As schools seek to bridge the cultural and linguistic gap between special educators and students at the intersections of learning and language, the case described in this article illustrates how educators can continue to apply one of the key tenets of special education, the strengths-based approach. The hegemony of English has become so pervasive…

Effective collaboration is associated with positive outcomes for students and is a key component of equitable educational opportunities. There are challenges to effective collaboration, however, as our understanding of it differs based on the various definitions in the literature. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the common…

Self-advocacy and self-determination include the abilities to select personal goals, plan steps toward goals, assess one's progress, make choices, and self-monitor and self-evaluate one's behaviors. These are important skills in both current and future environments. Unfortunately, youth with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities…

This article begins with a vignette about Carla, a 4-year-old girl with a diagnosis of developmental delays. It then describes a model to facilitate inclusion of young children in early childhood settings. The authors developed this model as they worked with practicing early childhood professionals. The model places emphasis on the following…

Describes a decision analytic approach for multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in planning special service programs. Presents evaluation information on its application by MDTs in planning individualized education programs, and outlines a six-step process. Suggests utilization of approach allows a complex program planning situation to be disaggregated…

Presents the TREAT model for constructing counseling goals and objectives during Individualized Education Program meetings. The model provides the multidisciplinary team with a procedure for organizing all relevant information when addressing students with special needs. Use of the model results in measurable, manageable, and defensible goals and…

This paper presents an interagency collaboration model designed to improve collaboration between residential programs and special education teachers involved with students residing in a community-based program. It uses the individualized educational program (IEP) process to provide a mechanism for transfer and generalization of goals between…

An inservice program entitled The Team Approach to Educational Decision-Making: Inservice for Multidisciplinary Teams is described. It provides instruction in team theory, communication skills, and problem-solving techniques to create more active and effective team participation in the Individual Education Program decision-making processes to meet…

This article argues that the multidisciplinary team (MDT) can provide more effective and satisfying psycho-educational services by adopting a family systems model. A brief overview of the model is provided, followed by a discussion of specific MDT functions that serve to facilitate a school-family alliance. (Author/PN)

The Pine County (Minnesota) Special Education System has adapted a database for use in decision making regarding programs for learning disabled and behavior problem students. The system is used for decisions in seven areas: identification, initial assessment, eligibility determination, individualized education program (IEP) selection, IEP…

The document consists of a program manager's manual for the Parent Infant Program (PIP), an early intervention program designed to foster effective parenting of infants with developmental disabilities and delays. Section 1 provides a program overview. Three program goals are: to build parental confidence as primary teachers/facilitators of their…

Educators from nine rural school districts in Idaho participated in a transdisciplinary team training program aimed at improving educational services for disabled students. Pretest and posttest analysis revealed that training was effective in improving collaboration among team members but that further work was needed on teams developing and…

Part of a volume which explores current issues in service delivery to infants and toddlers (ages birth to 3) with handicapping conditions, this chapter defines the team concept as it relates to the field of early intervention and describes three approaches (multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary) commonly used to organize…

These guidelines are an official statement of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) that address the official roles and responsibilities of school-based speech-language pathologists. Chapter 1 outlines the guiding principles that underlie the development of the document, provides federal and global definitions of speech-language…

This report describes and analyzes the transition process used at Savanna High School, Anaheim, California, and documents the unique contribution of the school's Independent Living Skills Transition Center. The report's seven sections focus on: (1) transition definitions and the need for a shared definition among agency personnel; (2) team…