This article is part of an illustrative study of federal leadership in special education based on interviews with persons who served as Assistant Secretaries in the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services and Directors of the Office of Special Education Programs. The perspectives cover the time period…

Three of four high school students with special needs become unemployed after graduation. These students, referred to as "bridge students" as they transition into postsecondary life, seldomly escape lifestyles of criminal, sedentary or dependent behavior. Certain protocols enacted at the high school level may act as either barriers or…

Federal and state education laws have not changed since the COVID-19 outbreak. Because they were not meant to be implemented during a pandemic, schools and parents are facing barriers in implementing IEPs and 504 plans with remote learning at home. More than ever students will need strong advocates to express concerns and collaborate with school…

This manuscript identifies the challenges of children with special needs and their families. This text further highlights the complexity of integrating children with intellectual differences into inclusive settings. Furthermore, the author incorporates the teamwork and collaboration principles and practices of the Division for Early Childhood…

There is an established and still-growing evidence base that promoting self-determination has positive school and post-school benefits for students with disabilities, and yet efforts to do so remain sporadic, at best. This article examines the evidence that promoting self-determination is critically important for students with disabilities,…

The Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) was awarded an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Early Phase grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2017 to develop, implement, and test a promising program to improve student achievement and educational progress for high-need students: Reenergizing Leadership to Achieve…

Inclusive education is a global phenomenon expressed differently in various countries, and different contextual realities support or constrain the process of making education more inclusive. This column reports on an international conference on inclusive education in Johannesburg, South Africa, which provided the opportunity for delegates to share…

Despite the stated importance of a successful kindergarten transition (TTK) for future school success, no research has addressed this transition for culturally/ethnically diverse families having children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To address this gap, six focus groups (three with ethnically diverse parents, one with kindergarten…

The author is a special education teacher in New York and a mother of two children on the autism spectrum. The author's intimate involvement in the education system has made navigating the world of special education for her children easier in some ways, but also infinitely more difficult and heartbreaking in others. Since the passage of No…

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore families of international adoption experiences within the schools. Qualitative methodology and grounded theory procedures were used to analyze data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with three mothers who had adopted 8 children from orphanages in China. The concept of lack of…

Many children with invisible chronic illnesses (ICIs) are living to adulthood, necessitating that they prepare for their future. Health care and education systems have different meanings and processes for transition, although both systems are designed to help young adults prepare for independence. As health care and educational services support…

There are 1.2 million school-age children with military parents in the United States, and approximately 90% attend public schools. On average, military children move three times more often than their civilian peers. Tensions at home, enrollment issues, adapting to new schools, and a lack of familiarity with military culture by public school…

Early childhood programs serve increasing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. While many programs have made significant progress in providing educational services responsive to the needs of children with ASD, concerns persist about whether early education programs can meet the educational needs of such…

This article discusses the representation and participation of disabled students in the development of higher education policy and provision within the UK, at both a national and institutional level. Findings are drawn from a doctoral study, which identified the importance of student participation in securing equality and inclusion. Power…

This article shares the ways new early childhood teachers carry forward the social justice principles emphasized in their teacher education program into their actual practice. Their participation in a university-sponsored mentoring group served as the context for this study. Through an emergent themes analysis, we explored how they prioritized…