This manual is a guide to Project MESH (Making Effective Schools Happen), a project which blends the "effective schools" research and change process with the values of the movement to include all students with disabilities in general education programs. The manual is based on the experience of two elementary schools in Washington State.…

This briefing paper provides answers to frequently asked questions about special education. It is divided into sections addressing student evaluation, special education eligibility, writing an Individualized Education Program (IEP), re-evaluation, and other special education issues. Specifically, information is provided on: (1) the purpose of…

This manual presents an assessment instrument designed to help teachers, educational specialists, speech-language therapists, psychologists, and other service providers evaluate the communication skills of children, adolescents, and young adults who have multiple disabilities, including severe or profound mental retardation and deafblindness. It…

The rationale behind Public Law 94-142, which pertains to education of handicapped children, is presented. Key terms such as mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, zero reject, most appropriate placement, and individualized education are discussed to clarify their significance for educators. (PP)

A model of classroom-based staff development for teachers at the high school level is described. The program incorporates the consulting teacher model and uses three kinds of inservice training: courses, consultations, and workshops. (JN)

The article provides guidelines and examples for developing individualized instructional programs in either concept development or motor skill development for moderately and severely handicapped learners. (DB)

A survey of special education directors investigated the provision of related services to disabled students in rural Nevada. Difficulties included hiring qualified personnel, low numbers of students needing particular services, geographic dispersement of students, and distance from urban areas. Solutions included collaboration with other agencies,…

A review of 2001 state policies on gifted education found that states varied on their definitions of giftedness. Twenty-seven mandate full or partial gifted education, 9 require an individualized education program for gifted students, but only 4 require gifted students and children with disabilities to be identified, located, and evaluated…

This article extrapolates principles from litigation concerning students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to establish guidelines for individualized education program teams developing appropriate special education programs for students with ASD. Principles address free, appropriate public…

A study of 69 students with deafness found the following factors facilitated transition from education to adult life and employment: student participation in Individualized Education Program meetings; family involvement in the transition process; transition planning in middle school; and cultural sensitivity in transition planning. Transition…

This article provides a compilation of integration options for including students with severe disabilities. It discusses collaborative planning for inclusion, and provides a chart illustrating the stages of planning for curriculum adaptations for students with disabilities. A case study of collaborative planning is provided. (Contains references.)…

A poll of school attorneys conducted by the National School Boards Association revealed that some school districts are so reluctant to run up legal costs in special education cases that the districts are willing to agree to demands they do not consider educationally sound for children. (MLF)

This article discusses provisions of Public Law 99-457 and suggests that this law sets the stage for the development of family-centered services for young children with disabilities. The approach presented emphasizes identification of families' strengths and needs as a basis for implementing community-based programs, with professionals serving as…

To demonstrate the school psychologist's role in effecting appropriate interventions for children with communication disorders, a 5-year individualized education program for 1 boy (followed from age 27 months to 6 years) with a severe communication disorder is described. The collaborative nature of the consultative parent/educational staff…

Among ideas expressed are that quality of caring, which is the substance of programs for behavior disordered students, cannot be legislated. Teacher training programs should concentrate on underlying concepts that promote teaching excellence. The individual psychology approach is the only real theoretical match for the development of…