Family-professional partnerships have been recognized through research and supported through legislation as critical components contributing to the positive development of children with disabilities, yet current practices and services need significant improvement. In practice, families and service providers often experience difficulty in…

Successful inclusion of very young children with disabilities in natural environments requires professionals to have specialized skills including: collaboration with the child's parents and caregivers and other professionals, ecologically valid assessment of the child within the context of his or her natural environment, and the design of an…

Assistive Technology (AT) devices and services have been legally mandated for several years. However, the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments P.L. 105-17 (IDEA1997), which states that every student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be considered for AT, had enormous implications impacting approximately six…

Schools of tomorrow will be completely different physically and operationally. The author of this article states that we cannot tolerate the current high failure rates in terms of graduation and possession of the competencies needed to function successfully as citizens in a democracy, productively as workers and heuristically as learners. He lists…

Prepared for State University of New York/Buffalo researchers participating in a state-sponsored educational financing project, this background paper focuses on the vocational education "program effects" of changing financial aid formulas and/or the rationale for organizing school districts and regional services. It scrutinizes the role of Boards…

This special report is a supplement to a series of special education primers created to inform state officials, authorizers and charter school operators about special education in the charter sector. The primer series also provides tools to help these stakeholders build charter school capacity to provide special education and related services. In…

The transition to adult life for students with reading and writing challenges is an area that is not often addressed. The purpose of this article is to relate the informal assessment process to the broader context of high stakes assessment, high school exit exams, diploma options, and transition planning; identify the competencies needed for a…

Designed for use by parents and professionals, this guide provides assistance in finding appropriate financial resources and services for children with special needs in Iowa. Divided into six chapters, the guide presents programs related to education, health, human services, insurance, social security, and other support services. After a brief…

This paper describes the "Every Child a Winner" curriculum that provides inclusion for special needs children in elementary classrooms. Key elements of the curriculum for all ability levels are: improved fitness and motor skills, and enhanced academics and self-esteem for every child. Early program development is described as growing out…

This staff brief is designed to help policymakers make recommendations for the improvement in educational and related services provided to visually impaired children and adults in the state by public school districts, the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped (WSVH), and other educational agencies. Part 1 provides a brief overview of…

Third in a series of papers resulting from the Annual Institute on Innovations in Camping and Outdoor Education with Persons Who are Disabled, this volume consists of 12 articles reflecting innovative efforts to bring exciting outdoor based programs to persons with disabilities. Addressing leadership training, innovative program approaches, and…

Intended for parents, this booklet lists special education programs and services for exceptional children in Michigan, and discusses parent rights in the educational system. Specifically addressed are parents' rights in the referral process, in the evaluation procedures, to an independent educational evaluation, in the Individualized Educational…

The document consists of a program manager's manual for the Parent Infant Program (PIP), an early intervention program designed to foster effective parenting of infants with developmental disabilities and delays. Section 1 provides a program overview. Three program goals are: to build parental confidence as primary teachers/facilitators of their…

This document contains an introductory lecture and materials for conducting a workshop to familiarize regular classroom teachers and school administrators with individualized education programs (IEPs) and their requirements and procedures. The goal of the training is for participants to increase their commitment to and involvement in the IEP…

The final report summarizes activities regarding development of the Early Childhood Education for the Severely/Multiply Handicapped Project, a model demonstration program providing comprehensive and direct educational services to 0 to 6 year old children and their parents. The program and curriculum design is based on two phases--the early…