This textbook, Introduction to Special Education: The Spectrum of Exceptionalities has been a journey. Each contributing author brought to this project a unique perspective on abilities and disabilities. Each brought to the project a yearning to broaden and build capacity among our readers to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of those with disabilities. Whether you are new to the world of disabilities, inclusion, and cultural differences or not, our goal is to provide a research-based textbook that will foster academic excellence, encourage professional development, and increase inclusivity of people of all functioning levels. The focus of this textbook is people with disabilities and how those disabilities affect their inclusion into society. We explored the characteristics of disabilities and identified the research-based interventions that could be used effectively in today s classrooms. For the lead author, this text aims to promote mentoring--mentoring junior faculty and aspiring graduate students in Education who are new in the academy. I hope this book will be encouraging and interesting and will make you think of the most positive and meaningful ways you can contribute to the lives of those with disabilities. Each chapter begins with a scenario that aspiring teachers may encounter in the classroom that relates to the chapter contents A dedicated chapter that compares and contrasts appropriate instructional strategies to use in elementary and secondary settings A chapter that focuses on culturally responsive pedagogy to address the unique learning needs of students with disabilities Text includes examples of sample documents used in special education.