only for students and teachers but also for citizens.