This digest discusses how assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities can expand access to the general education curriculum. It begins by describing the Education TECH Point system which offers educators a strategy for identifying specific points in the planning process where AT should be considered, including: initial referral…

This report analyzes information received from 37 states and non-state jurisdictions related to the new provision in the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires participation of general education teachers in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Analysis indicates: (1) 15 of the states…

This paper considers ways to help children with special health needs by utilizing the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Individualized Health Care Plan (IHCP). Results of a study which found a lack of necessary health information in school documents is summarized. The school nurse is seen as a pivotal person in the identification and…

A Florida State Department of Education technical assistance paper on expulsion of handicapped students is presented. Contents are as follows: historical information on court decisions, issues questions and answers, brief summaries of seven court cases dealing with expulsion of handicapped students, and sample materials from three local school…

This resource book provides guidelines for planning, developing, and implementing outdoor education programs for disabled youth. Part 1 offers a step by step approach to developing a program that focuses on the use of the natural environment as the primary learning element. Advice is given on individualizing the program, consistent with…

The monograph interprets individualized education program (IEP) requirements of Part B of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. After introductory information outlining the purpose of the IEP and basic IEP requirements, a question and answer format of 60 questions provides specific details. Nine inserts highlight major…

The manual presents a set of career education goals and objectives to be used in developing Individualized Education Programs for severely handicapped and other special education populations in grades K through 12. The framework includes 7 content areas, 18 main goals, 80 main objectives, and 512 menu items. It is designed so that teachers, after…

Findings related to instructional intervention and decision making from four in-depth ecological case studies were integrated and analyzed. The case studies focused on four early childhood special education (ECSE) programs that were characterized by a variety of approaches to ECSE decision making and by urban, suburban, and rural locations. The…

The Vocational Resource Educator (VRE) coordinates the activities of all handicapped students of DeSoto County School District in Mississippi and provides vocational assessment to all handicapped students who enroll in a vocational program. Vocational support personnel assess students' interests, abilities, and special needs so they can…

Intended to guide the development or expansion of programs and services for North Dakota vocational special needs students, this document offers local school administrators and instructional and support staff a unified system for planning and delivering services. The document explains a series of 15 tasks to be carried out to develop or upgrade…

Intended for parents of exceptional children in Alaska, this booklet briefly defines the handicapping conditions that make a child exceptional and then describes programs in Alaska available to parents and their exceptional children. The Child Find program, which identifies exceptional children and ensures that they receive appropriate educational…

A University of Minnesota model for low incidence preservice special education teacher training is focused on visual impairment education and requires completion of four graduate level components for licensure. This model attempts to be flexible and address the needs of the field in providing qualified personnel that will remain in local school…

A cooperative program between the Department of Pediatrics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a special education program for developmentally disabled infants and children (birth through age 3) has provided 12 pediatric residents with a four-session training program. The residents were members of an interdisciplinary team…

Twenty-one families participated as members of experimental or control groups in a study which investigated the effects of family-oriented intervention on the stress level of families with young handicapped children (average age 2 years) whose impairments were primarily developmental delay or cerebral palsy. Parents completed the Parenting Stress…

This booklet is intended to serve as a mechanism whereby special educators and vocational instructors can work cooperatively in developing an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for special needs students. The planner identifies appropriate occupational areas (horticulture, apparel assembly, carpentry, food service, and plumbing) and then…