Educating Learners With Disabilities in Palestine: The Past, Present, and Future

With the adoption of the Right of Education for All (1994), the Palestinian Ministry of Education has indicated the necessity to address the needs of students with disabilities. Although the growth of services has increased to meet the needs of this population, there are still concerns with providing best instructional practices to these students in this novel educational system. This column presents a brief historical background on services provided to students with disabilities, as well as discussing current identification, diagnostic, and placement practices in the Palestinian territories. Future directions are suggested and discussed in regard to the use and availability of evidence-based practices.