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…

The passage of Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act) in 1975 had a great impact on the role of school psychologists. One of the controversial requirements of Public Law 94-142 alluded to the involvement of school psychologists in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development. This study was undertaken to obtain…

The paper reviews special education provisions (specifically regarding individualized education programs-IEPs) in Holland. Regular and special education operate fairly independently. Policy changes regarding IEPs are noted. IEPs are formulated to be both initial planning and instructional tools. Interviews and surveys were completed by 84 teachers…

The paper highlights the importance of communication among all parties involved in individualized education programs for handicapped students. The rationale for an interdisciplinary team model emphasizes the teacher's role as educational synthesizer. A case study of a child with learning and behavioral problems is presented to illustrate specific…

The study was intended to replicate the Albright-Preskill study (1981) in Pierce County, Washington in order to assess the status of collaborative individualized education program (IEP) development between vocational education and special education at the secondary level. Questionnaires were completed by 192 secondary level vocational education…

The paper discusses the expansion of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) to include home and community-based training activities by active two-party service contracting with handicapped students. Specific topics include a justification of homework, current status of the IEP process, current instructional problems, the viability of homework as a…

The author discusses improvement in quality of special education through the use of the individualized education program (IEP) as a placement, instructional, and planning tool. Conditions necessary for using the IEP effectively are listed. Implementation of the IEP as placement, instructional, and planning tools is noted to depend on four…

The guide is intended to help clarify P.L. 94-142, The Education For All Handicapped Children Act, and its regulations for administrators. The manual is organized around three central topics: an overview of the law and its regulations (background and purpose of the law, major provisions of the regulations, future of special education); effects of…

Data describing a student's present skill levels are often difficult for all members of a Child Study Team (CST) to understand, and these data often do not readily lend themselves to developing specific goals and objectives for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Brigance Diagnostic Inventories (the Inventory of Early Development, the…

The study examined the individualized education program (IEP) process by investigating and observing instructional settings, interviewing IEP service providers, and reviewing handicapped students' records. Ninety students were randomly selected for examination of their IEPs. Data were collected, recorded, and analyzed by using record review,…

Intended for special education teachers, the idea book for involving parents in the individualized education program process is presented. Barriers interferring with parent participation and suggestions for overcoming them are addressed in nine areas: communication problems, transportation problems, babysitting problems, lack of time, lack of…

The Behavior Objective Checklist, (BOC) a measure to determine social/emotional/behavioral goals and objectives on the Individualized Education Program, was administered to 27 psychiatric day or inpatient children (preschool-grade six). Analysis suggested adequate reliability and validity for the BOC. (CL)