Physical education teachers and the profession are very often marginalized and minimized by administrators, parents, and students. Adapted physical education is no exception. There are several reasons for the lack of value given to teaching students with special needs in physical education, including issues with placement, stigmatization of…

Specifically explains procedures and techniques necessary to be in compliance with the Individualized Educational Program of the Handicapped Children's Act. Also describes principal's role in mainstreaming handicapped students. (LD)

If one is responsible for developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), coordinating these meetings will help him or her guide the initial placement or changes to a student's program. If one is a regular educator working with the student, these meetings will enrich his or her understanding of the child and the plan for his or her growth.…

The transition to adulthood can be difficult for anyone, but doubly or triply so for an individual with special needs. In addition to the emotional and developmental challenges it brings, it means huge transitions in terms of benefits programs, education, day-to-day structure, medical coverage and residential choices. In this article, the authors…

This document provides an overview of the best practices and legal requirements regarding the reevaluation procedures under the IDEA to make the process more relevant for IEP teams as they approach this issue. Sections include: (1) Authority; (2) Questions/Answers; (3) Reevaluation Process; (4) Individualized Reevaluation Plan; (5) Summary…

An in-school suspension program in Virginia is characterized by individualized academic and/or behavioral intervention. (Author/MLF)

Research strongly suggests that visual supports, such as pictures, prompts, cue cards, story boards, graphic schedules, and diagrams, have been effective for providing instructional structure for a wide variety of children and for multiple activities. Making successful transitions from one activity to another is difficult for many children,…

Special and general educators rely on the school library for many reasons, such as the wealth of resources that are used to motivate students and individualize instruction and the fact that many students with disabilities enjoy spending time there (Smith-Canter, Voytecki, Zambone, and Jones 2009). In the June 2009 issue of "School Library…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA) requires public schools to assure that parents of students with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Strengths-based IEPs focus on student strengths and abilities, rather than weaknesses and disabilities, in…

Like many other states, California is facing a daunting budget deficit, reportedly about $19 billion. Delayed budgets have held up the disbursement of money, affecting school programs in districts as well as at the California School for the Blind (CSB). The current financial constraints have had an impact on CSB's programs. Its department of seven…

The overall goal of the Building State Capacity Summit series was to enhance successful outcomes for students leaving high school, whether it is matriculation in a postsecondary education or training program, or employment. Young adults who are deaf or hard or hearing face barriers that inhibit these successful outcomes. One way to mitigate these…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the numbers of children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to rise. In North Dakota, the percentage of students identified with an ASD has increased from 1.9% of the total population of students with disabilities in 2004 to 6.2% of that same group in 2013-14.…

There is increasing evidence that a significant number of children in America are not learning important basic reading skills. Response to intervention (RTI) for support in reading is appropriate, but what does a school district do about students who are in Tier 3 and not making progress? Teachers and psychologists at the Special School District…

While the rest of the (neurotypical) parenting world breathlessly awaits the first day of school, some parents are hauling out 62 lbs. of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) paperwork--and wondering what to do with it this year. The progress reports. The evaluations. The standardized tests. The work samples. And finally, the 18-page,…

Describes a program located in a 150-year-old log cabin designed to teach about home and farm life and to strengthen the inner self. (CH)