The purpose of this interview-based qualitative study was to explore how individualized education program (IEP) team members determine least restrictive environment and educational placement. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment and to the…

Leading an individualized education program (IEP) meeting can be a daunting task for special education teachers, particularly if they want to make changes to the status quo when it comes to inclusive opportunities for students with higher support needs. This article explores how special educators can begin to advocate for that change within their…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…

The present study investigated parents' experiences in making educational decisions for their children with autism and their satisfaction with said outcomes. Parents completed a survey describing (a) their input in educational decisions, (b) satisfaction with school personnel, and (c) satisfaction with their child's school experience. Sequential…

The goal of this article is to assist individualized education program (IEP) team personnel to not make errors in the placement of students. To do so the authors: (1) describe what a placement decision is and who makes the decision; (2) review the placement requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2006); (3) examine…

This guide is meant to help parents, schools, and community members use the Kansas Special Education Process Handbook. The parent guide to the Kansas Special Education Process Handbook was written by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). It is a start for learning about special education requirements. It is recommended to use this guide…

This manuscript presents findings from a study of the contributing factors and details of special education due process hearings in the United States that involved students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The study examined 101 due process hearings conducted over a three-year period in a five-state sample: California, Illinois,…

The purpose of this article is to present an updated comprehensive synthesis of the law, starting with the statutory provisions and culminating in the case law specific to the procedural and substantive requirements for manifestation determinations (MDs) under IDEA, as amended in 2004. Procedural requirements include issues such as who must make…

Individuals who serve as surrogate parents fulfill an important role in the life of a child with a disability. Surrogates have become increasingly important in special education because a growing number of children are living outside their family for some period of their lives. Like parents, surrogates of children with disabilities are granted a…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) receive educational and related services within a continuum of placement options per the Individual with Disabilities Education Act. The continuum of placement options ranges from fully included general education type classrooms to more restrictive environments such as alternative education…

The book describes Pennsylvania's approach for determining placement of handicapped students in the least restrictive environment (LRE), as mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Separate sections address the following two topics (subtopics in parentheses): the LRE decision process (content for the decision…

Intended for local school district personnel, the document suggests a model for assisting decision makers in placing handicapped students in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Basic considerations of a multidisciplinary team in determining the appropriate placement for the handicapped students are listed (including the nature and degree of…

Observation of 26 initial placement/individual education plan (IEP) conferences for elementary age learning-disabled children found minimal parent participation during the conferences, but parents reported, in postconference interviews, satisfaction with the conferences. Results are related to the intent of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All…

A 25-item questionnaire on special education decision making was completed by 70 elementary and secondary teachers to examine attitudes about current and preferred participation in planning, programming, and placement processes. Questionnaires touched upon teachers' personal information, class information, the special education referral process,…

This article describes the Laptop Computer Initiative (LCI), a program in a Delaware school district to enhance referral-to-placement practices and to develop individualized education programs for special education students. The six steps in the program's development are recounted and positive results of the LCI, such as increased staff efficiency…