The view that regular education should be returned the responsibility for many services currently provided by special education is argued by M. Stephen Lilly, as part of the 1982 Statespersons' Roundtable of the Council for Exceptional Children. In addition, criticism of this view is expressed by John W. Kidd, along with comments from the 13…

The document offers a historical perspective, practical suggestions, and guidelines for assessment, placement, and programming of bilingual handicapped students. Chapter 1 on the scope of the problem looks at student, personnel, and instrument variables affecting assessment of bilingual exceptional students. Among the factors discussed are…

The paper provides a framework for a nonbiased placement system for students with suspected handicapping conditions. The suggested approach is designed to help school districts determine whether the appraisal system is contributing to the disproportionate placement of minority group students in special education classes. Nineteen steps in the…

The document provides a collection of 33 previously published articles on implementing special education services in the least restrictive environment. Articles are divided into five sections (models for delivery of special education services in the least restrictive environment, training of professionals, individualized education programs,…

This digest compares the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as amended in 1997, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Comparisons are provided which look at: (1) the type/purpose of each Act; (2) eligibility for services under each Act; (3) whether the Act requires the…

This brief paper on the inclusion of students with disabilities summarizes the history, terms, and legal requirements. The relevant section of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is cited followed by a brief review of the mainstreaming movement of the 1970s and the regular education initiative in the mid-1980s. Regulations governing…

This digest estimates that 948,000 U.S. children may both be linguistically different and have disabilities. The nature of instruction and educational placement of these students should be based on the degree of disability, level of language proficiency in both English and the primary language, and intellectual capacity. Placement decisions should…

This brief paper presents a comparative overview of three major federal laws affecting people with disabilities: the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Presented in chart form, the three pieces of legislation are compared for the…

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 requires mainstreaming, or the education of handicapped children with regular students, to the greatest extent appropriate. Although the provisions of the law call for each student to be assessed individually and provided with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the costs associated…

This digest summarizes the problem of over-representation of minority students in special education and offers suggestions to reduce this disproportionate representation. It notes concerns of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that minority students are being misclassified and receiving…

The report outlines areas of policy convergence between agencies providing services to adjudicated handicapped youth and suggests policy arrangements to encourage interagency agreements necessary to carry out P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Research is cited showing…

Over 10 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in public schools and more than 18 percent of AI/AN students in Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal schools are eligible for or placed in special education programs. This digest addresses four selected issues in the education of AI/AN students with disabilities. First, the 1997…

A product of a statewide (California) survey of 104 school districts and 9 county educational agencies, the report focuses on promising practices for use with handicapped children of limited English proficiency (LEP). In Phase One, seven categories of promising practices or program attributes were identified:(1) first and second language…

This Digest discusses provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that require functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) to be conducted prior to a change in placement or suspension for more than 10 days, based on inappropriate behaviors for students with disabilities. It presents…

This document presents statistical information on children with special needs, their education, and the professionals who serve them. Graphs, tables, and charts are used to illustrate: (1) the number of children receiving special education services from 1989 to 1999; (2) the incidence of different disabilities; (3) the growth of students in the…