Every child is unique and learns in different ways. Some children are identified as needing special education services to support his or her learning at school. Parents can play a major role in shaping the services a child receives. This guidebook has been written for parents, guardians, and surrogate parents of a child (ages 3 to 21 or…

When a military family has a child with autism, they face all the emotions and challenges that accompany this diagnosis, compounded by the realities of military service: war, extended family separation, frequent moves, varying access to specialized healthcare, and other stressors that complicate and often work against effective treatment for…

The fundamental intent of special education is to provide instruction to meet each child's unique needs. "Life Journey through Autism: Navigating the Special Education System" offers information, tools, and tips that will help parents become an even more effective advocate for their children. Many teachers, administrators, and school…

This toolkit was created to make transition planning easier and offers easy-to-understand information about the purpose of transition planning, the goal and importance of age-appropriate assessments, and the required rules that are used by schools. It also includes information on the community partners that can provide youth with supports as…

This handbook for Missouri parents of young children with disabilities provides information on obtaining special education services from a local school district. A step-by-step guide for transitioning into preschool is provided. The steps include: (1) referral of the child to their local school; (2) holding a transition conference; (3) arranging…

This research review summarizes the current research literature regarding Gesell screening. It also explores the controversy over whether developmentally unready children should be held out of kindergarten, retained at the end of the kindergarten year, or placed in pre-kindergarten or pre-first grade classes. A seven-page bibliography on…

This guidebook is intended to assist parents of children with disabilities who will be returning to the state of Maryland because of Senate Bill 588, which strongly discourages out-of-state placements of individuals with disabilities or other special needs. The first section is on "getting ready" and provides a summary of Senate Bill…

The guide identifies and discusses critical components of high school programs designed to facilitate college placement as well as preparation of potential college-bound learning disabled (LD) secondary students for the demands of college settings. First, secondary programming needs to include integration of LD students into college preparatory…

The goal of transition planning is to bridge the gap between the mandated special education services provided by public schools and the entitlement systems under which adult services operate. This paper is designed to assist parents in understanding the transition planning process. In a question-and-answer format, information is presented to…

This guide, designed for families of children with disabilities and educators in Washington state, is intended to provide a shared understanding of special education and encourage partnership for the child's benefit. Each section specifies what families and educators should expect, their responsibilities, possible questions to ask, and their…

This parent guide provides an overview of the Gesell Developmental Program (pre-first grade) in the Eastern Lancaster County School District (Pennsylvania). The following topics are covered: (1) a history of the program; (2) a brief description of the Gesell preschool tests; (3) answers to questions parents are likely to ask about the program; (4)…

Intended for parents of young children with disabilities in Texas, this booklet describes the Texas early childhood intervention (ECI) program and identifies parent rights. An introductory chart summarizes five steps of family centered services (from assessment and evaluation to the annual Individualized Family Service Plan meeting) in terms of…

This booklet is intended to facilitate the full participation of Minnesota parents of children with disabilities in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The booklet begins with a brief discussion of what an IEP is and why it is needed. The guide then presents a copy of Minnesota's IEP form, with the form sections on the left hand…

This booklet is intended to facilitate the full participation of Minnesota parents of children with disabilities in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The booklet begins with a brief discussion of what an IEP is, when IEPs must be in effect, IEP meetings, the IEP team, and parent participation. It next stresses the necessity of…

This manual is designed to help Pennsylvania parents of children with disabilities learn how the special education system works in Pennsylvania and how they can make it work for their child. This revision of the manual incorporates changes made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 and the regulations issued in 1999 to…