To provide a missing piece to the legal foundation of professional development and practice for the individualized education program (IEP) process, the authors report the results of a comprehensive systematic analysis of court decisions specific to IEP-related procedural violations after the 2004 amendments of the Individuals With Disabilities…

Evidence-based programs will be useful to the extent they produce benefits to individuals on a socially significant scale. It appears the combination of effective programs and effective implementation methods is required to assure consistent uses of programs and reliable benefits to children and families. To date, focus has been placed primarily…

The increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has intensified the need for high-quality special education services designed for children and youth with ASD and their families. Implementation science provides guidance for moving innovation, such as utilizing evidence- based practices for students with ASD, into regular practice in…

To be effective, interagency agreements must overcome a variety of obstacles, including lack of coordination between state and local agencies. A process for overcoming those barriers includes identifying resources to be exchanged and teaching special education or mental health concepts to the other agency(ies). Useful agreements are written…

Some specific guidelines and procedures for developing and implementing successful mainstreaming programs are provided. Factors discussed include: developing criteria for mainstreaming; preparing handicapped students; preparing nonhandicapped students; promoting communication among educators; evaluating student progress; and providing inservice…

This study describes special education alternative route (AR) teacher preparation programs. The authors developed a national database of programs and collected information on program sponsorship, length and intensity, features, and participant demographics. Most of the 235 programs in the database were in states that had significant shortages of…

An effective inservice program in special education identifies objectives, selects qualified staff, uses effective content delivery, uses the appropriate level of intensity, and evaluates inservice effectiveness. An example of an intensive inservice program that documented student progress illustrates the benefits of implementing a well-planned…

Data contained in the Learning Potential Assessment Device report were compared with information in a standard psychological report for value in educational programming with 146 graduate special education students. Ss rated both reports negatively. Neither report was perceived to be valuable for program planning purposes. (Author/CL)

A review of traditional (such as psychotherapy) and behavioral approaches (such as self-monitoring and reinforcement) to obesity treatment of mentally retarded students led to the conclusion that the behavioral orientation was more successful. Implications for initiating such programs include thorough training, voluntary participation, and parent…

It is necessary for those who are developing and/or evaluating software for purchase to carefully consider its educational compatibility, instructional design adequacy, and technical adequacy. Specific factors are examined as they relate to the development and/or evaluation of educational microcomputer software for handicapped learners. (Author)

A project at the University of Kansas has analyzed, evaluated, and developed guidelines for multicultural emphasis in special education teacher education. The project has progressed from analysis of the department curriculum to development of a workshop model (the format of which is included). (CL)

The activities of the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) in helping administrators cope with the aftermath of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, are described. (CL)

The consultant interested in helping teachers adopt curriculum-based assessment techniques should consider the process of innovation along with aspects of school culture. The consultant should examine four stages in developing a model program: creating a need, supporting change, implementing a guided practice, sequence, and allowing for…

Seventy-five teachers provided data on the time required to prepare individualized education program (IEP) documents for a sample of 807 exceptional children in a study of the cost required for IEP development. Analysis of the data indicated that a considerable amount of time is invested in the IEP process. (Author/PHR)

Factors that either facilitated or inhibited development of inclusive preschool programs were identified through interviews with 201 direct service and administrative personnel in four U.S. geographical regions. Key personnel were identified as the strongest facilitators of inclusion. Other important influences were provision of training, external…