For students with disabilities, including those with complex support needs, inclusion means more than just physical presence in a classroom--it means valued membership and full participation in a general education classroom and the school community. This book is your school team's practical blueprint for making authentic inclusion happen in K-12…

Every year, under the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), millions of children with disabilities receive special services designed to meet their unique needs. Early intervention services are provided through the state to infants and toddlers with disabilities under three years of age and their families. For…

The term "multiple disabilities" is general and broad. From the term, you cannot tell how many disabilities a child has; which disabilities are involved; or how severe each disability is. Many combinations of disabilities are possible. The different disabilities will also have a combined impact. That is why it is also important to ask:…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

The author describes the difficulties her family of 12 has faced with finding the best programs for their multiply handicapped, severely physically disabled preschoolers. (CL)

The guide presents a non-technical approach to adapting battery-operated and electrical devices for persons with severe handicapping conditions. The material was developed through Project REACH (Reconstructive Equipment Adaptations for Children with Handicaps). Chapter 1 presents rationales for the use of adapted switches and devices, including…

This annotated bibliography covers materials about children at risk because of disabilities and/or abilities. The bibliography includes approximately 560 entries. The following categories are addressed: autism; gifted; handicapped--general and multiple; hearing impaired/deaf; learning disabilities; mental illness; mentally handicapped/brain…

This manual provides definitions of terms related to developmental disabilities and special education. The first section focuses on categorical areas of impairment, defining concepts such as educable mentally impaired, trainable mentally impaired, severely mentally impaired, severely multiply impaired, hearing impaired, visually impaired,…

Parents of a multiply handicapped young adolescent speak to a counselor about an upcoming hearing considering their child's possible transfer to public school from a residential school where he has spent several years. The boy himself also discloses his anxiety and uncertainty. (CL)

A listing of resources is presented for parents of handicapped children. Resources are categorized according to the following types: programs, organizations, products, and additional resources; federally funded programs; national parent organizations; local parent training; and handbooks, book lists, and media. Entries are organized according to…

The guide lists and summarizes publications designed to help parents of children with disabilities. In the first section, publications covering general aspects of handicaps--including personal accounts of parents, early home intervention, schooling, adulthood, and additional information resources--are described. Section II presents information…

This book discusses some of the techniques and strategies used by teachers to educate students with severe and multiple disabilities in truly inclusive environments. The first chapter identifies the target population and clarifies what the book offers to educators, support staff, administrators, and parents. Chapter 2 presents a brief overview of…

This brief paper offers suggestions for parents and teachers working together to develop meaningful communication skills in deaf multihandicapped children. An intervention program developed by Jan VanDijk is described. This program involves the use of environmental engineering to teach language concepts with materials such as a calendar box with…

This guide, part of a series of booklets for parents of deaf-blind children developed by Project STEP (Steps Toward Effective Production of Speech), considers the use of rewards in shaping or changing the behavior of deaf-blind children. The types of rewards (e.g., food, drink, touch, action, something to listen to or look at) and selection of…

The booklet, one of a series of guides developed by Project STEPS (Steps Toward Effective Production of Speech), presents information for parents and deaf-blind children. Total deafness and blindness and the problems of deafness and blindness are considered, as are the nature of deaf-blindness and its special problems (e.g., eating problems,…