This study addressed the experiences of primary school teachers in Türkiye regarding inclusion/integration and Individualized Education Programs (IEP). The study also addressed how mainstreaming/integration and IEPs might impact students without special needs and their parents. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological research design. The…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public-school IEP team members describe decision-making influences and thresholds in least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for K-5 students with significant support needs in the Midwest. Decision-Making Ecology served as a framework for two research questions which…

The purpose of this interview-based qualitative study was to explore how individualized education program (IEP) team members determine least restrictive environment and educational placement. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment and to the…

With this position paper, we advance the case for reformation of U.S. special education law and praxis. These have undergone mostly incremental changes over the five decades since their inception despite a substantial body of evidence amassed over this period, which points to a major gap between extant policy and praxis, and contemporary cultural…

Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intends parents to be equal members of the team that makes their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), parents face barriers to participation, particularly exclusionary procedures, school structures, professional behaviors, and racial and cultural biases. Little wonder that some…

Social policies can be well-intentioned but ineffective in achieving what is intended. They can be undermined or destroyed by their exaggerated or oversimplified caricatures with a single, narrow focus. Caricatures may result in the opposite of the original intent of more carefully crafted variants. Institutionalization and deinstitutionalization…

Educator teams consisting of a general education teacher and a special education teacher were recruited to participate in a project where they used the Systematic Supports Planning Process (SSPP) to plan, implement, and monitor individualized supports for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) attending general education…

The purpose of this guidebook is to: (1) Assist Speech-Language Pathology service providers as they support the educational goals of eligible students with disabilities in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS); and (2) Ensure that all Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) operate with the…

Down syndrome is acknowledged to be the most common neurogenetic cause for intellectual disability. It is a multisystem disorder which results in multiple lifelong health problems. At present, students with Down syndrome can receive education in inclusive mainstream education settings. However, this is not without its accompanying challenges. The…

Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students with disabilities within school-based agricultural education (SBAE) is important to ensure students receive opportunities. This study explored the experiences that SBAE teachers associated with providing special education and related services for students with disabilities in all…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. When a child is identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) a child has a right to a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE). For a child to receive FAPE there has to be an IEP developed in order for the child to progress in the general education…

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are increasingly being educated in mainstream classroom environments. Commonly students commence their education in a segregated setting, transitioning to mainstream education after a process of skills development. For each student, transition is a unique and complex process. In NSW Australia, Autism…

The research investigates the thoughts, needs, wishes and preferences of a pupil diagnosed with autism spectrum condition in regard to her daily experiences in a mainstream early years' setting, in a small Greek island. The purpose of this case study was to explore and provide an example of how the designing of the Individual Learning Plan could…

Research has begun to identify the breadth and complexity of contextual variables that impact the opportunities, services, and supports students with complex support needs receive across different classroom placements. Indeed, as research has suggested, placement in and of itself may determine the schooling experiences of these students in ways…