It is estimated that twenty percent of the general population has some signs of dyslexia, and eighty percent of the students eligible for special education under Specific Learning Disability (SLD) are eligible due to reading deficits. As research on dyslexia and our knowledge of best practice identification and intervention grows, it is no…

Too often, parents of children with disabilities come with negative expectations about the intentions of the teachers and administrators who are proposing an education plan for their son or daughter. In preparation, they arm themselves with advocates, lawyers, and a myriad of outside evaluations in preparation for the "battle" ahead. In…

As the parent of a child who has or may have a disability, the federal and state laws give them certain rights--called procedural safeguards. If they would like a more detailed explanation of these rights, they should contact the principal of their child's school, a school administrator, their local special education director, or any of the…

On November 14, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in "Schaffer v. Weast." This special education decision concerned which party bears the burden of persuasion when parents challenge a school district's Individualized Education Program (IEP) in a due process hearing. In this article, we define burden of persuasion and…

This article describes how parent representatives can effectively prepare for and conduct due process hearings as required under Public Law 94-142 when conflict resolution efforts fail. Key terms involved in the legislation are discussed, as are applications of the Attorney's Fee Act to minimize the financial burden involved in such litigation.…

This book is designed to give special educators, regular educators, and parents the confidence and know-how to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that are both legally correct and educationally useful. Chapter 1 highlights the five main components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): evaluation and…

Reviews and synthesizes court rulings that have expressly discussed the factor of economic cost in considerations of appropriateness of special-education programing. Advises educators to expend their resources in providing appropriate individual special-education programs rather than litigating the costs of those programs. (197 references) (MLF)

Every parent is filled with dreams, fears, hopes, and questions when preparing a child for school--and when that child has a disability, this exciting time can seem overwhelming. This upbeat, reassuring handbook is an invaluable resource to share with parents of a school-age child with a disability. It demystifies complicated issues, encourages…

This book is intended to help participants in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for children with disabilities to meet basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a defensible way and offers an approach to putting data before the IEP team, structuring deliberations, and documenting decisions. It stresses…

This manual is designed to provide Idaho educators, parents, students with disabilities, and related service providers with assistance in identifying, selecting, and acquiring assistive technology (AT) devices and services. The consideration of AT devices and services is required during the development of every Individualized Family Service Plan…