This guide describes the services necessary to support effective paraeducator services in accredited Iowa schools. A paraeducator is defined as an employee who works under the supervision of teachers or other licensed personnel who have the ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of education and related service programs. It is…

This paper is designed to provide school social workers with a conceptual framework that will help guide their participation in state and local level planning for implementing functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for students which school personnel propose to suspend for more than 10 days in any school…

This Spanish language guide for parents of children with disabilities explains the basics of the special education process, especially parent participation developing the child's individualized education program (IEP). The first section reviews the IEP process, including what's involved, the IEP meeting, who attends the IEP meeting, the role of…

This bulletin on the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reviews ten provisions of the Act that support inclusive education, including: (1) language in the "Findings" section of the law that states the education of students with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations…

This monograph discusses development and implementation of positive behavioral intervention plans with students who have emotional and/or behavioral disorders. It focuses on four steps of a 10-step methodology using functional behavioral assessment and intervention. Emphasis is on the use of positive behavioral intervention plans and supports as…

This booklet describes Great Britain's Education Act of 1996, Part 4, which is related to the education of pupils with learning difficulties. Issues discussed are the main aspects of Part 4, the duty of local education agencies to include children with special needs in the mainstream, what parents should expect from their child's schools, what…

Targeted at special education teachers/special population instructors, work experience coordinators, vocational assessment personnel, and guidance counselors, this guide examines the relationships among career development, transition, and self-determination for students with disabilities. The guide uses a question-and-answer format to identify and…

This document provides a comprehensive list of best practices associated with effective and efficient programs for students with various disabilities: social/behavioral, sensory, physical, and cognitive and/or communicative. It is intended to assist in the design and implementation of least intrusive, chronologically age-appropriate, gender and…

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 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…

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…

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.)…

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…

Because of the importance of preventing inappropriate disciplinary measures for special education students and those with disabilities, school boards should direct administrators to set specific procedures and limits on disciplinary measures, boost staff development programs, and establish open communication with parents. (MLF)

Describes how simple changes in pretend-play areas can enable children with disabilities to participate more fully in early-learning experiences. Discusses how play reflects cognitive and social skills. Identifies challenges to supporting inclusive pretend play related to environmental barriers and children's characteristics; presents suggestions…