Students with extensive support needs (ESN) have an increased risk of engaging in challenging behavior due to a range of factors, including communication and health needs common among this student population. When students engage in behaviors that impede learning, school teams organize support across social and emotional domains to ensure access…

The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act placed a 1.0% cap on the participation of students with disabilities in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). U.S. Department of Education regulations clarified that states must develop participation guidelines and a definition of…

Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings are an important component of special education; however, few students actually attend and meaningfully participate in their meetings. Using a large-scale national survey, this study examined student attendance and participation at IEP meetings and the predictors of these outcomes. Respondents were…

School instruction and service delivery changed dramatically amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children receiving special education services were especially vulnerable to the impact of reduced or eliminated school services as part of their Individualized Education Programs. Caregiver perspectives regarding the changes in school…

Issues that are central to special education and appear destined to remain so are discussed, including professional divisions among special educators and between special and regular educators, the population to be served, individualization, and placement. (JDD)

To determine the extent to which the long-term goals and short-term instructional objectives of the individualized education programs (IEPs) can be documented as being predicated upon the psychoeducational assessment, the IEPs and corresponding psychoeducational assessments of 243 students identified as educable mentally retarded, emotionally…

An individualized profile of benefits is needed to describe what advantages, profits, and new opportunities are offered by individualized education plans for handicapped students. (Author)

A study investigated the extent to which scores in Kentucky's statewide alternate assessment program for 60 students with severe disabilities correlated with measures of program quality and overall school effectiveness. Results indicated a significant relationship between overall program quality and scores, but not between scores and…

Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in most states the Individualized Education Program team is central in deciding the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Testing accommodations are commonly allowed, although there is considerable variability. States generally offer…

Adaptive behavior instruments that are environmentally relevant can be used effectively in intervention planning for physically handicapped students. Five desirable characteristics in such instruments are listed, selected instruments are reviewed, and a systems approach to assessing adaptive behavior is described in the context of developing…

A statistical comparison was conducted of 120 Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of intermediate-grade male students with behavioral disorders and learning disabilities in resource and self-contained programs. Differences were found in terms of federal mandate compliance, number of annual goals and completed short-term objectives, and…

Telephone interviews with 141 randomly selected special education coordinators, principals, and special and general education teachers examined issues related to special education, including a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and school discipline procedures. Respondents found IEPs too…

This article reviews the initial purposes of the Individualized Education Program in its historical context as legislated by Public Law 94-142; traces its unintended molding influence on instruction and individualization; and considers how provisions for individualization, accountability, and parent participation can be achieved while preserving…

This article analyzes changes in Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements under the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, implementation issues, and implications for FAPE (free and appropriate education) requirements. It suggests that, although these new requirements create increased opportunities for…

The McDermott Multidimensional Assessment of Children (M-MAC) is a comprehensive microcomputer system providing both multidimensional classifications of child exceptionality and detailed individualized education programs (IEPs). M-MAC's IEP functions are reviewed in terms of requisite characteristics of remedial education plans. M-MAC's…