The fundamental intent of special education is to provide instruction to meet each child's unique needs. "Life Journey through Autism: Navigating the Special Education System" offers information, tools, and tips that will help parents become an even more effective advocate for their children. Many teachers, administrators, and school…

As any parent of a child with autism knows, your life changes and you take on new roles after your child receives a diagnosis of autism. Ready or not, you are now expected to be an expert on interventions, support professionals, and special education. Suddenly, your concerns and worries are different from the parents around you. While they may be…

Researchers demonstrated a quarter century ago that schools could effectively employ value-added statistical methods. At the time, only a few states and districts had accumulated the necessary annual assessment data to take advantage of the breakthrough. Today, every state has the capacity to provide educators with value-added data. Yet most…

This fact sheet about students who are deaf-blind provides information on orientation and mobility (O&M) training. It begins by describing orientation and mobility skills, and emphasizes the need for a team approach in the development and implementation of O&M instruction. Instructional strategies are described, including initial assessment of O&M…

This monograph focuses on children who must move to a new school and new surroundings because their family, for whatever reason, is relocating. It notes that the impact of mobility on families has practical implications for public schools and that schools with a large number of mobile students have a responsibility to establish structured programs…

This issue consists of a collection of articles that focus on the types of skills and programs that youth with disabilities need to travel independently. Articles include: (1) "An Introduction to Travel Training" (Margaret M. Groce) discusses the support for travel training provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the…

This article presents tips for parents shopping for wheelchairs for children with special mobility needs. Manual versus power chairs, dimensions, maneuverability, weight, transportability, durability, adaptability, maximum/minimum speeds, battery life (for power chairs), climbing angle, and other features are discussed. Factors to consider in…

This guide for Michigan parents of children with physical disabilities provides a synopsis of information and suggestions on school bus transportation gained from a series of four workshops. Topics covered include: (1) planning (determining just what the student's special transportation needs are by the Individualized Educational Planning…

This article presents tips on financing the purchase of wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment for physically disabled children. Parent/dealer cooperation, parental health insurance coverage, governmental programs, doctors' prescription letters, and community resources are discussed. Eight potential funding sources are listed along with contact…

Intended for use by parents of children and youth with disabilities, this guide offers guidelines for planning for a smooth transition into a new special education placement necessitated by a family move. The question-answer format addresses such questions as the following: "Will the school in my new neighborhood offer special education…

This paper offers principles of mobility education for students with visual impairments, stressing that mobility training is a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and the mobility specialist. It notes that the basis for mobility education is independent travel as a reachable goal, that the purposes include providing the child with a…

This document collects the 12 monthly issues of Volume 30 of "Exceptional Parent," a magazine focused on practical advice for parents of children with disabilities. Most issues include a focus topic as well as articles on other issues, columns, reviews, and letters. The issues focus on the following areas: (1) an extensive resource guide; (2)…

This paper provides information on the use of assistive technology devices and services in the special education evaluation process and programming for students with disabilities. The legal responsibilities of the school district to consider assistive technology for the student during the evaluation process and as a possible service on the…

Designed for teachers interested in therapeutic recreation, the document lists sources of adaptive recreational equipment and their homemade counterparts. Brief descriptions for ordering or constructing recreational equipment for the visually impaired, poorly coordinated, physically impaired, and mentally retarded are given. Specific adaptations…

Practical information on children with muscular dystrophy is intended to help parents and teachers facilitate their inclusion in mainstreamed classrooms. Major topics addressed include the following: transportation arrangements; providing full information to the teacher regarding the child's specific abilities and physical limitations;…