Although federal special education legislation and the self-determination movement have promoted and increased students' attendance at their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, students' active involvement in the IEP process remains limited. This study used the "Self-Directed IEP" with five students identified with a variety of…

In this study, the author analyzed the effects of using the Self-Advocacy Strategy to increase student participation in Individualized Education Program conferences. An experimental design was used to collect data throughout the students' IPLAN program. Student participation and ability to self-advocate increased when the Self-Advocacy Strategy…

In order to gain access to services at universities and colleges, students with learning disabilities must provide documentation of their disability. However, secondary schools are not required by law to provide the documentation often requisite at the postsecondary level. Also, it appears that secondary schools may collect even less psychometric…

Although self-determination in general and student-led IEPs in particular have received attention nationally, the extent to which students are leading their IEP meetings remains uncertain, and the rhetoric does not seem to match the reality for the majority of students with disabilities and their IEP meetings. Self determined educators are needed…

Promoting active student involvement in transition planning has become best practice in promoting self-determination. This study examined the contribution of self-determination to transition planning knowledge and skills for 180 students with disabilities. Utilizing multiple regression analyses, the study found that global self-determination was a…

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of summarizing and analyzing the data for Indicator 2--Dropout--from the 2006--07 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and the revised State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in February…

This qualitative case study investigated the nature of social experiences and opportunities for communication among students who are deaf-blind, their sighted peers with no hearing loss, and adults in inclusive settings. Strategies used by adults to promote interaction were also observed. Implications and suggestions for future research are…

Parental dissatisfaction with special education services is a national problem. This article presents two districts that have undergone systemwide changes to decrease the dissatisfaction of families who have children with disabilities. Using qualitative inquiry, the authors analyzed documents and observed and interviewed 24 informants about the…

This project uses a narrative view of identity to interrogate how individuals construct notions of ability and disability within their families. Participants include children with disabilities from diverse ethnic backgrounds, their parents, siblings, and extended family members. Interactions within four families are explored as well as…

Students considered gifted and learning disabled (G/LD) are those most at risk of not being adequately served in U.S. schools. This research compares delivery formats and Individual Education Plan (IEP) modifications offered to 1,055 elementary school students, grades 3-5, who qualified as having a learning disability (LD) at different levels on…

Since 1998 there has been a dramatic increase in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150 children. Federal law requires schools to educate children with ASD in the least restrictive environment, increasing the number of children with ASD in regular classrooms. Teacher preparation…

Accommodations play a key role in enabling individuals with disabilities to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other large-scale assessments. However, it can be difficult to know how accommodations affect the validity of results, thus making it difficult to determine which accommodations should be allowed.…

Competence in algebra is linked to access to higher education, employment in better-paying jobs, and, increasingly, the ability to earn a high school diploma. For many students with learning disabilities, developing proficiency in algebra represents a challenging, but necessary goal. Teachers of students with learning disabilities need access to…

"Learning disability" is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. Following a brief story about a child with a learning…

In this essay, Benjamin Endres examines how teaching is caught between the ideals of formal, systemic institutions, on the one hand, and the ideals of more intimate or personal relations, on the other. Endres uses Anthony Giddens's account of "abstract systems" and "pure" relations to suggest that the tension that teachers face is not only the…